LEED Certification: A Green Building Design Concept

With the growing importance of sustainability and energy efficiency, new government programs seeking to provide quality standards are gaining more attention from project developers. LEED certification, a program that provides a “stamp” of approval for construction projects, has been sweeping the nation. 

Nowadays, it’s hard to find a commercial building that isn’t focused on the green initiative. This means better quality energy saving standards, better air quality, and a higher use of recyclable material. As a community of energy-conscious consumers, it is critical that we think about the impact of our energy consumption.

Additionally, developers are focusing more on receiving higher LEED ratings in their building projects. Below are a just a few examples of buildings that are seeking LEED certification:

• Houses
• Colleges/Universities
• Apartments
• Neighborhood Projects
Hospitals
• Public Schools

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and was developed by the US Green Building Council back in the year 2000. This certification program was designed to provide a third-party verification process for the design, construction, and operation of superior green buildings.

The program first developed as a standard for commercial buildings and expanded into the residential market. LEED aims to provide a system to rate “green buildings,” and to ensure that they are maintaining sustainable practices.