LEED = Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

It’s a nationally accepted standard organized by the United States Green Building Council for developing high- performance, high-quality sustainable buildings. Basically, what it does is differentiate people who are just building . . . and people who are building responsibly.

The LEED approach is super-comprehensive. It examines all aspects of a building’s evolution (whether commercial, residential, educational, or health care) and zooms in on things that impact our daily lives and our surrounding environment – the way a building site is developed, water expended, and energy consumed. The types of materials used, the indoor air quality, and the innovation in design. It then assigns certain credits to each category, and it is by receiving a certain number of credits that a building becomes “LEED Certified”. Of course, within this certification, there are levels as well – a building can receive Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum Certification. Adhering to these standards drastically reduces operating costs, promotes healthier living, and conserves natural resources.  All-in-all, it’s truly amazing how a little forward thinking and creative planning can drastically improve the quality of life today and years down the road.