L.E.E.D.: WHAT IS IT?
The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a standard which has been under development in the United States since the 1990s in order to measure the environmental sustainability of buildings on many scales.
Each new building or a building undergoing an extensive renovation program which wants to be certified by LEED committees will be awarded a score based on the level of overall environmental sustainability it has achieved; the score awarded qualifies the property as:
- Certified – a score of 40 to 49 points –
- Silver – a score of 50 to 59 points –
- Gold – a score of 60 to 79 points –
- Platinum – a score of 80 to 110 points –
Scoring criteria are based on seven areas of intervention:
- Sustainability of the site
- Efficient water management
- Energy and atmosphere
- Materials and resources
- Quality of indoor surroundings
- Innovation in design
- Regional ranking
It is therefore the construction as whole which is awarded an environmental sustainability certification, and not the individual elements or material, which themselves cannot be awarded an LEED certification, but which merely contribute to the final result based on their features.
Pavibamboo, which has been a member of GBC Italia since 2012, can use bamboo flooring as a contribution to score points in the construction of buildings under the categories “Materials and resources” to “rapidly renewable material” (bamboo matures over five years) and “certified wood” (Pavibamboo deals with 100% certified FSC material), as well as under the “Indoor air quality” category.
There are over 45,000 LEED certified buildings around the world, approximately 43,000 projects are being completed in more than thirty countries.
A LEED certified building is therefore characterised by a more efficient use of resources, a better energy supply, better waste and water management, and a healthier living or working environment, and this is because it is contact with natural materials and has lower operating costs.