Living Standard
Living Standard is a grassroots initiative from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). It was introduced in 2018 as a method for sharing best practices and supporting the USGBC’s belief that: “Healthy people in healthy places equals a healthy economy.”
Living Standard was originally conceived as an ideological bridge - rooted in human health and wellness - between the USGBC’s first and second generation of certified projects and practicing professionals. The campaign was intended to ensure practitioners shared personal experiences as they looked to create built environments that support a sustainable future.
Living Standard has published two research reports (Standard Issue, Volumes I and II) that examine how changing public perception around green buildings will be an ongoing challenge that may demand new approaches to relaying information in an approach that is less data driven. This change may be required in order to position sustainable design as an accessible option with a more human appeal.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- BREEAM.
- BREEAM, LEED or WELL.
- Green rating systems.
- Green Seal.
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design LEED.
- UK Green Building Council.
[edit] External resources
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