As part of the Living Building project at Georgia Tech, Serve-Learn-Sustain is leading the Equity Petal Work Group. Equity is one of seven Living Building Challenge "petals" intended to result in regenerative design “to create spaces that, like a flower, give more than they take.” The LBC Equity Petal aims to “transform developments to foster a true, inclusive sense of community that is just and equitable regardless of an individual’s background, age, class, race, gender or sexual orientation.” The Equity Petal Work Group at Georgia Tech is focused on four areas:

1) prioritizing local hiring,

2) creating a welcoming building culture,

3) building safe physical pathways to neighboring communities, and

4) formally engaging hourly staff in our student development and education work - as part of their jobs.

Interested in getting involved? Contact SLS Director Jennifer Hirsch.

 

Other Opportunities to Engage: The Living Building offers numerous opportunities for sustainability course projects, student engagement, and research.

  • The GT Living Building Academic & Research Council, chaired by Architecture professor Michael Gamble, periodically issues calls for pilot projects. Read about the first round of pilot projects here and the next round of projects from Fall 2018/Spring 2019 here – and feel free to contact the leads to learn more. Find more research projects and courses related to the Living Building here (search for A&F Unit: Living Building).
  • Michael Gamble is eager to meet with interested faculty and students. Contact him here.
  • Learn more about courses related to equity, sustainability, and the Living Building.  Check out this presentation given at the ILFI Net Positive Symposium, June 25, 2018 at Hampshire College by Jennifer Hirsch, Director, SLS, Chris Burke, Director, Community Relations, Atira Rochester, Corporate Relations Manager, Institute Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Lauren Neefe, Instructor, Writing and Communication Program.

Living Building Equity Petal Work Group in the Press

 

For more information on the Equity Petal Work Group’s progress, read this article by Ken Edelstein from The Kendeda Fund’s Living Building Chronicle or this article by Dr. Jennifer Hirsch, SLS Director and lead for the Equity Petal Work Group.

Read about the Living Building Equity Champions here.