Get your hands dirty at the LF15 Legacy Project! Volunteers will be preparing beds for Sedum, Snowberry, Oregon Grape and Camas. Wear comfortable, weather-proof clothes, tools and gloves will be supplied at the project. A delicious, organic lunch is included. Don't forget a water bottle, it's hard work!
The Living Future 2015 Legacy Project is The Pollinator Pathway, a global design project created by interdisciplinary designer Sarah Bergmann that imagines a new relationship between human and natural systems. The Pollinator Pathway combines ecology, design thinking, and participation to create design projects connecting cities, farmland, and national parks. All Pollinator Pathways are built to criteria and are either designed by Bergmann or are built in partnership with a variety of entities including governments, design and architecture firms, corporations and nongovernmental organizations. The Pollinator Pathway is a response to open questions about nature in our time, one that acknowledges humanity’s design role in natural systems.
Bergmann’s first project, on Seattle’s Columbia Street, is a mile long, 24 foot wide renegade park that connects the Seattle University campus with a small woods called Nora’s Woods using planting strips owned by the City. Pollinator Pathway Two, in partnership with Capitol Hill Housing, is in development and will connect Seattle University to Volunteer Park, passing through one of the densest residential neighborhoods in Seattle. The Pollinator Pathway is a reflection of Bergmann’s interdisciplinary work and collaborations crossing the fields of design, art, and science, and will be the subject of a largescale exhibition in 2016-17.
SPECIAL THANKS TO THE LEGACY PROJECT SPONSOR: INTERFACE
Come ride the ferry with us to beautiful Bainbridge Island for the day, where we'll visit two incredible places: Grow Community and IslandWood.
We'll be met at the Bainbridge Ferry Terminal by Jonathan Davis of Grow Community, who will lead us on a walking tour through the beautiful town of Winslow to Grow Community. Grow Community is the first residential community built in North America to receive a "One Planet Community" endorsement from the U.K. non-profit BioRegional. As the largest solar community in the State of Washington, the net-zero, zero carbon, multi-generational award winning, Grow Community on Bainbridge Island has been put forth as potentially “the most Sustainable Neighborhood in the U.S.” When complete this 8-acre site will include 50 single family homes, 81 multi-family units, a community center and a small day care center. Jonathan will share background on "micro-hoods" (clusters of homes), the community gardens, integrated cycle/foot paths, and more!
Joined by David Goldberg of Mithun, next we'll head to IslandWood, designed by the Institute's Executive Director Amanda Sturgeon. Whether at their 255-acre outdoor learning center, or any of their off-site locations, IslandWood invites children and adults alike to discover a new way of seeing nature, themselves, and one another. In doing so, each person comes to understand their ability to change the world for the better. As an LEED gold certified facility, they are active participants in energy conservation, composting, recycling, and harnessing alternative energy sources. In fact, all of the facilities on IslandWood's campus feature numerous elements that help restore and maintain their site and remind visitors that even our simple, day-to-day tasks have an impact on the environment. IslandWood will prepare a healthy chef choice lunch followed by a docent-led exploration of the IslandWood main campus.
Lunch will be provided on this tour. Please note any dietary restrictions during registration. Please wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather. Note: this tour is not suitable for individual with mobility issues.
PLEASE NOTE, THIS TOUR IS MEETING AT THE SHERATON HOTEL AND DEPARTING AS A GROUP. PLEASE ARRIVE 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE DEPARTURE OF THIS TOUR FOR CHECK-IN.
[REGISTER HERE] Questions about the tour? Contact us at LF15@living-future.org.
21 Acres Center for Local Food and Sustainable Living (www.21acres.org), one of the only LEED Platinum buildings coupled with a Certified Organic farm, hosts this tour to share the richness of the valley in both land and people, and give you a sense of successful partnerships as well as challenges facing both local food producers and consumers striving to transition to a community-based food economy.
The fertile Sammamish Valley near Woodinville is home to 21 Acres and numerous organic farms, plus over 90 wineries and tasting rooms. On the drive from Seattle and along the way, hear from local growers who bring chemical-free, seasonal foods to market and to the table economically, independent of global and industrial-scale production. First stop is the highly-acclaimed Herbfarm (www.theherbfarm.com) for a look at their gardens and restaurant, and a quick bite before heading up the valley to 21 Acres where you'll see what it takes to operate this deep-green facility and its permaculture-based Back 18 Farm.
In the building, explore advantages and challenges of integrating food plants into the built environment, including micro-gardens, self-watering planters, rooftop gardens, raised planters and other low-maintenance, water-wise installations. On the farmland, tour the fields and hear about their practices, educational opportunities and volunteers. For lunch, share a community table and be inspired by the 21 Acres kitchen team as they demonstrate how to prepare seasonal foods from farm to table. Local cheeses from the 21 Acres Farmers Market will be paired with a flight of Certified Salmon-Safe wine. At the end of the 21 Acres tour, you will have experienced a taste of what this community-focused non-profit has accomplished, how it creates a centering place for people of all ages and backgrounds to participate in and learn from each other, and where it is going to support vibrant sustainable living practices.
Lunch will be provided on this tour. Note any dietary needs during registration. Please wear closed-toe shoes for walking about the farms.
PLEASE NOTE, THIS TOUR IS MEETING AT THE SHERATON HOTEL AND DEPARTING AS A GROUP. PLEASE ARRIVE 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE DEPARTURE OF THIS TOUR FOR CHECK-IN.
Questions about the tour? Contact us at LF15@living-future.org.
zHome is a revolutionary, 10-unit townhome development that uses smart design and cutting edge technologies to radically reduce its environmental impacts. zHome will prove that homes that use zero net energy and 60% less water, emit net zero carbon emissions, have clean indoor air and use only low-toxicity materials are possible and scalable to mainstream home production.
Eastside Fire & Rescue 72 is a consolidated fire, rescue, and medical service provider for two fire districts and four cities spanning 190 square miles and serving 120,000 customers in eastern King County, WA. Station 72 is the most energy efficient fire station on the planet. Station 72 achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum status. Incorporated into the design of the fire station are the latest technologies to control utilities, recycle rainwater, manage temperature controls, balance natural and manufactured lighting, and minimize energy use. The construction methods utilized followed strict guidelines that minimized environmental impact. One of the most obvious incorporated energy initiatives is that of solar panels which virtually cover the entire roof area of the facility. The system is producing enough electricity that the facility is meeting its own needs, while providing excess generated power to the electrical grid. The station had a total project estimate cost in excess of $8 million. The final cost of the project was $6.6 million.
PLEASE NOTE, THIS TOUR IS MEETING AT THE SHERATON HOTEL AND DEPARTING AS A GROUP. PLEASE ARRIVE 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE DEPARTURE OF THIS TOUR FOR CHECK-IN.
[REGISTER HERE] Questions about the tour? Contact us at LF15@living-future.org.
Sail aboard the historic schooner Adventuress! Become a part of our crew by helping to raise the sails and learn more about this National Historic Landmark and efforts in place as the ship aims towards becoming the first ever ‘Living Ship’. Highlights include sailing the 133’ schooner, touring the ship and exploring different systems in place, and learning about how Adventuress is used as a teaching platform.
Lunch will be provided on this tour. Please note dietary needs during registration.
PLEASE NOTE, THIS TOUR IS MEETING AT THE SHERATON HOTEL AND DEPARTING AS A GROUP. PLEASE ARRIVE 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE DEPARTURE OF THIS TOUR FOR CHECK-IN.
[REGISTER HERE] Questions about the tour? Contact us at LF15@living-future.org.
Did you get a Full Conference Pass to Living Future 2015? Contact us at LF15@living-future.org for a $50 discount code to this workshop! This event is open to the public, and you do not have to be a conference attendee to register for this workshop.
Overview
The Living Building Challenge workshop previews the Philosophy, Advocacy, Guidance, and Tools that the International Living Future Institute offers in its Certification program and support. The Living Building Challenge engages the broader building industry in the deep conversations required to truly understand how to solve problems rather than shift them. This six-hour workshop will showcase these features along with core concepts needed to develop a working understanding of the certification program.
Timeline
10:00-11:00 - The Philosophy of the Living Building Challenge / Petal rationale + strategies: Site
11:00-11:15 - Bio-break
11:15-11:45 Petal rationale + strategies: Water, Energy, Health / Small Group Discussion
11:45-12:30 - Lunch + Case Studies
12:30-2:00 - Petal rationale + strategies: Materials, Equity, Beauty / Small Group Discussion
2:00-3:30 - Breaking down Barriers / Community + Tools / Full Group Discussion
Learning Objectives
- Identify the key components of the Living Building Challenge
- Discuss the rationale for restorative design principles
- Understand successful strategies for compliance with each performance area
- Recognize financial, regulatory and behavioral barriers and incentives related to high performance design
- Describe the Living Building Challenge Community resources and certification process
Approved CEU's
6 GBCI
6 AIA
6 LFA
Did you get a Full Conference Pass to Living Future 2015? Contact us at LF15@living-future.org for a $50 discount code to this workshop! This event is open to the public, and you do not have to be a conference attendee to register for this workshop.
The Understanding the Living Community Challenge workshop provides an in-depth introduction to the Living Community Challenge – working through the methodology to in-depth case studies and discussion around selected Imperatives. This workshop will pay special attention to the Energy and Water Imperatives and their implications at the community scale.
Attendees are the green planning and design leaders in their community: design professionals, planners, developers, owners, government officials and employees of public agencies. This workshop will be heavy on both content and discussion, so come ready to engage this emerging program.
Learning Objectives:
The Bullitt Center was developed with a single goal in mind: to demonstrate the current state-of-the-art in sustainable design, in order to influence the development and operation of other buildings around the world. In short, the Bullitt Center loves visitors. As the largest urban office building designed to meet the Living Building Challenge, tours of the Bullitt Center offer a chance to see the various operational systems, including mechanical, rainwater, constructed wetland, composting and electrical. During the tour, visitors will cover the building from the basement to the soaring “irresistible stairway,” and see how one floor has been finished into a comfortable open office plan. Come see for yourself during this “behind the scenes” tour led by project team members.
Want to tour the Bullitt Center but not available in the morning? We are doing a second tour of the Bullitt in the afternoon (see here for more info).
PLEASE NOTE, THIS TOUR IS MEETING AT THE BULLIT CENTER (NOT THE SHERATON HOTEL). PLEASE ARRIVE 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE BEGINNING OF THIS TOUR FOR CHECK-IN.
[REGISTER HERE] Questions about the tour? Contact us at LF15@living-future.org.
The Declare Summit will bring together thought leaders from the world’s leading sustainable product manufacturers, as well as trend-setting specifiers that are shaping the future of product demand. Don't miss out on our outstanding speakers and interactive workshop. Stay tuned for more information on the program! Read more about the Declare program here: http://declareproducts.com/
This summit is open to the public for registration. You may register here.
The Bullitt Center was developed with a single goal in mind: to demonstrate the current state-of-the-art in sustainable design, in order to influence the development and operation of other buildings around the world. In short, the Bullitt Center loves visitors. As the largest urban office building designed to meet the Living Building Challenge, tours of the Bullitt Center offer a chance to see the various operational systems, including mechanical, rainwater, constructed wetland, composting and electrical. During the tour, visitors will cover the building from the basement to the soaring “irresistible stairway,” and see how one floor has been finished into a comfortable open office plan. Come see for yourself during this “behind the scenes” tour led by project team members.
Want to tour the Bullitt Center but not available in the afternoon? We are doing a second tour of the Bullitt in the morning (see here for more info).
PLEASE NOTE, THIS TOUR IS MEETING AT THE BULLIT CENTER (NOT THE SHERATON HOTEL). PLEASE ARRIVE 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE BEGINNING OF THIS TOUR FOR CHECK-IN.
[REGISTER HERE] Questions about the tour? Contact us at LF15@living-future.org.
Recently certified as the fourth commercial Living Building Challenge (LBC) and the first version 2.0 and urban LBC project in the world, the Bertschi School elementary science wing is offering a tour. You’ll hear from the project designers and school staff as they take you through the building to view the built examples of LBC Imperatives. You’ll see unique design responses like the river in the classroom that collects rain water and the green wall of tropical plants that treat the building’s grey water. PV panels, a composting toilet and an ethnobotanical garden are a few of the many other highlights we will explore.
PLEASE NOTE, THIS TOUR IS MEETING AT THE SHERATON HOTEL AND DEPARTING AS A GROUP. PLEASE ARRIVE 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE DEPARTURE OF THIS TOUR FOR CHECK-IN.
[REGISTER HERE] Questions about the tour? Contact us at LF15@living-future.org.
This session assembles a panel of three organizations from three very different industry sectors to explore a sensitive and pressing issue: social justice in the workplace. The panel discussion will touch upon the urgency and immediacy of achieving equity in the workplace and then cover the business case for social justice, including how ILFI's Just Program benefits organizations and their employees. It is up to all of us to engage with these issues until we achieve equity and social justice in our workplaces. This session will conclude with concrete strategies for improving your organization year upon year.
Project teams consider Materials the most challenging Petal of the Living Building Challenge, enjoining not only technical challenges but also playing an active role in transforming the building products industry while flipping the standard specification process on its head. Today, the transformation is under way: projects of all types are gaining experience navigating the Red List and other challenges, manufacturers are embracing transparency and toxic chemical avoidance, and transparency tools like Declare are providing valuable intelligence for everyone. Come see the revolution in progress: new tools and new healthier materials can bring Materials Petal Certification to your project.
Adaptation to climate change requires redesigning our landscapes to maximize ecosystem resilience. However, translating resiliency theory into actionable principles and plans for non-scientists remains challenging. Google’s Ecology Program and the San Francisco Estuary Institute have teamed up to build a science-based framework designed to enhance ecosystem health and resilience, guiding Google’s campus design as well as investments in the region as a whole. This session is designed to explore this approach and its application across multiple scales, with a focus on Google’s Mountain View campus and Silicon Valley as a case study.
Inclusivity. Fairness. Healing. This 2-part, 3-hour workshop builds the sensitivities and competencies to reveal and address equity considerations and opportunities in Living Community development. The session starts with the equity petal, steps through equity considerations in the other petals, and moves toward a holistic and inclusive model for a framing and driving toward a pro-equity approach that can be tailored to the circumstances of Living Communities in a variety of contexts. Case examples and table exercises push participants to build competencies in equity assessment, inclusive engagement, equity impact review, and the array of design and development considerations that bear on equity outcomes.
This training Part 1 of a two-part series (see Part 2 here), that also complements the Equitable and JUST Living Buildings workshop on Friday.
The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), joined with New Building Institute, ZGF Architects, and EcoDistricts, are inviting thought leaders to attend a workshop titled “Buildings of the Future: Seeing Beyond this Century” on Thursday, April 2, 2015 from 1:15–5:00 PM (PDT) at the Seattle Sheraton, Medina Room.
At the Living Future unConference, we are creating an interactive forum for visionaries and experts to help shape the built environment in the next century. This workshop is part of a national initiative to develop a vision for buildings in 100 years, sponsored by the Department of Energy (DOE) Building Technology Office. Topics to be discussed at this workshop will include interactive issues such as future utilities, new real estate dynamics, innovative information technologies, and connected buildings and districts. You will work with leaders across various fields to generate creative ideas. Together, we will paint a picture of a resilient, convenient, efficient, and safe building for our future.
The outcome of this workshop will be used to guide the DOE vision development. A discussion summary will be published on the Future Buildings website and also included in the final vision report. Your contributions will be recognized in our published documents.
Visit Living Future 2015 for more information about the 9th annual unConference.
Light refreshments will be provided.
Agenda*
Session one
1:15 – 1:30 (15 minutes) Overview of 100-year building vision development
1:30 – 2:15 (45 minutes) Topic 1: Future utilities and resource supply
2:15 – 3:00 (45 minutes) Topic 2: Future connected building districts
Session two
3:15 – 3:30 (15-minute) Break/recap
3:30 – 4:15 (45 minutes) Topic 3: Future information technology and its impacts on buildings
4:15 – 5:00 (45 minutes) Topic 4: Future real estate market dynamics
5:00 – 5:15 (15 minutes) Closing and next steps
*Please note that there is also a morning panel discussion (with the same title) from 10:30 AM–12:30 PM in the Aspen Room. The afternoon workshop will be an extension of the morning session with more inputs from invited thought leaders. The first 15-minute of the workshop will provide an overview of the morning session.
RSVP is required. In the RSVP, please indicate if you are planning to attend Session One, Session Two, or Both.
This workshop is only open to unConference attendees and invited guests.
Memphis and Detroit share similar stories. Both once capitals of wealth, production and distribution, today they epitomize industrial decay – deterioration of infrastructures; erosion of capital; and chronic underinvestment in (and decline of) community well-being. However this is not how their stories end. In both, emergent champions are coming together to create new chapters - revealing lessons of hope, inspiration and potential. This visual and candid session will compare strategies and tactics for community-driven transformation currently being realized in Memphis and Detroit - exploring emerging models, metrics, methods, and mindsets for regenerating exchange, valuation, and agency across scales.
Inclusivity. Fairness. Healing. This 2-part, 3-hour workshop builds the sensitivities and competencies to reveal and address equity considerations and opportunities in Living Community development. The session starts with the equity petal, steps through equity considerations in the other petals, and moves toward a holistic and inclusive model for a framing and driving toward a pro-equity approach that can be tailored to the circumstances of Living Communities in a variety of contexts. Case examples and table exercises push participants to build competencies in equity assessment, inclusive engagement, equity impact review, and the array of design and development considerations that bear on equity outcomes.
This training Part 2 of a two-part series (see Part 1 here), that also complements the Equitable and JUST Living Buildings workshop on Friday.
Assessing the health-related characteristics of building materials is data-intensive. And there are a variety of complimentary systems for reporting on material health, including Declare, HPD, Cradle-to-Cradle, GreenScreen, and Pharos. A collaborative effort among the developers of these systems was launched during 2013 to advance voluntary data and information harmonization among them. Goals include increased efficiency of each and clear comparability of their results, with the ultimate intent that building materials protect and promote human health. Leaders from the programs provide an up-to-the-minute inside look at recent progress from the harmonization effort, and a candid look at where we’re headed.
Fairness. Opportunity. Inclusivity. This session will push participants to build competencies with equity assessment, inclusive engagement, equity impact review, and design and development considerations that bear on equity outcomes. After quickly unpacking Living Building Equity Petal requirements and the equity dimensions of other petals, the session will present a few core equity and social justice principles and approaches relevant in any settings to advance buildings that response to context, expand opportunity, and reconcile to long time horizons. Using case examples, peer interaction, and discussion, participants will advance awareness, cultivate sensitivities, strengthen analytic skills, and foster practice improvements toward pro-equity Living Buildings.
This training complements the Pro-Equity Living Community Development workshops on Thursday.
[This is a private screening]
Fresh from New Zealand, we have a special preview for conference audiences only of a film that is about to create some buzz on the International Film Festival Circuit:
EVER THE LAND is an immersive feature documentary that explores the sublime bond between people and their land through a landmark architectural undertaking of New Zealand's first Living Building by one of the most passionately independent Maori tribes, Ngāi Tūhoe.
Every person, regardless of economic status, has a right to housing that is healthy, safe, affordable and environmentally sound. The Living Building Challenge Framework for Affordable Housing offers a pathway for multi-family affordable housing projects to achieve the Living Building Challenge, either as Petal or Living Certified. This panel will present the analysis and key findings of the Framework for Affordable Housing report, then explore 2 pilot project on the ground that are attempting to achieve the standard in different climate zones – each project serving as a groundbreaking model of deep green affordable design.
a documentary film
transmedia enriched experience
It starts with this question: “ What does good look like? ”
Our story follows vanguard architect, author and International Living Future Institute CEO, Jason McLennan, as we connect with the leading thinkers of our time. As humanity faces imminent ecological collapse a growing movement of deep-green design inspires a revolution. Our environment knows no borders, gated communities or sovereign state. With honesty and strength, The Challenge explores what we can do, on the ground, to build a truly regenerative Living Future. Featured in the film: Janine Benyus; Majora Carter; Paul Hawken; Denis Hayes; David Suzuki; David Korten; Bob Berkebile; Vandana Shiva; James Kunstler; Sim Van der Ryn; Margaret J. Wheatley; and Jason F. McLennan.
Engaging interactive visualization, vision-storming and practical exercises interwoven with the element of story we will explore the profound interconnectedness between water, structure, place, community and well-being. A series of guided and collaborative activities will lead participants through an exploration of individual and cultural stories and how they can help us create on a more profound level. Designers, activists, visionaries, and planners will leave the session with a deeper understanding of the profound resonance of water and structure in community, a template and implementation tips for recreating this mindful process with small groups, and a collaboratively completed application example.
Imagine all products we use designed and constructed to function as elegantly and efficiently as anything found in the natural world: materials that are informed by biomimicry and biophilia; manufactured by processes that generate more energy and water than they consume, products that improve our quality of life and bring joy through their beauty and functionality; products which “give more than they take” over their total life cycle, in relation to energy, water, climate, waste, human health and ecosystems. Imagine Living Products, whose very existence builds soil, creates habitat, nourishes the human spirit, and provides inspiration for personal, political and economic change.
Participate in an in depth dialogue with attendees and the Living Product Challenge team who will answer questions about compliance with existing certification systems and other requirements of the Living Product Challenge. It is expected that participants will attend the previous session Understanding the Living Product Challenge Part 1.
