“Imagine a building as elegant and efficient as a flower.”
This was the inspiring phrase that got Richard Piacentini, the President & CEO of Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, started on the Living Building Challenge journey in 1999. Richard recently joined LFE on a visit to Italy, where he engaged in discussions and events centered on sustainability and the role of botanical gardens in fostering environmental stewardship.
His first stop was Bolzano, where Richard spoke at the JUSTNature project workshop by EURAC Research on ‘Garden Cities: The Role of Botanical Gardens.’ The following day, he met with the team at the Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle in Merano to explore potential collaborations and exchange ideas.
Finally, in Rome, Richard spoke at the Open Days 2024 Master event, jointly organized with the Department of Architecture at Roma Tre University. The event, titled ‘When a Botanical Garden Guides the Ecological Transition,’ provided a platform for Richard to discuss Phipps Conservatory’s achievements.
In each of his talks, Richard introduced us to the incredible accomplishments of the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, including some details about how the Phipps Exhibit Staging Center achieved Living Building Challenge Certification. Richard presented the need for a shift from short-termed ROI thinking to OKR (Objective and Key Results) thinking, a metric that captures clean air and water, as well as human and ecosystem health. He left us with an important observation: if we want people to adopt these practices, he said, we need to make buildings better, more beautiful, and more comfortable in the way the LBC guides us to do.
“In addition to practical Imperatives like net-zero energy and net-zero water, it [the Living Building Challenge] is about relationships and has at its core an aspiration to restore a healthy connection with nature and celebrate beauty.”
Richard Piacentini’s visit served as a benchmark of what is possible in the building industry and the role that botanical gardens can play in advancing sustainable practices. Today, we spend about 80% of our lives in buildings. Richard reminds us that it’s important for these spaces to connect us to the unique natural spaces we inhabit and to reestablish our connection with nature.
