Developed by the U.S Green Building Council, LEED is a framework for identifying, implementing, and measuring the green building and neighborhood design, construction, operations, and maintenance. LEED is a legitimate, marketable green building rating system that encourages environmental commitment from all stakeholders. A LEED Certified building means that you built an efficient building that provides the healthiest environment to its users and has a lower impact on the natural environment and resources. The owner will earn more marketability for the building. LEED Certified buildings are not only environmentally responsible, but they are also more profitable in the short and long term.
LEED seeks to optimize the use of natural resources, promote regenerative and restorative strategies, maximize the positive and minimize the negative environmental and human health consequences of the construction industry while at the same time provide high-quality indoor environments for building occupants.
Sustainability and green building is a process that applies to buildings, their sites, their interiors, the operations, and the communities in which they are situated. The process of the green building flows throughout the entire life cycle of a project, beginning at the inception of a project idea and continuing seamlessly until the project reaches the end of its life and its parts are recycled or reused.
The main benefits of green buildings are that they reduce energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, and solid waste. They reduce the life-cycle cost, increase the building value, and increase productivity. A study by the New Buildings Institute found that in green buildings, the average energy use is 24% lower than in typical buildings. This could lead to 13% lower maintenance costs.
LEED is designed to address environmental challenges while responding to the needs of a competitive market. Certification demonstrates leadership, innovation, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility. LEED Certified buildings are designed to deliver the following benefits,
- Lower operating costs and increase asset value
- Energy and water conservation
- Reduced waste sent to landfills
- More healthful and productive environments for occupants
- Reductions in greenhouse gas emissions
The LEED process begins when the owner selects the levels of certification that depend on the point thresholds achieved. The project is then designed to meet the requirements for all prerequisites and for the credits the team has chosen to pursue. LEED has four levels of certification as per below.
- Certified, 40-49 points
- Silver, 50-59 points
- Gold, 60-79 points
- Platinum, 80 points and above
At ANICON, we highly promote the design and construction of green buildings. It is our passion to build efficient buildings that provide the healthiest environment to their end-users while at the same time lowering the impact on the natural environment and resources which in turn positively contributes to our client’s investments by making them more marketable. We are experienced and have delivered a series of LEED-certified buildings; all of our executive staff members are LEED Green Associates.
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