Submitted by Lopez Community Land Trust
Lopez Community Land Trust (LCLT) recently received another award for its affordable housing and sustainability. The International Living Future Institute awarded LCLT with the Living Building Challenge Certification for Common Ground. Common Ground was LCLT’s first net zero neighborhood and the only affordable housing neighborhood to receive this award. The award was presented during the Living Future unConference held in Seattle in May.
The Living Building Challenge certification is based on actual, rather than modeled or anticipated, performance. Therefore, projects must be operational for at least twelve consecutive months prior to evaluation. The four imperatives required for LCLT’s Common Ground included: 1) environmental sensitivity to a sense of place, 2) net positive energy, 3) beauty and spirit and 4) inspiration and education. Common Ground had its own inspiration from another renowned architect Bill McDonough, designer and author of Cradle to Cradle, “how do we love all the children of all species for all time?”
The Living Building Challenge goal, in the words of Buckminster Fuller, is to make the world work for 100 percent of humanity in the shortest possible time through spontaneous cooperation without ecological offense or the disadvantage of anyone. The Living Building Challenge organization was the 2012 winner of the Buckminster Fuller Prize, the world’s top award for socially responsible design.
Common Ground adhered to basic principles of design in order to accomplish net zero energy use through both active and passive measures including solar photovoltaics, solar thermal hot water, passive solar design elements; building air sealing and high insulation values. Each household’s daily living habits ultimately determine just how close to net zero energy a home can get.
LCLT published a manual of its construction techniques which have been widely published and reprinted by the Home Depot Foundation for distribution. The manual is now out of print but inspired many. LCLT is visited by organizations from around the world for affordable housing and green construction advice. In the month of July, LCLT has consulted with delegations from within our state including Port Townsend, Port Angeles, South Whidbey Island, Seattle’s Central District and Arlington as well as visitors from further away including Minnesota and the United Kingdom. Community leaders are searching for ways to improve affordable housing prospects within their local jurisdictions.
To read the entire case study, visit http://trimtab.living-future.org/case-study/common-ground/.
