Living Building Challenge

The International Futures Living Institute™(ILFI) has developed the Living Building Challenge (LBC) as “a philosophy, advocacy tool, and certification program defining today’s most advanced measure of sustainability in the built environment. It addresses all buildings at all scales and is an inclusive tool for transformative design. Whether the project is a single building, a renovation, an infrastructure project, or a park, the Living Building Challenge provides a framework for designing, constructing, and improving the symbiotic relationships between people and all aspects of the built and natural environments.” The Living Building Challenge Standard is the core document that project teams use to guide them on a path toward certification. It is based on a “regenerative design framework to create spaces that, like a flower, give more than they take.” They are described as regenerative buildings that connect occupants to light, air, food, nature, and community.

The Living Building Challenge version 4.1 (released in April of 2024) goes beyond “doing no harm” to being truly regenerative and contributing to a positive built environment in multiple respects. It includes 20 imperatives organized into seven “petals,” all of which must be achieved to receive full LBC Certification. Under the Health and Happiness Petal, the Healthy Indoor Environment Plan (HIEP) imperative requires an instructional, updatable, document that includes multiple indoor air quality improvement strategies such as toxin prevention policies.

Image Source: International Living Futures Institute

The Declare Label is a component of the Living Building Challenge that identifies the presence or absence of harmful materials that should be avoided from the “Red List.”

As one strategy toward healthier indoor environments, ILFI has also developed the “Declare Label” program. They describe it as “a platform to share and find healthy building products. Manufacturers voluntarily disclose product information on easy-to-read Declare Labels, which are accessible on a free database.” The information needs to be third-party verified. Part of the process is to review the LBC Red List which is “a list of chemicals representing the “worst in class” substances prevalent in the building industry that pose serious risks to human health and the environment. The Red List is organized by chemical class and lists individual chemicals by Chemical Abstract Registry Number (CASRN).” A product’s compliance with the LBC Red List is represented on the Declare Label by one of three Declaration Statuses for products:

• LBC Red List Free products disclose 100% of ingredients present at or above 100 ppm (0.01%) in the final product and do not contain any Red List chemicals.
• LBC Red List Approved products disclose a minimum of 99% of ingredients present in the final product and meet the LBC Red List Imperative requirements through one or more approved exceptions.
• Declared products disclose 100% of ingredients present in the final product but contain one or more Red List chemicals that are not covered by an approved exception.

In addition to the LBC Red List, the Declare label demonstrates alignment with other requirements within the Living Building Challenge and Core Green Building Certification, as well as LEED and WELL certifications. These requirements include ingredient disclosure thresholds, VOC content and emissions, embodied carbon, and responsible sourcing.

Photo courtesy of Behr Paint Company

The selection of low-VOC or zero-VOC paints and coatings contributes to well-designed, healthier, and more environmentally friendly buildings.

CREATING HEALTHIER INTERIORS: TACKLING VOCS IN NEW & RENOVATED SPACES

It should be clear by now that there are multiple strategies for addressing contaminants, like VOCs, in new and existing buildings to improve indoor environmental quality including, specifically, the indoor air quality (IAQ). In so doing, architects, designers, building owners, and construction professionals can all work collaboratively to help protect the health and well-being of building occupants, users and the general public. With that in mind, here are some things that can be done on every project to meet those objectives.

• Design Process: Healthy indoor environmental quality starts with design, is followed through with proper material selection, and kept up through maintenance. Therefore, it is always helpful to identify the specific goals at the outset of a project, not wait until later when it could be more difficult to incorporate. That includes things like determining what level of indoor air quality is sought and how it will be achieved.
• Design Layout: Some spaces may be identified as having higher levels of VOCs and/or other contaminants due to their use or function. It is prudent, and helpful, to keep any concentration of contaminants away from people in commercial and institutional buildings. That can include providing separate storage rooms or areas for VOC containing products like paints, adhesives, solvents and cleaners. Such spaces should be well-ventilated and appropriately secured and controlled.
• Specifications: ™ The best way to reduce or eliminate VOCs is to specify materials and products that don’t contain them in the first place or at least contain as few as possible. To determine how to select those products, use the free online search service available from EPD International or Sustainable Minds® Transparency Catalog™ to review relevant EPDs for products such as paints and coatings and others. If specific products aren’t found, contact the manufacturer to ask for any available, third party verified EPDs directly from them. Similarly, for more detailed health data information, search online at the HPD Collaborative website or Sustainable Minds Transparency Catalog for copies of the HPDs relevant to a project.
• Voluntary Green Standards: In order to determine the preferred level of indoor air quality, review the standards from LEED, WELL, and The Living Building Challenge. Then, compare the products being considered for specification against these standards to determine which ones are most appealing. This can be done whether certification for the building is being sought under any of these programs or not, especially for things like paints and coatings. In particular, review the “Red List” materials to determine if any of the listed ingredients are in the paints and coatings being considered for a project. If certification is being sought under any of these programs, then follow the identified process to verify and report compliance for credit where appropriate.
• Owner Education Many building owners and facility managers are interested in achieving healthy indoor air quality in the interest of protecting the people who use the building, and enhancing the activities that the building is designed for, whether work, education, recreation, hospitality, or other uses. Architects have an opportunity to share information about the design and specification of the products in the building plus any certifications that can help with the ongoing proper operations and maintenance to keep indoor air quality high and healthy. This might include allowing time for building materials, paints, and coatings in new or remodeled areas to adequately off-gas before occupancy if warranted. Or it could be instructing them on low- and zero-VOC products used that should be replicated to keep indoor air quality high during any future re-painting, remodeling, or renovation work.

CONCLUSION

Indoor environmental quality continues to be a significant design topic since it is directly related to human health and wellness. The presence of VOCs and other contaminants in buildings can have a direct impact on indoor spaces and the people who occupy them. The reduction of VOCs in paints and coatings has been shown to help improve indoor environmental quality and occupant health. These products can also help contribute to LEED, WELL, and Living Building Challenge certifications. By understanding the ways to design with and specify low VOC paints and coatings, architects and specifiers can achieve improved indoor environmental quality goals while creating potentially healthier interior spaces for the building occupants.

Peter J. Arsenault, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP s a nationally known architect who has authored nearly 300 continuing education courses focused on advancing building performance through better design. www.pjaarch.com, www.linkedin.com/in/pjaarch