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We are thrilled to announce that the R.W. Kern Center at Hampshire College in Amherst , MA has finally been certified as a Living Building by the Living Future Institute! We are very proud of this accomplishment.

Completed in 2016, the Kern Center is now the 18^th Living Certified project in the world (17^th Living Certified building), the 3^rd Living Certified building in Massachusetts, and the 5^th largest Living Certified project in the world (by gross building area).

About the Living Building Challenge:

The Living Building Challenge is a green building certification program and sustainable design framework that visualizes the ideal for the built environment. It encourages teams to think holistically to find solutions that tackle multiple issues at once, for instance, projects must integrate local culture, biophilic elements, and beauty in order to foster community and natural connections.

The program outlines a design framework that promotes the highest standard of sustainability for the built environment. Rather than a checklist of current best practices, the Living Building Challenge includes a series of performance goals that empower teams to find creative design solutions.

To learn more about the Living Building Challenge, visit the International Living Future website.

Congratulations to Hampshire College and all members of the Kern Center team, including:

Bruner/Cott Architects
Living Building Challenge Advisor: Bruce Coldham
Construction Manager: Wright Builders
Code Consulting: Cutler Consulting
Cost Estimating: A.M. Fogarty & Associates Inc.
Energy and Systems Consulting: South Mountain Company
LBC Material Vetting: Integrated Eco Strategy
Lighting Design: Lewis Lighting Design, LLC  
Specifications: Kalin Associates
Electrical Engineering: R.W. Sullivan
Fire Protection Engineering: Rybak Engineering
Geotechnical Engineering: O’Reilly, Talbot & Okun Associates
Mechanical, Plumbing, & Controls Engineering: Kohler & Lewis Engineers
Site/Civil Engineering & Permitting: Berkshire Design Group
Structural Engineering: Foley Buhl Roberts & Associates
Landscape Architecture: Richard Burke Associates