Washington, DC (November 11, 2010) – This month, the total footprint of commercial projects certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED Green Building Rating System surpassed one billion square feet. Another six billion square feet of projects are registered and currently working toward LEED certification around the world.
“This traction demonstrates the transformation of the way we design, build and operate buildings,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chair, USGBC. “Not only does green building contribute to saving energy, water and money, it also creates green jobs that will grow and energize our economy.”
The milestone is a testament to the global effort to meet USGBC’s vision that buildings and communities will regenerate and sustain the health and vitality of all life within this generation. LEED is the preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.
“The impact of these one billion square feet can be seen in communities around the world,” said Peter Templeton, President of the Green Building Certification Institute, the certifying body for LEED projects. “The use of LEED represents a growing global commitment to improving our built environment for future generations.”
Since it was first introduced to the marketplace in 2000, over 36,000 commercial projects and 38,000 single-family homes have participated in LEED. By consuming less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to healthier environments for residents, workers and the community.
U.S. Green Building Council
The USGBC community is transforming the way we build, design and operate our buildings for healthier places that save precious resources for people to live, work, learn and play in. UGSBC is helping create buildings and communities that regenerate and sustain the health and vitality of all life within a generation. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Council is the driving force of the green building industry, which is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product by 2013. USGBC leads a diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials, concerned citizens, teachers and students. The USGBC community comprises 80 local chapters, 17,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 155,000 individuals who have earned LEED Professional Credentials. Visit www.usgbc.orghttp://www.usgbc.org for more information.
About GBCI
The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) provides third-party confirmation that specific criteria related to LEED building certification and LEED professional credentialing have been met. To underscore this commitment, GBCI is undergoing the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accreditation process for personnel certification agencies complying with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Standard 17024. Early in 2009, GBCI assumed responsibility for administering the LEED building certification program for the more than 36,000 commercial projects seeking third-party verification of compliance with the industry's leading green building rating system. For more information, please visit www.gbci.org.
Related Stories
Construction Costs | Oct 16, 2024
Construction Crane Index: Most major markets’ crane counts increase or hold steady in third quarter
Rider Levett Bucknall’s (RLB’s) latest Crane Index and Quarterly Cost Report shows continued decreasing cost inflation and crane counts increasing or holding steady in 10 of the 14 major markets it surveyed. The national average increase in construction costs was 1.07%, the lowest it’s been in the last three years.
AEC Tech | Oct 16, 2024
How AI can augment the design visualization process
Blog author Tim Beecken, AIA, uses the design of an airport as a case-study for AI’s potential in design visualizations.
University Buildings | Oct 15, 2024
Recreation and wellness are bedfellows in new campus student centers
Student demands for amenities and services that address their emotional and mental wellbeing are impacting new development on college campuses that has led to recreation centers with wellness portfolios.
Higher Education | Oct 14, 2024
Higher education design for the first-gen college student
In this Design Collaborative blog, Yogen Solanki, Assoc. AIA, shares how architecture and design can help higher education institutions address some of the challenges faced by first-generation students.
Performing Arts Centers | Oct 10, 2024
Studio Gang's performing arts center for Hudson Valley Shakespeare breaks ground
A new permanent home for Hudson Valley Shakespeare, a professional non-profit theater company, recently broke ground in Garrison, N.Y. The Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center includes a 14,850 sf performance venue that will serve as a permanent home for the theater company known for its sweeping open-air productions of classics and new works.
Sustainable Design and Construction | Oct 10, 2024
Northglenn, a Denver suburb, opens a net zero, all-electric city hall with a mass timber structure
Northglenn, Colo., a Denver suburb, has opened the new Northglenn City Hall—a net zero, fully electric building with a mass timber structure. The 32,600-sf, $33.7 million building houses 60 city staffers. Designed by Anderson Mason Dale Architects, Northglenn City Hall is set to become the first municipal building in Colorado, and one of the first in the country, to achieve the Core certification: a green building rating system overseen by the International Living Future Institute.
3D Printing | Oct 9, 2024
3D-printed construction milestones take shape in Tennessee and Texas
Two notable 3D-printed projects mark milestones in the new construction technique of “printing” structures with specialized concrete. In Athens, Tennessee, Walmart hired Alquist 3D to build a 20-foot-high store expansion, one of the largest freestanding 3D-printed commercial concrete structures in the U.S. In Marfa, Texas, the world’s first 3D-printed hotel is under construction at an existing hotel and campground site.
University Buildings | Oct 9, 2024
Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences opens a new 88-acre campus
Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences has opened a new campus spanning 88 acres, over three times larger than its previous location. Designed by RDG Planning & Design and built by Turner Construction, the $260 million campus features technology-rich, flexible educational spaces that promote innovative teaching methods, expand research activity, and enhance clinical services. The campus includes four buildings connected with elevated pathways and totaling 382,000 sf.
Student Housing | Oct 9, 2024
University of Maryland begins work on $148 million graduate student housing development
The University of Maryland, in partnership with Campus Apartments and Mosaic Development Partners, has broken ground on a $148.75 million graduate student housing project on the university’s flagship College Park campus. The project will add 741 beds in 465 fully furnished apartments.
Healthcare Facilities | Oct 9, 2024
How healthcare operations inform design
Amanda Fisher, Communications Specialist, shares how BWBR's personalized approach and specialized experience can make a meaningful impact to healthcare facilities.
