The Kendeda Building isn’t just a space—it’s a living laboratory for sustainability and innovation. Through research initiatives and publicly available resources, we provide opportunities for students, educators, and the community to engage with cutting-edge sustainable design.
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Annual Reports, Papers, and Topics
2024 Annual Report
The 2024 Annual Report is now available. Learn about our progress, milestones, and sustainability initiatives.
From Vision to Reality: The Kendeda Building’s Journey and Key Takeaways
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) is the leading association for the advancement of sustainability in higher education. This 2021 case study presents Kendeda Building historical information, timelines, and lessons learned.
Acoustical Design
The following narrative outlines some of the specific challenges and acoustical opportunities in the building but are not an exhaustive listing of all aspects of the acoustical consulting on the project. Read the case study to learn more.
Living Future Case Study
The Kendeda Building became a fully-certified Living Building in 2021. The Living Building Challenge is a program of the International Living Future Institute (Living Future). This is the official Living Future case study that presents how the building satisfied the rigorous Imperatives of the Living Building Challenge.
Salvaged Materials Carbon Analysis
Incorporation of salvaged materials also reduces carbon pollution. In 2021 we performed an embodied carbon study of The Kendeda Building’s (28) salvaged items that includes the material salvage and tree save programs. Our analysis includes a review of the virgin materials used through the open source EC3 tool.
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K-12 Lesson Plans
Georgia Tech is committed to making The Kendeda Building accessible to everyone, which includes students, educators, and visitors alike. To engage younger learners, the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC) has created one-week science lesson plans for K-12 students across Georgia. These lessons align with state curriculum standards and use The Kendeda Building as a real-world example of sustainable design in action.
For more information regarding the lesson plans, contact Sabrina Grossman, Program Director CEISMC, at sabrina.grossman@ceismc.gatech.edu.
5th Grade
The lesson is designed for exploration of the Living Building Challenge's Energy Petal. It studies circuits. Students will see how they can use a battery or solar panel in a simple circuit. This will help them understand how to make our energy use more sustainable.
6th Grade
This lesson is designed for middle school students to explore the Water Petal of the Living Building Challenge. It examines how The Kendeda Building effectively manages stormwater by emulating the Piedmont Forest ecosystem of metro Atlanta.
7th Grade
Aligned with Georgia teaching standards, this curriculum uses nature-based elements from the Living Building Challenge (LBC) to help students explore how science and biology contribute to sustainable design and LBC certification.
8th Grade
Explore how the Living Building uses sustainable energy. In this middle school lesson, students investigate energy transformations, compare renewable and nonrenewable sources, and build a solar-powered mini Living Building to apply their learning.
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Podcasts
Climate Change and the Built Environment
A six-episode podcast presented by the Georgia Tech School of Architecture and the Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design. Featuring global experts, these Kendeda-based conversations explore how design intersects with climate change, policy, and entrepreneurship. Experts from diverse fields—architecture, economics, law, and urban planning—discuss the future of sustainable cities, infrastructure, and the economy. Accompanying book available here.
Kendeda Fund Part 1 on Regenerative Design
This three-part series explores regenerative design with co-hosts Catherine Mercier-Baggett and Laurel Creech, featuring seven Southeast organizations supported by the Kendeda Fund—an Atlanta-based foundation advancing transformative leadership and equity.
Part One features Dennis Creech, Kendeda Fund Adviser for Sustainability, and Shan Arora, Director of the Kendeda Building at Georgia Tech.
The Green Hour
Join Brooke Vacovsky, Senior Facilities Manager, as we explore the Kendeda Building’s innovative design and sustainability features. From energy surplus to eco-friendly materials, discover how this Living Building is redefining the future of architecture and the environment.
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Blogs
Living Building Chronicle
This blog was spearheaded by The Kendeda Fund to chronicle the story of Georgia Tech’s Living Building. The lead writer and editor of the site was Ken Edelstein, a longtime Atlanta journalist who specializes in communicating about sustainable infrastructure.
Lord Aeck Sargent
Lead architecture firm Lord Aeck Sargent's blog contains informative articles.