Living Building Education: The Evolution of Berschi School's Science Wing

With an extensive history of sustainable curriculum and success in educating compassionate and creative students, in 2009 Bertschi School embraced the most stringent sustainability building standard in the world to manifest the school's values through its new science wing.
Pursuing the Living Building Challenge and inspired by the dreams of Bertschi School's elementary students, the pro bono design team worked to create one of the most sustainable education buildings on our planet. Along the way, facing seemingly overwhelming challenges at times and learning invaluable lessons, the design team worked diligently with its project partners to advance the environmental rigors of the building industry.

Now, with a building crafted of healthy materials, operating on net zero energy, net zero water and cultivating a food-producing garden, the Bertschi students are living and learning surrounded by natural science every day. Living Building Education tells the story of the school s journey with a team of dedicated deep green professionals who worked collaboratively to make this leading-edge science wing and its sustainable learning experience a reality. Living Building Education is part of the first wave of groundbreaking publications in the Living Building Challenge Series documenting the path to a sustainable future.