The Kendeda Building at the Georgia Institute of Technology is a marvel of modern sustainable building practice. It aims to be the first Living Building Challenge-certified building in the U.S., denoting the space as a net positive to the environment in terms of water and energy.
The Kendeda Building at the Georgia Institute of Technology is a marvel of modern sustainable building practice. It aims to be the first Living Building Challenge-certified building in the U.S., denoting the space as a net positive to the environment in terms of water and energy. Completed in 2019, Kendeda is approximately 47,000 square feet of programmable space, with nearly 37,000 square feet enclosed and conditioned.
The building is expected to harvest 460,000 gallons of rainwater a year. It is equipped with Georgia’s first rainwater to potable water treatment system, which will meet all of the potable water needs for the building. The rainwater cistern system will treat approximately 41% of the water harvested and store it in a 50,000 gallon cistern, with the other 59% of annual rooftop runoff directed away towards other stormwater systems.
The building’s net positive energy is accomplished by utilizing passive design to lower energy needs as well as actively generating solar power with a 330kW (DC) solar canopy. This 917 photovoltaic panel system is expected to generate over 455,000 kWh per year, to directly serve the building’s energy demands.
Energy and water are only two of the “Petals” involved in the Living Building Challenge. Learn more about the building and the steps taken to achieve certification here.
