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Healing Lahaina with Living Communities

Each home constructed under the Living Building Challenge is more than a structure; it's a step toward revitalizing Lahaina, embodying resilience and hope for future generations.

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Homes that Heal

By partnering with a team of experts on this initiative, we aim to redefine the norms of home construction in Maui by demonstrating a regenerative and resilient approach that creates healthy living spaces for occupants and the community while nurturing and restoring our environment.

Restore Habitats

Sequester Carbon

Recharge Aquifers

Eliminate Pollutants

105% Solar

Eliminate Waste

Equitable Access

Beautiful & Inspiring

Why Living Buildings?

Everyone should do their best to eliminate negative impacts on people and the planet in everything they do. This includes how and what we build with. Using the Living Building Challenge design framework, all buildings eliminate the negative impacts of conventional design while revitalizing the environment and community health and well-being. We believe everyone can have access to a net-positive, resilient, healthy, affordable home that is also affordable to live in.

Our Phased Approach to a Regenerative Community

Community-Driven Design

Months 1 - 6:

Active involvement from the community is crucial throughout the design phase. The project's final design will reflect the stringent criteria of the Living Building Challenge while embodying the community's needs and priorities, serving as a testament to local culture and identity. To achieve rapid, cost-effective, and efficient home construction, the design will include prefabricated, panelized components. The project's success and expansion rely heavily on the community's sense of ownership and support. Ensuring the community is deeply engaged in the design and construction stages is vital to garner their dedication and active participation in bringing this vision to life.

Build the Home

Months 7 - 12:

The project will progress to a six-month construction phase after completing various community outreach initiatives and finalizing the design plans. This phase not only encompasses the physical construction of the project but also focuses on cultivating local construction skills. The participation of Maui-based architects, engineers, and builders, in collaboration with UH Maui College students studying regenerative design and those enrolled in the apprenticeship program, is essential for fostering and advancing local construction expertise.

Occupancy and Performance Monitoring

Months 13 - 24:

After the community has endorsed the design plans, construction will begin on the University of Hawaii Maui College (UHMC) campus. This phase will be bolstered by the involvement of students from the UHMC Sustainable Science Management Internship and Apprenticeship programs. A construction team, consisting of local professionals, community volunteers, and consultants experienced with the Living Building Challenge (LBC), will execute the build, ensuring all LBC certification criteria are met. Once the construction is complete, the prototype home will be moved to West Maui, where it will provide a new home for a family that lost their residence in the Lahaina fires.

Living Communities

After the home is occupied, the following year will be focused on monitoring its energy and water usage and indoor air quality to confirm that it meets the standards of the Living Building Challenge (LBC) standards. Interns from the University of Hawaii Maui College (UHMC) will assist in evaluating the home's performance post-occupancy. Throughout the design, construction, and final evaluation processes, the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) will offer assistance and direction, culminating in the final assessment for LBC certification.