FEATURES
role timber can play in making buildings healthier and more
sustainable from the inside.]
TiQ: Another part of the mission is ‘to transform the building value
and supply chain for a living future’. What does this mean for
timber and its use in construction?
MR: The Living Building Challenge is about bringing positive
change to different industries, within the timber industry. I would
imagine that it is critical that we ensure our forests are sustainably
managed, and that deforestation is avoided. South Africa scores
really well when it comes to sustainably managed forests. From
our experience over the last 10 years in the green building
industry, where we can improve is the Chain of Custody of FSC
certified timber. Most Forests are FSC certified, but down the
supply chain, this certification is lost, as timber gets mixed and
there is not enough demand for pure FSC timber.
TiQ: How does the use of timber for construction help promote
projects that support sustainability and demonstrate strength in
ecological restoration?
MR: Timber is a great material that can assist a project with its
biophilia goals, which is another important principle of the Living
Building Challenge. Biophilia is the idea that people have an
innate affiliation with nature, and integrating biophilia within your
building design positively affects people living, working, and
playing in the space. Biophilia can be integrated in many different
ways, through the use of natural materials (for example timber) or
shapes, colours, sounds, images of nature, real plants and so on.
Another signature feature of the building is a glass-enclosed
stairwell nicknamed the "irresistible stairway" that coaxes visitors
into climbing it using panoramic views of downtown Seattle and
Puget Sound.
CONCLUSION
Worldwide, there is a continuous drive to increase awareness of the
benefits of using timber and to promote it as a building material.
Any improvements in the way we construct can have a really
positive effect on our environment and timber can play a large role
in the solution. Using wood instead of conventional materials like
concrete, steel and masonry not only reduces the amount of CO 2
emitted (at the rate of 0.9 tonnes of CO 2 per cubic metre of material
used), but also locks away CO 2 for the lifespan of the product – if
disposed of, this stored energy is then made available.
While each type of material has its advantages – concrete and
masonry have high thermal mass, for example, which is often
required in a design – in general, the more wood we can use to
replace other materials, the better for the environment.
WHAT IS THE LIVING BUILDING
CHALLENGE? and an inspiration to the surrounding community. The buildings
are regenerative, contributing positively to the environment.
The Living Building Challenge (LBC) is an initiative of the
International Living Future Institute (ILFI), whose mission is ‘to
lead the transformation toward a civilisation that is socially just,
culturally rich, and ecologically restorative’; and which is
‘premised on the belief that providing a compelling vision for the
future is a fundamental requirement for reconciling humanity’s
relationship with the natural world’. As of June 2019, almost 600 projects around the world were
registered to pursue certification under LBC and Zero Energy
(ZE). The certification is verified after the building has been in
operation for a minimum of twelve months and is able to
demonstrate compliance based on actual performance.
The core underlying principle of the Living Building Challenge is
that buildings should mimic nature and natural systems. Living
Buildings are buildings that meet the 20 stringent imperatives of
the LBC standard, including being net zero energy, net zero
water, using materials that are toxin free, and being beautiful
www.timberiq.co.za
The ILFI has an Ambassador Network that spans the globe, on
every continent and in every time zone – with 709
Ambassadors in 43 countries, and 89 Collaboratives in 41
countries. Marloes Reinink has been an ambassador for the
ILFI since 2015 and, as part of her role, has presented the
‘Introduction to the Living Building Challenge 3.1’ to over 600
people in South Africa. She was joined by Thulani Kuzwayo in
2017 and together they organised and facilitated a Living
Future Collaborative for South Africa.
In South Africa there are already projects that are actively seeking
this certification – two residential projects in Oranjezicht, Cape
Town; the 76 Corlett Drive office development in Johannesburg
(targeting an LBC Petal certification); the Green School in Paarl
which is currently under construction and targeting a full LBC
certification; and Solid Green’s new office in Parkhurst, which is
pursuing the Core certification.
The Living Building Challenge
is a philosophy, an advocacy
tool and a certification tool for
projects that aims to create
regenerative buildings.
// APRIL / MAY 2020
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