Language Guidance

IN THIS ARTICLE

• How should I talk about Living Future's programs?
• How should I talk about my registered project?
• How should I talk about my Ready designated project?
• How should I talk about my Certified project?
• Ideas for sharing your impact stats

How should I talk about Living Future's programs?

Every project pursuing any of Living Future’s programs represents a meaningful commitment to advancing regenerative design and transforming the built environment. Sharing that commitment publicly helps build momentum, inspire others, and demonstrate leadership across the industry. This guidance is intended to help project teams communicate consistently and accurately about their participation in Living Future programs, celebrating the significance of registration while clearly distinguishing it from certification. Together, we can recognize progress, preserve the credibility of our certification programs, and strengthen confidence in the achievements they represent.

Please use the following trademark symbols and nomenclature for Living Future’s programs:

• Living Building Challenge® Living Certification (or just Living Building Challenge® Certification)
• Living Building Challenge® Petal Certification
• Living Building Challenge® Core Certification
• Zero Carbon Certification™
• Zero Energy Certification™

How should I talk about my registered project?

Registration confirms that the project has formally enrolled in a Living Future certification program and intends to pursue certification. Project teams may publicly state that a project is registered and pursuing certification, provided communications do not imply that certification has been achieved or is assured.

Project teams that have completed the registration process, including submission of the registration form and payment of their registration fee, may refer to the project using the following:

• Living Building Challenge® Certification
  • Any pathway (Living, Petal, or Core):
    • [Project Name] is pursuing Living Building Challenge® Certification
    • [Project Name] is registered under the Living Building Challenge® 
  • Living Certification
    • [Project Name] is pursuing Living Certification under the Living Building Challenge®
    • [Project Name] is registered under the Living Building Challenge® and pursuing Living Certification
  • Petal Certification*
    • [Project Name] is pursuing Petal Certification under the Living Building Challenge®
    • [Project Name] is registered under the Living Building Challenge® and pursuing Petal Certification
  • Core Certification
    • [Project Name] is pursuing Core Certification under the Living Building Challenge®
    • [Project Name] is registered under the Living Building Challenge® and pursuing Core Certification
• Zero Carbon Certification™
  • [Project Name] is pursuing Zero Carbon Certification™
  • [Project Name] is registered under the Living Future® Zero Carbon program
• Zero Energy Certification™
  • [Project Name] is pursuing Zero Energy Certification™
  • [Project Name] is registered under the Living Future® Zero Energy program

How should I talk about my Ready designated project?

Ready designation is awarded through an audit of all non-performance-based documentation upon completion of construction. This process allows for early recognition once systems are in place to ensure that intended outcomes are on track to be achieved. Learn more about Ready designation and the audit process here.

Project teams that have received Ready designation by successfully completing a Ready Audit may refer to their project using the following:

• [Project Name] has achieved Ready designation through the [Living Building Challenge®, Living Future® Zero Carbon program, Living Future® Zero Energy program].
• [Project Name] has achieved [Living, Petal*, Core, Zero Carbon, Zero Energy] Ready designation.
• [Project Name] is now designated as [Living, Petal*, Core, Zero Carbon, Zero Energy] Ready! 

*Teams pursuing Petal Certification may specify Water, Energy, or Materials Petal Certification

How should I talk about my Certified project?

Certification represents one of the most significant achievements in regenerative design. It reflects a project's successful demonstration of compliance with rigorous performance and documentation requirements through an independent third-party review. Earning certification is a milestone worthy of celebration and should be communicated in a way that accurately reflects the project's accomplishment. 

Certification is awarded through an audit of all documentation, including completion of the final audit and review of project performance documentation. Teams may refer to their certified project using the following:

• Living Building Challenge® Certification
  • Living Certification
    • [Project Name] has achieved Living Building Challenge® Certification
    • [Project Name] has achieved Living Certification under the Living Building Challenge®
    • [Project Name] is a certified Living Building Challenge® project
    • [Project Name] is a certified Living Building™
  • Petal Certification*
    • Project Name] has achieved Petal Certification under the Living Building Challenge®
    • [Project Name] is a certified Living Building Challenge® Petal project
  • Core Certification
    • [Project Name] has achieved Core Certification under the Living Building Challenge®
    • [Project Name] is a certified Living Building Challenge® Core project
• Zero Carbon Certification™
  • [Project Name] has achieved Living Future Zero Carbon Certification™
  • [Project Name] is a certified Living Future Zero Carbon project
• Zero Energy Certification™
  • [Project Name] has achieved Living Future Zero Energy Certification™
  • [Project Name] is a certified Living Future Zero Energy project

Ideas for Sharing Your Impact Stats

Teams should take the opportunity to educate the public about the goals achieved during their certification journey and include unique aspects of their project relative to achieving Imperatives. Speak to specific metrics around climate, water use reduction, habitat restoration, community engagement, and equity issues addressed and how. Talk about how the biophilic design process informed the project, and how materials will provide benefits to occupants as well as benefits along the supply chain and public health and environmental health at large. Check out Living Future’s TrimTab Blog and Certified Case Studies for inspiration and examples.

• Land restored, land protected, people impacted through urban agriculture, alternate transportation supported, people engaged in the process of design by considering place in unique ways.
• Water reduction vs. baseline, water collected, novel systems used.
• Handprinting used for wastewater and what handprinting is.
• Amount of energy produced on site and reduction in CO2 emissions.
• Getting to Net Zero or achieving Net Positive in pursuit of project (or town, organization or other) climate commitment goals. Why does this matter to your project?
• What embodied carbon is and why embodied carbon matters. How did the team assess embodied carbon and how can others selecting materials make better choices (what rules of thumb did the team glean?)
• Carbon offsets supported and why they matter.
• Novel renewable energy systems employed.
• Amount of embodied carbon reduced via materials selection and the value of carbon offsets purchased and how the verified carbon offset program the team supported is addressing carbon and climate change.
• Energy reduction vs. baseline, energy produced on site, additional energy produced via off site (and why additionality is important and different from off site Renewables purchased)
• Strategies for improving indoor air, including system design, testing, material selection and ongoing maintenance and housekeeping.
• Equity, through universal design and considering how all people can access and be part of the building and its programs. 
• Self reflection (Just assessment), committing to doing better and being transparent about goals and needs (via attainment of Just labels and engagement with Just companies), addressing workforce development and inequality. 
• Beauty, and the value of biophilic design in providing a framework for LBC and Core projects. What is biophilia? How does it come to fruition in your project?