Sustainability in Architecture and Materials: Online Resources

Since 2009 the BOMA 360 Performance Program has been evaluating buildings against industry best practices in six areas: building operations and management; life safety, security and risk management; training and education; energy; environmental/sustainability; and tenant relations/community involvement.

BREEAM is an environmental assessment method and rating system for buildings, which has become one of the most comprehensive and widely recognized measures of a building’s environmental performance. It encourages designers, clients and others to think about low carbon and low impact design, minimizing the energy demands created by a building before considering energy efficiency and low carbon technologies.

EDGE [Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies] is a green building certification system focused on making buildings in emerging markets more resource efficient.

Fitwel is a rating system organized around specific, incremental changes that will foster a healthier workplace, regardless of size, construction year, or location. Fitwel stands for Facility Innovations Toward Wellness Environment Leadership.

Green Globes is an online green building rating and certification tool that is used primarily in Canada and the USA. It was developed by ECD Energy and Environment Canada, an arms-length division of JLL. Green Globes is licensed for use by BOMA Canada (Existing Buildings) and the Green Building Initiative in the USA (New and Existing Buildings).

LEED is a third party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2000 through a consensus based process, LEED serves as a tool for buildings of all types and sizes. LEED certification offers third party validation of a project’s green features and verifies that the building is operating exactly the way it was designed to.

Launched in 2006, the Living Building Challenge calls itself a “philosophy, certification and advocacy tool for projects to move beyond merely being less bad and to become truly regenerative.” The performance-based standard challenges design professionals to consider each aspect of design “as an opportunity to positively impact the greater community of life and the cultural fabric of our human communities.”

PEER [Performance Excellence in Electricity Renewal] is designed to help industry stakeholders dramatically improve power system performance by providing a framework for continuous improvement and performance assessment. Modeled after LEED, PEER provides a comprehensive understanding of how to define, specify, and assess sustainable power to buildings. Launched in 2013, it is the nation’s first comprehensive, consumer-centric, outcome-driven system for evaluating power system performance.

The TRUE Zero Waste certification program can be used to define, pursue and achieve a facility’s zero waste goals. Launched in 2017, the certification focuses on the upstream policies and practices that make zero waste successful in any organization.

AIA has a long history promoting sustainability in architecture. From the publication of Environmental Design: Research and Practice in 1971 to the creation of the Committee on the Environment, COTE, in 1990 and connections to the Historic Resources Committee established in 1857, the Institute has long been a leader in sustainable design. They continue to commit to a better built environment in their current programs and planning for what’s to come.

As more of America’s cities and regions focus their efforts on sustainability, open space protection, and climate resilience, CNU is a leader in supplying innovative design and development solutions.They are helping to equip communities so that they thrive and prosper on a changing planet.

Started in 1992, ENERGY STAR is a government-backed program providing tools and resources to promote energy efficiency. In addition to providing the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager®, they offer several opportunities to earn recognition for energy efficiency: certification for existing buildings or plants, “Designed to ENERGY STAR” for new commercial construction, portfolio-wide recognition, and organizational awards.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is committed to transforming the way our buildings are designed, constructed and operated through LEED — the top third-party verification system for sustainable structures around the world. Every day USGBC is helping advance spaces that are better for the environment and healthier for us to live, work and play in. Through our community network, continuous collaboration with industry experts, market research publications and LEED professional credentials, USGBC remains a key driving force in the green building sector.

The Passive House Institute (PHI) was founded in 1996 by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Feist and is an independent research institute with a constantly growing, interdisciplinary team. The institute now occupies a leading international position in the research and development of building concepts, building components, planning tools and in the validation of particularly energy-efficient buildings.

The Well Building Standard was launched in 2014 with a focus on the health and wellbeing of building occupants. Based on thorough review of existing research, WELL specifies 100 evidence-based performance metrics, design strategies, and policies for implementation. Candidates must undergo on-site assessment and performance testing to receive recognition. We currently have two WELL projects in design.

The mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment, including: environmental stewardship, which is integral to U.S. policies concerning natural resources, human health, economic growth, energy, transportation, agriculture, industry, and international trade, and these factors are similarly considered in establishing environmental policy.