Sustainable construction is an ever growing and ever improving industry. More and more entities are showing interest in getting involved in the green movement. Contemporary Galleries and their vendors are committed to aiding projects in gaining LEED points and reaching certification for existing buildings or new construction. That sounds important and impressive, but what does it mean?
LEED stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.” It is an internationally recognized green building rating system developed by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), a non-profit organization focused on leading the way in sustainable building practices. Since the year 2000, LEED has been the looked-to certification system for all aspects of the construction industry, for both commercial and residential, throughout the entire world.
Each construction project falls into one of the following rating categories:
LEED’s rating system provides a framework for identifying and implementing green building standards into renovations or new construction. A building’s LEED rating depends on many factors, each to which is assigned a point value determined by a diverse committee of professionals highly knowledgeable in sustainable building practices. A LEED rating essentially measures the performance of a structure in the following areas: Sustainability of the site, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, location and how the project impacts the community, awareness and education for the end users in order to maximize sustainable practices, innovation in design, and regional priorities.
Projects striving for LEED certification can reach a maximum of 100 points. Construction projects can use any range of LEED standards to gain LEED points, but a project must reach 40 points to become Certified by the USGBC, 50 for Silver level certification, 60 for Gold, and 80 for the highest LEED honor, Platinum.
While LEED certification is an honorable award, the USGBC’s main goal is to improve the quality of living for end users and increase investment value for the building owner. LEED certified buildings are designed to:
For more information about LEED, the USGBC, and sustainable building practices, please visit www.usgbc.org.
If your new or existing construction project is aiming for LEED standards, give Contemporary Galleries a call at (304) 344-1231 to speak to a member of our environmentally-conscious design team.