LEVER was pleased to participate in last week’s Living Future 2026, “Designing the Next 100 Years,” in Seattle, Washington. The conference convened practitioners, policymakers, and industry leaders to address barriers to regenerative buildings, including considerations related to carbon, materials, cost, policy, and delivery.

Timothy Cooke, LEVER, joined the panel “Sowing Seeds for New Pathways in Wood Sourcing” alongside Ben Deumling, Zena Forest Products; Evan Schmidt, Sustainable Northwest; and Patsy Heasly, Living Future. The discussion addressed growing interest in wood sourcing approaches that extend beyond traditional forest certifications toward performance-based frameworks that recognize forest and community well-being.

The conversation examined opportunities and challenges associated with these evolving procurement pathways, including defining meaningful criteria, engaging supply chain partners, and navigating unfamiliar requests. Through case studies and discussion, the session outlined approaches for more transparent and responsible sourcing while considering the complexities of forestry and wood supply chains. For more information, please visit Living Future.