McLennan developed the Living Building Challenge certification in 2006
Flower Power – The Living Building Challenge
Our house is c o n s t a n t l y c r aw l i n g w ith k ids. A l l the neig hbou rhood k ids l i k e to h a n g o u t h e r e derivatives, it provides a guide to materials to avoid. The list was created by the International Living Future Institute – of which McLennan is chair and co-founder. “The Red List is a list of toxic chemicals or materials that are common in the building industry and yet have almost no safe exposure level,” McLennan says. “It’s part of a campaign by the Living Future Institute to motivate manufacturers to eliminate those chemicals from their products and their supply chains – and that’s really working.” Each of the chemicals on the Red List pollutes the environment and bio-accumulates up the food chain until it reaches toxic concentrations. It includes materials whose detrimental effects are widely accepted – such as asbestos, lead and mercury – and also others which are still in regular use, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), MDF and halogenated fire retardants and plastics. 64
Well Home
Described as one of the world’s most rigorous performance standards for buildings, the Living Building Challenge uses a flower as a metaphor. This is because, according to McLennan, the ideal built environment should “function as cleanly and efficiently as a flower”. Like flowers, each living building should: ●
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Harvest all its own energy and water Adapt to climate and location Operate pollution free
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Promote health and wellbeing Be comprised of integrated systems Be beautiful
MEASURING SUCCESS As well as avoiding materials on the Red List, McLennan’s Heron Hall home meets all the other requirements of the Living Building Challenge (LBC) – the sustainable building certification programme that he created in 2006. LBC sets out stringent benchmarks for everything from water and energy usage to waste management and the way the building interacts with its surroundings. But while his home has received the sustainability stamp of approval, the key critics were those at the forefront of McLennan’s mind when he designed it: his children. “They absolutely love it!” he smiles. “The ultimate proof of the success of Heron House and the contribution it makes to our wellbeing is that it’s always crawling with kids – all the neighbourhood kids love to hang out at our house now. It’s constantly filled with activity.”