Range of Workplace Products Certified for Living Building Challenge

Understood as “The Nutrition Label for Products,” Declare labels set a new standard in sustainable design, focused on manufacturing transparency and tracking the life cycle of materials. Declare is a recent introduction from the International Living Future Institute, supporting the larger and more rigorous Living Building Challenge (LBC). The LBC is one of the world's most proven performance standards for buildings, focusing on seven core themes: Place, Water, Energy, Health & Happiness, Materials, Equity and Beauty.

Declare labels answer three main questions. Where does a product come from? What is it made of? Where does it go at the end of its life? The answers to these three questions are essential to providing a truly sustainable product from start to finish. Based on the materials used and the number of avoided chemicals from the Living Future Institute's Red List, products can achieve three different levels of Declare status: Declared, product uses more than the accepted number Red List materials; Living Building Challenge compliant, product is below the threshold of Red List materials; and Red List Free, product contains no Red List materials. All three Declare levels contribute to the Living Building Challenge. In sum, Declare labels provide consumers with an at-a-glance reference for where a product is made, what it contains and options for end-of-life disposal.

A sample Declare label illustrates the type of information made available for each product.

To date, Knoll has achieved Declare labels for the following products: Antenna Telescope (LBC Compliant); Antenna Workspaces Big Table (LBC Compliant); Antenna Y Base Tables (LBC Compliant); Generation by Knoll (Red List Free); Horsepower (Red List Free); k. stand (LBC Compliant); Reff Meeting Table (LBC Compliant); Rockwell Unscripted Creative Wall (LBC Compliant); Rockwell Unscripted Lounge Collection (LBC Compliant); Rockwell Unscripted Steps (LBC Compliant); and Interpole (Red List Free).

As part of our commitment to environmental stewardship, Knoll continuously monitors industry trends pertaining to sustainability, striving to keep pace with the latest standards and certifications. Declare, along with the Living Building Challenge, is another resource for the A&D community, as well as Knoll clients, to ensure Knoll sustainable design standards.