LEEDing the Way

‘LEED’ing the Way

LEED certifications were all the trend in my undergraduate studies which date back to 2004-2009……yes, I’m old. During my sophomore year we were introduced to LEED criteria that we were told would be the only way for sustainable architecture to be designed with. My last 2 years of undergraduate studies were often focused on sustainability and we were challenged to incorporate many LEED standards in our designs. Looking back on many of these designs as a soon to be professional, to make these design strategies work would have been taxing on the clients wallet initially with a slower return on investment after the project completion.

Over the last decade, I think that the profession has realized that there is a more viable way to create environmentally friendly designs without the strict nature of LEED. The value of sustainable design is paramount in our everchanging climate. The impact of our building designs lasts for decades and greatly affect the surrounding environment. There are new building methods being developed to combat the detrimental aftermath of older construction and building design that better suited to leave a smaller carbon footprint. Thanks to LEED, a conversation around sustainability was started. These conversations ‘LEED’ (play on words) to innovation, and the conversations have sparked a movement in the profession that will hopefully produce an ecofriendly built environment.