But with news of the Living Building Challenge spreading -  information about the environmentally-conscience building system  has  just been translated into French – green  architects and developers are all abuzz over “flower power.” Modeled on a flower’s petals, “Living Buildings” use  zero net water and zero net energy. With only six buildings in the world now certified “Living Building,” the standard is more stringent than LEED’s highest level of certification, Platinum.

“Think of it as LEED on steroids,” explains Joël Courchesne, a Montreal architect and member of the Living Building Challenge’s ambassador network.

Unlike LEED where buildings get points based on a checklist – and inspection upon completion – structures can’t be called Living Buildings unless you prove the systems still work after a year.

At one office building in Washington State, for example, solar panels generate energy and rain water collected from the roof, stored in an underground cistern for the building’s needs.

Zero net energy during a Canadian winter? Now that will take  a whole lot of creativity.

Source : montrealgazette.com

Publisher: montrealgazette.com