 The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), provides a slew of standards for environmentally-sustainable construction. Since its beginning in 1998, LEED has grown to encompass more than 14,000 projects in the United States and 30 countries. The hallmark of LEED is that it is an open and transparent process where the technical criteria proposed by the LEED committees are publicly reviewed for approval by the more than 10,000 membership organizations that currently constitute the USGBC.
LEED certified buildings are supposed to use resources more efficiently when compared to conventional buildings which are simply built to code, so it has gained national respect as the authority on green building. LEED certified buildings provide healthier work and living environments, which contributes to higher productivity and improved employee health and comfort. The USGBC has compiled a long list of benefits to implementing a LEED strategy which range from improving air and water quality to reducing solid waste; benefiting owners, occupiers and society as a whole.
There are different levels of LEED certification. Those levels are from being LEED certified to LEED Platinum certified. Being LEED certified means that the home has followed the LEED standards. Having a LEED Silver, Gold or Platinum means that the LEED standards were followed even more strict and specific. LEED Platinum is the best certification anyone can get, meaning that many green aspects of the building were followed and implemented.
Some of the most innovative home designs from LEED are not only focused on building decent homes, but homes with a purpose. Kingsbury Place is a housing development for low-income individuals and families with special needs. Genesis, the developer, plans to receive LEED certification for Kingsbury Place as a pilot project for the LEED for Homes certification process. The AMLI apartments in various cities throughout the country are LEED homes as well. They feature things like solar water heaters, rooftop gardens and more. A LEED home can be anything from a single-family home to a mixed use project. What matters is the idea behind the dwelling. The LEED website shows many of the successful projects for those who want a green building to be inspired.
EnviroCitizen.org suggests that if you are in the market to buy or rent a new home, considering finding one with LEED certification. If a home is LEED certified you can rest assured knowing that you will live in a healthy environment that does not cause harm to the Earth.
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