Petal: Materials
Imperative 10: Red List 
 

Healthier Materials

The Red List imperative aims to eliminate the use of 22 worst-in-class materials or chemicals (almost 800 in total) with the greatest impact to human and ecosystem health. To avoid the use of Red List materials, the design-build team thoroughly vetted proposed materials by selecting and specifying products that are documented as being free of Red List materials or chemicals. One way of vetting the materials and products was to search for products that have Cradle to Cradle Certification, Healthy Product Declaration, or Declare Label, which is a “nutrition label” for and online database of compliant building materials that was developed by the International Living Future Institute. 

In addition, the team advocated for change and transparency among industry material suppliers. This advocacy by The Kendeda Building project team, as well as the project teams of existing certified Living Buildings, has shifted the market. For example, The Kendeda Building's fluid-applied air-and-water barrier is made by a company that changed its formulation to be free of Red List materials in order to be selected by the Bullitt Center, which was seeking Living Building Challenge certification. To learn more about the air-and-water barrier, click here https://livingbuilding.kendedafund.org/2019/03/29/prosoco-air-barrier-closely-tied-to-living-buildings. 

In the adjacent video by Southface Institute, Eckardt Group discusses how they deployed an alternative strategy with flexible conduit that was Red List-compliant and suitable for The Kendeda Building.