One of the first in Canada to meet Living Building Challenge

This 510m2 childcare centre endeavours to address the considerable environmental design ambitions of the Living Building Challenge with the unique early childhood learning objectives of the Reggio Emilio method. Unlike LEED, in which choices can be made as to which credits to pursue, the Living Building Challenge is unequivocal. In Version 1.3, for which the SFU Childcare Centre is registered, there are simply 16 design prerequisites, all of which must be met in order to achieve Living Building certification. The prerequisites are grouped into six categories or petals: Site, Materials, Energy, Water, Indoor Quality, and Beauty + Inspiration.

B y Karen Marler

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Net Zero Water

Sustainability performance at the building, neighbourhood and city scale

Emerging storm water management methods represent a key approach to sustainability of integrating ecosystems within our infrastructure. [NE Siskiyou Green Street, Portland, OR; Kevin Robert Perry, ASLA]

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How water and waste infrastructure strategies at different scales, from the building to the city, can respond to sustainability and other challenges. (more…)