EXTERNAL ENVELOPE 53 LEED on low impact
LEED is a growing presence in evaluating UK buildings’ sustainability. Wojciech Brożyna from Aluprof UK discusses its benefits, and ways to meet the standard
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EED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a building quality rating system that is used in more than 160 countries around the world. It was created and developed in 1998 by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), whose goal was to distinguish buildings significantly reducing their negative impact on the environment.
It is also an easy way to determine to what extent an investment complies with the principles of sustainable construction and architecture. Importantly, LEED certification applies not only to new buildings but also to existing ones and those undergoing renovation. LEED certification is an industry-recognised certification, and is often a mandatory requirement set by future users of a building.
Certification is handled by the system operator, USGBC, and its partner GBCI (Green Business Certification Inc). Outside the US, the process of applying for LEED certification requires working with an accredited specialist, termed the ‘LEED AP’.
What is assessed?
LEED certification looks at several factors, including the location, the materials and solutions used, and the water and energy savings achieved. The characteristics of the internal environment are also taken into account, including air quality and acoustics, as well as the impact of the environmental building solutions used. To obtain the certificate, you must start by registering on the LEED Online platform, submit documentation, and pay a certification fee. Then, GBCI will conduct a detailed review of the submitted documents. LEED is assessed according to six categories: • building location and transportation • sustainable and ecological grounds management
• water savings, energy savings, use of materials, and indoor environment.
Additionally, the use of innovative and unique solutions is taken into account,
ADF APRIL 2022
together with the fulfilment of special requirements defined by LEED as important for a particular region of the world. Some of the above-mentioned criteria are mandatory for obtaining the certificate, while others are evaluated in the so-called credits or points.
These are combined to produce the final figure that dictates the level of the awarded certificate, which has four levels: Certified (40-49 points), Silver (50-59 points), Gold (60-79 points) and Platinum (80-110 points). The latter represents the absolute highest class of eco-friendly buildings. It is important to remember that LEED certification is awarded to the entire building, not to its individual components, such as windows and doors. According to the certification rules, it is the designer who defines the technical requirements for the components of the whole development, and this results in obtaining the number of points required to classify the building to a targeted LEED certificate level.
Benefits of LEED certification LEED certification is, above all, an opportunity for investors to embrace. The decisions about the building, according to the assumptions of this system, directly
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More and more clients are noticing that renting well- thought-out and sustainable workspaces have a positive influence on the wellbeing and productivity of employees
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