In 1998, the US Green Building Council created the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System (LEED), which established definitions and measurements in order to officially recognize qualified buildings as “green”. Since then, LEED certification has become synonymous with responsible building.

LEED promotes green design, a holistic approach to building that results in a significant reduction in the negative environmental impact associated with traditional building. In addition, green design reduces operating costs, enhances building marketability, helps create sustainable communities and, studies suggest, increases occupant productivity.

LEED certification is based on a scoring system, with levels of certification ranging from “Certified” to “Platinum” (a project needs a total of 26 points to be “Certified”). Points are awarded in six different categories: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, and Innovation & Design Process. The process starts in the earliest stages of planning, so in order to ultimately achieve certification, developers, architects, builders and occupants need to share a common vision; it’s a holistic approach in every sense of the term. For more information on LEED, visit usgbc.org.