What does LEED mean?


The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.

What is LEED Certification?

The first step to LEED certification is to Register your project. A project is a viable candidate for LEED certification if it can meet all prerequisites and achieve the minimum number of points to earn the Certified level of LEED project certification. To earn certification, a building project must meet certain prerequisites and performance benchmarks (”credits”) within each category. Projects are awarded Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum certification depending on the number of credits they achieve. This comprehensive approach is the reason LEED-certified buildings have reduced operating costs, healthier and more productive occupants, and conserve our natural resources.

LEED provides a roadmap for measuring and documenting success for every building type and phase of a building lifecycle.

LEED LEADERS

• South Lake Union Urban Center, Seattle. (340 acres)
• Lacey Gateway Town Center, Lacey. (252 acres)
• New Whatcom Redevelopment Project, Bellingham. (228 acres)
• Meadowridge Park, Bellingham. (45 acres)
• Interbay Neighborhood Master Plan, Seattle. (20 acres)
• River District Village Center, Liberty Lake. (19.83)
• Four Seasons Housing, Vancouver. (9.5 acres)
• Thornton Place, Seattle. (4.7 acres)
• Washougal Blocks, Washougal. (2.5 acres)

Source: U.S. Green Building Council