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
Featured articles and news
Buildings that changed the future of architecture. Book review.
The Sustainability Pathfinder© Handbook
Built environment agency launches free Pathfinder© tool to help businesses progress sustainability strategies.
Government outcome to the late payment consultation, ECA reacts.
IHBC 2025 Gus Astley Student Award winners
Work on the role of hewing in UK historic conservation a win for Jack Parker of Oxford Brookes University.
Future Homes Building Standards and plug-in solar
Parts F and L amendments, the availability of solar panels and industry responses.
How later living housing can help solve the housing crisis
Unlocking homes, unlocking lives.
Preparing safety case reports for HRBs under the BSA
A new practical guide to preparing structural inputs for safety cases and safety case reports published by IStructE.
Male construction workers and prostate cancer
CIOB and Prostate Cancer UK encourage awareness of prostate cancer risks, and what to do about it.
The changed R&D tax landscape for Architects
Specialist gives a recap on tax changes for Research and Development, via the ACA newsletter.
Structured product data as a competitive advantage
NBS explain why accessible product data that works across digital systems is key.
Welsh retrofit workforce assessment
Welsh Government report confirms Wales faces major electrical skills shortage, warns ECA.
A now architectural practice looks back at its concept project for a sustainable oceanic settlement 25 years on.
Copyright and Artificial Intelligence
Government report and back track on copyright opt out for AI training but no clear preferred alternative as yet.
Embedding AI tools into architectural education
Beyond the render: LMU share how student led research is shaping the future of visualisation workflows.
Why document control still fails UK construction projects
A Chartered Quantity Surveyor explains what needs to change and how.
Inspiration for a new 2026 wave of Irish construction professionals.
New planning reforms and Warm Homes Bill
Take centre stage at UK Construction Week London.