UNDERSTANDING OF THE KEY ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT METHODS: LEEDS AND BREEAM

Understanding Of the Key Environmental Assessment Methods: Leeds and Breeam



Understanding Of the Key Environmental Assessment Methods: Leeds and Breeam

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards is criteria for environmentally sustainable or “green” construction. LEED provides both a metric for evaluating green buildings through the certification of construction projects and the accreditation for construction and maintenance professionals. LEED standards are developed through a transparent process by which technical criteria are proposed by LEED committees and approved by professional building organizations that make up the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). By providing a point rating system in six separate areas of the design, construction, and operation processes, LEED standards afford construction professionals measurement tools and procedural advice for sustainable building and design (Haapio, 2008, Pp.96-101).

History of the LEED Certification

Originally initiated by Robert K. Watson, a senior scientist and director of the International Energy and Green Building programs at the National Resource Defense Council, LEED is now overseen by the USGBC, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit coalition comprising professional members of the building industry. The initial impetus for the development of LEED was to establish one single standard for new green construction projects while promoting a more integrated design process, recognizing professionals with environmental leadership in the construction field, and stimulating public and private awareness of the growing need to consider the natural environment during and after construction.

Over the years, and by including a wide range of building professionals (from engineers to facility managers), the USGBC has allowed LEED to grow considerably since its inception in 1994. Criteria for certification now include six comprehensive standards of green building that require attention during all phases of planning and development. The articulation of concepts for green building, as well as the establishment of an equivalent rating system, has given professionals interested in reducing a building's environmental impact a planning and certification process by which this goal might be systematically obtained (Haapio, 2008, Pp.96-101).

Point Rating System for Project Certification

Standards for LEED certification are based on a point rating system. In addition, LEED standards organize the building process into readily understandable strategies and steps and help to establish which professionals within that process should take on leadership roles and at what times. By developing these standards, buildings can gain LEED status at four levels: Certified (26-32 points), Silver (33-38 points), Gold (39-51 points), and Platinum (52-69 points), based on total points awarded in the six areas of consideration.

A number of U.S. and international buildings have awarded platinum status; they range in use from education (the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco and the Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management) to government (California Department of Education) to nonprofit organizations (New York Academy of Sciences, National Resources Defense Council Robert Redford Building). LEED certification begins with an application that documents compliance with the point rating system as well as payment of associated ...