LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), the internationally recognized green building program, is transforming construction and building design by providing a way to recognize buildings that incorporate green principles. Since LEED green building standards were first put into place thirteen years ago, the green building movement has really taken off. More than 50,000 commercial LEED projects and over 34,000 home units have been LEED certified since the program’s inception, with another 1.7 million square feet being LEED certified daily. But does LEED certification mean that your building is no longer wasting energy? Continue reading “You Have a LEED Certified Building…But Are You Still Wasting Energy?” »
Category Archives: LEED certification
How to LEED Certify a Building Project
Everyone seems to be discussing LEED Certification these days. You probably have some familiarity with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification and the benefits it offers: higher rental asking prices, reduced health and security risks, lower operating costs, decreased environmental impact, and the cachet of “green magic,” that sets buildings apart and makes them more desirable to tenants. What is a mystery to most people, though, is how to LEED certify a building project: how many steps are involved and what does each entail? Continue reading “How to LEED Certify a Building Project” »
What is LEED Certification?
LEED, an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, was developed in 2000 by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is an internationally accepted benchmark for design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings, with projects in 135 countries and international projects accounting for more than half of total LEED registered square footage. The voluntary, consensus-based, market-driven program provides third-party verification of green buildings while furnishing building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. Continue reading “What is LEED Certification?” »
600 Brickell First LEED Platinum-Certified Building in South Florida
The U.S. Green Building Council has awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum certification to developer Foram Group for their building at Brickell World Plaza, making 600 Brickell the First LEED Platinum-Certified Building in South Florida. The 600,000-square-foot 40-story building sets a new international standard for sustainability and connectivity in office development. Designed by the global architecture group RTKL, the mixed-use commercial tower in the heart of Miami’s financial district was awarded LEED Platinum designation in the core and shell category, specific to new construction. Continue reading “600 Brickell First LEED Platinum-Certified Building in South Florida” »
South Florida Now Has 200 LEED Certified Buildings
South Floridians are getting into the swing of going green; South Florida now has 200 LEED certified buildings on the books! The 200th building to receive LEED certification was Florida Atlantic University’s Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, located on a six-acre biotechnology laboratory complex at the Jupiter campus. The 100,000-square-foot laboratory and office building earned the LEED Gold status from the U.S. Green Building Council by striving to consume the least amount of energy possible. Its key features include mechanical systems with state-of-the-art energy recovery wheels to capture useable energy from building exhaust, an air-conditioning zoning strategy that reduces loads, and recycling of moisture removed in the process of dehumidification that contributes to the building’s cooling system. Continue reading “South Florida Now Has 200 LEED Certified Buildings” »