U.S. Green Building Council

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U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
Formation 1993
Type non-profit
Headquarters Washington, D.C.
Membership 13,000
Key people Rick Fedrizzi
David Gottfried
Mike Italiano
Website www.usgbc.org

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), co-founded by current CEO Rick Fedrizzi, Mike Italiano, and David Gottfried in 1993, is a private 501(c)3, membership-based non-profit organization that promotes sustainability in how buildings are designed, built, and operated. USGBC is best known for its development of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating systems and its annual Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building. USGBC was one of eight national councils that helped found the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC), of which USGBC CEO Rick Fedrizzi is the current chair, in 1999.[1]

USGBC works to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. To achieve this it has developed a variety of programs and services, and works closely with its network of 77 regional chapters, 13,000 member organizations, key industry and research organizations and federal, state and local government. Through its partnership with the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), USGBC offers a suite of LEED professional credentials that denote expertise in the field of green building.

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Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) [edit]

The LEED Green Building Rating System (LEED) is a voluntary, consensus-based, market-driven program that provides third-party verification of green buildings. The LEED rating systems address both a wide variety of buildings types, including commercial buildings, homes, neighborhoods, retail, healthcare and schools; as well as every phase of the building lifecycle; including design, construction, operations and maintenance. Projects may earn one of four levels of LEED certification (Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum) by achieving a given number of point-based credits within the rating system.

Development of LEED began in 1994, spearheaded by Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) senior scientist Robert K. Watson. As founding chairman of the LEED Steering Committee, Watson led a broad-based consensus process which included non-profit organizations, government agencies, architects, engineers, developers, builders, product manufacturers and other industry leaders until 2005. At that time, USGBC’s current Senior Vice President of LEED, Scot Horst, became chair of the LEED Steering Committee before joining USGBC staff. Early LEED committee members also included USGBC co-founder Mike Italiano, architects Bill Reed and Sandy Mendler, builder Gerard Heiber and Myron Kibbe and engineer Richard Bourne. As interest in LEED grew, in 1996, engineers Tom Paladino and Lynn Barker co-chaired the newly formed LEED technical committee.

Beginning with its launch in 2000, LEED has grown from one rating system for new construction to a comprehensive system of nine interrelated rating systems covering all aspects of the development and construction process. Since its inception, LEED has grown from six volunteers on one committee to more than 200 volunteers on nearly 20 committees and nearly 200 professional staff.

USGBC was awarded the American Architectural Foundation’s Keystone Award in 2012. The National Building Museum presented the USGBC with its 2009 Honor Award (themed "Visionaries in Sustainability"), citing the organization's "exceptional achievement in establishing and integrating green building standards" in its LEED systems as one of the reasons for selection.[2] The museum also awarded USGBC with its Henry C. Turner Prize in 2005 for its leadership and innovation in the construction industry, specifically for LEED.[3] To date, it is the only organization to have received two awards from the Building Museum.

See also [edit]

Portal icon Energy portal

References [edit]

  1. ^ About the WGBC
  2. ^ Jean Dimeo (March 30, 2009). "National Building Museum To Honor USGBC and Founder Rick Fedrizzi". 
  3. ^ "U.S. Green Building Council". National Building Museum. 2005-10-24. 

External links [edit]

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