The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), the third-party certification body for the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building rating system, and Bureau Veritas SA, a leading global testing, inspection and certification body, announced a strategic business partnership. As part of the agreement, Bureau Veritas will facilitate LEED certification on behalf of GBCI for LEED green building projects.
“This collaboration with Bureau Veritas helps us take LEED to the next level,” said Rick Fedrizzi, GBCI board member and president, CEO and founding chair, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). “Through our collaboration, we will leverage the scale and scope of Bureau Veritas’ operations and quickly build capacity and global reach to deliver best-in-class, third-party certification for LEED.”
“Partnering with GBCI offers Bureau Veritas an active role in LEED, the world’s most widely used green building program,” said Didier Michaud-Daniel, CEO, Bureau Veritas. “LEED certification allows us to expand our certification offerings related to quality, human health, environmental protection and social responsibility: all incredibly important priorities for our clients and the communities in which we work.”
The agreement will allow for enhanced customer engagement and local support for LEED.
“GBCI and Bureau Veritas will be able to offer local touch points and resources for green building teams on the ground in a way that we have never before been able to offer,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, chief operating officer, USGBC, and president, GBCI. “Connecting with our customers and deepening our engagement with them will help accelerate the adoption of green building practices and deliver its benefits to these key economies.
“We want our users to have a positive and seamless experience with LEED, no matter where they are across the globe,” added Ramanujam. “GBCI is building world-class infrastructure to support the uptake of green building around the world.”
Earlier this year, USGBC released its list of the top 10 countries for LEED outside the U.S., with Canada taking the lead, followed by China and India.
“USGBC projects significant growth in green building activity in countries like China, India and Brazil in 2014,” said Ramanujam. “Looking at the LEED project registration and certification trends of these countries and across the globe, it is critical to build up the infrastructure to support this development.”
Worldwide, more than 60,000 commercial projects are using LEED, totaling 11.2 billion gross square feet. Additionally, more than 154,000 residential units are using the LEED for Homes rating system.
The growth of LEED reflects its global adaptability as the world’s most widely used and recognized system guiding the design, construction, operations and maintenance of green buildings. LEED is a critical tool in creating structures that mitigate greenhouse gas emissions; create healthier indoor environments for workers, students and community members; and lower utility bills for building owners through reduced energy and water use.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
Replacement school puts old school's materials to good use
Replacing an existing school in the University School District near St. Louis, Mo., the new Barbara C. Jordan Elementary School will accommodate up to 500 students in 24 classrooms. The $13 million school spans 64,834 sf and will use recycled elements from the old building, including mosaic tiles from water fountains, an entryway tile mural, and a freestanding masonry bench.
| Aug 11, 2010
Wood chips to heat school district buildings
An alternative energy plant for the Hartford Central School District in Hartford, N.Y., will be a first for the state's public school systems. Designed by Albany, N.Y.-based CSArch Architecture/Construction Management, the $1.9 million plant will provide heat and hot water to the district's elementary and high school complex, as well as to an adjacent technical school.
| Aug 11, 2010
High-tech tower targets LEED Platinum
Construction is slated to begin on the new $38 million AI Tech Center in Hartford, Conn., in spring 2010. The Building Team, which includes Suffolk Construction Co., CBT Architects, and Jones Lang LaSalle, planned the high-tech 13-story, 259,000-sf tower to meet LEED Platinum certification. Green features include photovoltaic power, a fuel cell power plant, abundant natural lighting, and a roof...
| Aug 11, 2010
And the world's tallest building is…
At more than 2,600 feet high, the Burj Dubai (right) can still lay claim to the title of world's tallest building—although like all other super-tall buildings, its exact height will have to be recalculated now that the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) announced a change to its height criteria.
| Aug 11, 2010
Firm goes for Gold with office design
DLR Group is designing its new Omaha, Neb., headquarters to achieve LEED Gold. Sustainable features being incorporated into the three-story, 39,000-sf building, which is part of the city’s new Aksarben Village mixed-use development, include daylighting, outdoor workspaces, native landscaping, a green roof, and the pursuit of renewable energy credits.
| Aug 11, 2010
Corporate campus gets LEED stamp of Gold
The new 100,000-sf corporate headquarters for The Thornburg Companies in Santa Fe, N.M., earned LEED Gold. Designed in the “new-old Santa Fe style” by Legorreta + Legorreta, with local firms Dekker/Perich/Sabatini and Klinger Constructors on the Building Team, the green building sits on seven acres and features three distinct but interconnected office spaces with two courtyards and ...
| Aug 11, 2010
CityCenter projects get LEED Gold
MGM Mirage and Infinity World Development have received LEED Gold certification for the first three CityCenter projects: the ARIA Resort hotel tower, ARIA Resort convention center and theater, and the Vdara Hotel (above). The CityCenter developers anticipate Gold or Silver LEED certification for the project's remaining developments, which include a Mandarin Oriental hotel, a 500,000-sf retail a...
| Aug 11, 2010
Polshek unveils design for University of North Texas business building
New York City-based architect Polshek Partnership unveiled its design scheme for the $70 million Business Leadership Building at the University of North Texas in Denton. Designed to provide UNT’s 5,600-plus business majors with a state-of-the-art learning environment, the 180,000-sf facility will include an open atrium, an internet café, and numerous study and tutoring rooms—al...
| Aug 11, 2010
School district plans net-zero building
Camas (Wash.) School District is planning to utilize one of three energy sources—photovoltaics, wind turbine, or geothermal—to help take its new community high school completely off the grid. The school district commissioned Interface Engineering to explore all three options for the project, which is scheduled to break ground in August.
| Aug 11, 2010
Cooper Union academic building designed to reach LEED Platinum
Morphosis Architects and Gruzen Samton are collaborating on an ultra-green academic building for New York’s Cooper Union that is designed to achieve LEED Platinum certification. The program for the nine-story facility mixes state-of-the-art laboratories, classrooms, a multipurpose auditorium, and a range of public and social spaces.
