An internationally recognized green building certification system, LEED offers third-party verification for buildings and communities. Certification ensures design and building using strategies to increase performance of:
- Energy savings
- CO2 emissions reduction
- Improved indoor environmental quality
- Stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts
LEED was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USBC). USBC offers building owners and operators a concise framework to identify and implement green-building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.
The nationally accepted benchmark for green buildings, LEED promotes a "whole building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas." These five key areas are:
- Sustainable site development
- Water savings
- Energy efficiency
- Materials selection
- Indoor environmental quality
LEED certification can be obtained for:
- Hotels / Motels / Resorts
- Neighborhood development / Communities
- Offices
- Residences
- Other commercial building
- Hotels / Motels / Resorts
A variety of people and professions need to be aware of LEED certification and are directly affected by it. They include:
- Architects
- Facility Managers
- Engineers
- Interior Designers
- Real estate professionals
- Construction managers
- Landscape architects
- Government officials
- Lenders
- Occupants of the buildings
How Does a Building Become LEED Certified?
A project is scored based on the total number of points achieved from all LEED categories. A committee reviews all credit documentation for the project. They make a recommendation and the USGBC awards certification or denies it. Certification can be granted on four different levels, from lowest to highest:
- Certified
- Silver
- Gold
- Platinum
Trail-Blazing Green Hotels Featuring Green Building and Construction
Platinum certification is the highest rating in the LEED hierarchy. Among green hotels in the United States, The Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, North Carolina, made national news when it obtained platinum LEED certification – the highest award possible. As the first hotel to achieve this coveted hallmark, Proximity offers a treasure trove of innovative green initiatives.
The first four green hotels in the United States to receive LEED certification were: The Inn & Conference Center in College Park, MD, The Orchard Garden Hotel, San Francisco, CA, The Gaia Napa Valley Hotel & Spa, American Canyon, CA and the Hilton Vancouver Washington.
The Hotel Indigo opened as the first LEED-certified green hotel property in San Diego, CA. Boasting the first green roof in the city and a meditation deck, Hotel Indigo - Gaslamp Quarter is also the first Branded Boutique hotel under the InterContinental Hotels Group Chain (IHG).
In Seattle, Washington, be sure to visit that city's first LEED-certified green hotel, Hyatt at Olive 8. Situated downtown - just a short walk from the world-famous Pike Place Market - Hyatt at Olive 8 offers a living green roof, chic glass building design and Four-Diamond amenities. Builders of Hyatt at Olive 8 diverted 95 percent of recyclable construction debris from landfills by incorporating them into the building design.