What Does A LEED Green Associate Certification Mean For the Architectural World?

The most distinguished and accepted environmental design and green building certification available is the LEED Green Associate. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The rating systems for design, construction and operation of high performance green structures, homes, buildings and neighborhoods. The LEED program was started in 1998 and the U.S. Green Building Council or USGBC, encompasses over 7,000 projects throughout the United States and in other countries throughout the world.

This idea of “going green” has also spread throughout the world. The rating system determines how well the structures are helpful or non-threatening to the natural environment. Holding a Green Associate certification is one of the most prestigious certifications in the architectural industry.

LEED consists of the following suite of ratings:

• Green Building Design and Construction LEED for schools, hospitals, new construction, core and shell, and retail new construction and renovations.

• Green Interior Design and Construction LEED for commercial interiors and for retail: commercial interiors.

• Green Building Operations and Maintenance for existing structures-operations and maintenance.

• Green Neighborhood Development Leed for neighborhood development.

• Green Home Design and Construction LEED for homes.

A LEED Green Associate today creates buildings that are 25 to 30% more energy efficient. This success is also attributed to benefits from better ventilation, lighting, temperature control, and reduced indoor air pollution. LEED is more focused on the design of the building than on the energy consumption, therefore, they should not be totally analyzed for whether or not the potential energy savings is from design alone.

A LEED Green Associate is responsible for demonstrating current knowledge of green building technologies, best practices and constantly changing LEED Rating Systems. The buildings are supposed to use resources more efficiently when compared to non-LEED structures that are built to code.

LEED certified buildings are healthy buildings for work and home. As far as working in one is concerned, they have been shown to have higher productivity due to healthier and more comfortable employees. Other benefits of LEED construction range from improving water and air quality to reducing the solid waste, which benefits society as a whole.

As a LEED Green Associate one can make changes in construction that benefit the environment and people. Although the cost of being green may cost more, the benefits far outweigh the money paid. Those costs can be turned into savings over time because of the lower-than-industry standard costs typical of a LEED building.