LEED(ing) Our Environment
What do Fortune 500 companies; world renowned architects; governments; and large corporations have in common? Across the globe, all of these entities have started to comply with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards. Why is this peculiar? The various organizations and individuals mentioned above do not usually follow trends … then again, this could be because LEED is no longer considered a trend at all.
What is the LEED approach attempting to accomplish? LEED was developed in 1994 in order to emphasize and encourage green building development. In order to ensure that all buildings wishing to become accredited by LEED would try and attain the same standards, LEED developed a Green Building Rating System. This rating system consists of different criteria that buildings must adhere to in order to gain a positive rating. Each building is graded on a point scale ranging from “certified (26-32 points)” to “platinum (39-51 points).”
What must a building contain in order to qualify for some type of LEED rating?
All LEED buildings must include:
- sustainable site development
- water savings
- energy efficiency
- high material and indoor environmental quality
Of course, attempting to incorporate all of these things into one building can get quite expensive, so why are so many new buildings striving to accomplish a LEED rating? As more and more people become environmentally conscious, the importance of well constructed green building plans are far more crucial to our well being than ever before.
The number of buildings presently in construction that are abiding by LEED standards is astounding. Currently, there are numerous LEED projects undergoing construction across 41 different countries – not to mention those LEED projects presently being assembled within the Departments of Defense, Agriculture, Energy, and State. Additionally, many home owners are also seeking to comply with LEED standards.
In short, the environment has now become the number one concern when a new building is in its development stage. LEED is integral to our culture, our earth, and our world as a whole – thankfully, those that work to construct our society are now building structures that will change the way we live.