Florida/Caribbean Architect - Spring 2013 - (Page 22) could You Learn to Love LEEd? Is there a green building project in your company’s future? Many building owners today use the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system to measure the environmental friendliness of their buildings. But architects and building owners contemplating a LEED project understand that it can be a complex, time-consuming and costly process. LEEd Basics The US Green Building Council (USGBC) introduced LEED in 2000 with just one rating system, LEED NC (new construction), but today there are nine. They are: New Construction & Major Renovations; Existing Buildings; Commercial Interiors; Core & Shell; Retail; Schools; Homes; Neighborhood Development; and Healthcare. USGBC formed a separate entity, the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), to handle the actual certification process. It includes three major steps: registration of the project, submission of extensive documentation and a formal application for review, which is conducted by independent third-party raters. GBCI awards a project a LEED certification level (Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum) depending on how many points the building earns in various categories (sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor air quality, innovation in design). GBCI also offers building professionals the opportunity to earn LEED credentialing. The LEED AP is a highly technical, specialized accreditation offered in five different areas (building design and construction, 22 615569_Peacock.indd 1 13/02/13 11:30 PM www.aiafla.org http://www.peacockpavers.com http://www.aiafla.org Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Florida/Caribbean Architect - Spring 2013 President's Perspective Editorial / Diane D. Greer 2013 Legislative Wrap-Up News/Letters Alfred B. Maclay School Pre-K Building Pasco Middle School St. Leo University Parking Garage and Turf Stadium Warner University Agricultural Complex The Tin House Could You Learn to Love LEED? Book Review Advertisers Index Florida/Caribbean Architect - Spring 2013 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/FLAQ/FLAQ0116 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/FLAQ/FLAQ0415 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/FLAQ/FLAQ0315 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/FLAQ/FLAQ0215 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/FLAQ/FLAQ0115 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/FLAQ/FLAQ0414 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/FLAQ/FLAQ0314 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/FLAQ/FLAQ0214 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/FLAQ/FLAQ0114 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/FLAQ/FLAQ0413 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/FLAQ/FLAQ0313 http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/FLAQ/FLAQ0213 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/FLAQ0113 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/FLAQ0412 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/FLAQ0312 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/FLAQ0212 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/FLAQ0112 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/FLAQ0411 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/FLAQ0311 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/FLAQ0211 http://www.nxtbookMEDIA.com