The Materials Red List is a cornerstone of the Living Building Challenge™, the built environment’s most rigorous performance standard. The Red List identifies the “worst in class” materials, chemicals, and elements known to pose serious risks to human health and the greater ecosystem. Any project seeking certification under the Living Building Challenge must befree of Red List chemicals and materials. Declare supports the Living Building Challenge by providing a transparent materials database that project teams can select from to meet this requirement.

As part of the declaration, the team at Cold Spring Granite has added the Declare label to their product offering to assist project teams in determining how best to source local products that support regional economies.

“The Declare Label is a voluntary program promoting transparency in building materials and the effects their ingredients can have on human and environmental health,” said James Connelly of the International Living Future Institute, the home of both the Living Building Challenge and Declare. “A complete list of ingredients ensures that project teams are specifying materials that are Red List free or comply with a Red List exception.”

Cold Spring Granite as well as the other pilot program participants can be found at http://www.declareproducts.com/product-database. Products are listed by Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) division number, and are filtered by CSI division. Each product has a Declare label that can be viewed by clicking on the product name.

“We believe the Declare program is a significant opportunity to share our company’s industry leadership by providing transparency in our commitment to sustainable and environmentally responsible design,” said John Mattke, President and Chief Operations Officer at Cold Spring Granite.

Any product is eligible for inclusion regardless of its makeup, and participation is voluntary. A product listing does not constitute an endorsement by the International Living Future Institute. Instead, the information provided is reflective of the integrity of the manufacturer; data on each Declare Label has been literally signed-off by the head of the company.