LEED - The Triple Bottom Line
“Sustainability”
“Green design”
They might be buzz-words, but as an interior designer it’s always helpful to stay current on what’s going on in the industry.
I’ve recently decided to start studying for LEED Green Associate exams which has opened up a whole new level of design thinking. To sum it up, our industry, products, and processes are all moving in a more sustainable direction in order to meet environmental goals and policies. As residential or commercial interior designers, it’s our job to know how to meet those goals, specify responsible materials, and inform our clients about the costs and benefits. Spoiler alert: going green is going to save them in the long run!
Scroll down if you want to read a little more in-depth about LEED & its goals.
What is LEED?
LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
The USGBC (US Green Building Council) grants certification to buildings that go through a rigorous design process to make sure it’s good for the environment. We’re not just talking about energy efficient appliances, we’re talking about everything from choosing the location of a project, the orientation of the building, sourcing raw materials, and through to the tenant’s role in keeping it healthy.
It’s not just for new buildings though; LEED is applicable to existing buildings, interiors, operation and management, and neighborhood development.
Think of it kind of like FDA is to food what LEED is for the built environment.
They even have “nutrition labels” for buildings:
Triple Bottom Line:
this is a guideline to make sure all stakeholders are benefiting from the design.
People, Planet, Profit
Core Concepts:
Location and Transportation:
This has to do with access to transportation networks and existing infrastructure. It’s going to be better for the environment overall if the project is going up where there’s access to power, gas, water, bike lanes, and transit systems. This also means projects will have reduced general parking, but preferred parking for ride-shares or EV vehicles. Bonus points if it’s within walking distance to all the amenities an individual might need (grocery, banks, schools, etc).
Sustainable Sites:
Instead of expanding to new pastures (especially farmable land), credit is awarded to projects that utilize old buildings or sites that need major clean up from waste/hazardous material, etc. (think the craziest episodes of Fixer Upper).
Water Efficiency:
The goal is to reduce the use of potable water (drinking water).
Energy and Atmosphere:
Making sure we are reducing our contribution to greenhouse gasses and o-zone depletion. Ideally, we’d reverse or slow down global warming.
Materials and Resources:
Selecting materials that come with the least amount of damage. This includes sourcing and transporting materials within a specific distance from the project site, materials that are healthy for those installing or working around the materials, and the recyclability of reusability of the materials. Ideally, we’re looking for “cradle-to-cradle” meaning the material can be reused.
Indoor Environmental Quality:
Designing for people utilizing the building light, air, sound, views
Innovation:
Awards teams for thinking outside of the box to create new methods
Regional Priority:
Creating solutions for location-specific environmental problems.
Integrative Process:
Ensures that all the stakeholders get a say in the projects which helps address the triple bottom line
