Emerson is LEED certified—yay! Wonderful! We love accreditations!
…But what does that actually mean?
The U.S. Green Building Council can certify any building with a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification. It’s a “globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement,” ensuring that the building is cost-saving, energy efficient, and offers additional environmental benefits.
There are six total types of certifications, running from building management to neighborhood construction. Emerson is specifically certified in Building Design and Construction (LEED BD+C). Piano Row, 2B, Colonial, and Little Building are all certified, although to different levels. Aside from Piano Row, which received the most basic certification level, all buildings achieved a gold standard rating according to LEED guidelines. Little Building was even used as a case study of innovative, sustainable construction design and planning.
LEED certifications have four levels of certification—basic, silver, gold, then platinum, in order from least to highest ratings. By achieving gold LEED standard, LB, Colonial, and 2B demonstrably accomplished a majority of LEED criteria for sustainable buildings.
Categories of LEED Criteria
The criteria are arranged in six categories. The first concerns the location of construction or renovation (of which there are slightly different quantifiable requirements for LEED certification). It mostly relates to the impact the developed site has on the surrounding area. Of particular importance is infrastructure development (how much must be developed to maintain activity in the developed area, meaning urban areas are the best spot since they require the least additional infrastructure), traffic and travelability with public transit and biking, and heat island effects (where buildings and pavement absorb and retain more heat than natural landscapes).
The second category focuses on water impacts. There are the water demands for irrigation, especially whether the building supplies drinkable—potable—water. Also, there are ways to reduce water usage during operations through water efficient technologies, like dual-flush toilets.
The third concerns energy usage. Energy performance (how much is used compared to estimated average usage), on-site renewable energy, and use of off-site green energy through third party generators in the power grid all relate to this category.
The fourth is about the materials used to construct (or renovate) the building. LEED emphasizes recycling practices for construction debris, the use of local and renewable materials, and even the reuse of the original building’s structural and nonstructural elements.
The fifth looks at the indoor air quality while construction is ongoing and during occupancy of the building. In no particular order, some general requirements are a smoking ban indoors and within 25 feet of all entrances, improved ventilation compared to estimated averages, thermal controls, and daylight and view availability within largely trafficked spaces inside the building.
The sixth looks at innovative designs outside the highly specific LEED qualifications, and the hiring of a LEED professional during the planning process to ensure LEED specifications are met. An additional category, somewhat connected to the sixth, offers additional points also for the meeting standards specific to the region. In Boston, those specific focus areas are the avoidance of the heat island effect, Brownfield redevelopment, and stormwater collection and quantity control for non-potable water usage like irrigation.
Although there are over a hundred points to consider in LEED’s current New Development scoring for BD+C, it’s still important to understand and implement these desired qualities in buildings, especially in dense, urban areas like Boston. The effects of climate change may seem far away, but even outside considerations for the wider world, LEED certifications allow for less materials, water, and energy to be used for construction, lessening the cost and the material demand of new construction efforts, enforce higher air quality not just within the buildings for residents but also for the construction workers and the city itself, and promote architectural and technological innovation for construction.