KENDEDA BUILDING FOR INNOVATIVE SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
KENDEDA BUILDING FOR INNOVATIVE SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
Georgia Tech is advancing regenerative design by transforming the heart of its campus into a destination that gives back to the environment more than it takes. Core to this is the Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design, which promotes the stringent, net-positive standards of the Living Building Challenge (LBC). This multi-use building and fully-integrated landscape are designed to perform in seven categories—place, water, energy, health/happiness, materials, equity, and beauty—which includes producing more water and energy than the facility uses. Other benefits include providing access to nature, supporting urban agriculture, and avoiding the use of harmful construction materials on the LBC “Red List.”
The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design features a covered plaza, cascading rain gardens, constructed wetland, foraging landscape, rooftop farm, and outdoor classrooms. Georgia Tech aims to use this landscape as a living laboratory where both the university and urban community can learn how innovative water, energy, and food-management solutions within the built environment can contribute to health and well-being. The Building is anticipated to be the most environmentally advanced, academic facility in the Southeastern U.S., and a catalyst for sustainable design throughout the region