As this post is being written, the Living Building at Georgia Tech project has just entered the schematic design phase. Wood, steel, and concrete are currently under consideration for the structure system, and a hybrid approach cannot entirely be ruled out. For exterior cladding, cement board, stone veneer rain screen, terracotta rain screen, brick, and other materials are being evaluated.
It is worth reiterating that the Red List requirements under the Living Building ChallengeTM (LBC) Materials Petal make material/product specification as challenging, if not more, as achieving net-positive energy and net-positive water.
A Materials Working Group was formed to tackle the challenges of compliance with the Materials Petal and had its kickoff in August. Meeting monthly, the participants in this working group include representatives of the architectural firms, the construction manager, and the donor.
Read the entire post about the Materials Working Group over on Lord Aeck Sargent’s blog.
Funded through a private grant from The Kendeda Fund, the Living Building at Georgia Tech is expected to become a Living Building Challenge 3.1 certified facility – the built environment’s most rigorous and ambitious performance standard. The project’s design and build partners include architects Lord Aeck Sargent in collaboration with The Miller Hull Partnership, construction manager Skanska and design team consultants: Newcomb & Boyd, PAE Consulting Engineers, Uzun + Case, Biohabitats, Andropogon and Long Engineering.