There has been a trend in recent years towards creating energy efficient and environmentally sustainable businesses. This includes everything from the way we use paper, to the low-energy lighting we install, to the design of the buildings that we inhabit.
All of this is part of a global initiative to redefine the way we think about the buildings we design — how they work, how they affect the people living and working in them, and the communities and environments in which they operate.
A considerable part of this transformation has been led by the U.S Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design program, or LEED for short. At its most basic level, LEED is a green building certification program.
The program rewards businesses for designing and maintaining their buildings using best-in-class energy and sustainability practices with the goal of helping to create greener communities and happier, healthier people. In fact, there are over 72,000 commercial projects that have already been LEED certified and nearly 30,000 certified commercial projects are currently in the works.
There are several different sections of LEED certifications. All of these have different standards on which their certifications are based. These include:
- Building Design and Construction
- Building Operations and Maintenance
- Interior Design and Construction
- Homes
- Neighborhood Development.
Studies show that the average American spends around 90% of their time indoors. With this in mind, it makes it all the more important that our indoor environments are encouraging positivity, happiness and a healthy lifestyle.
By creating healthier environments with LEED protocols, 11% of workers now have fresher air, 23% have improved lighting and access to views and 18% have access to daylight and windows, making workers more productive and more satisfied at work than ever before.
Many of Ambius’ products and services help companies obtain LEED credits on their way to becoming LEED certified.
Similar to LEED’s focus on human and environmental health, it is our mission to enhance business environments and to create harmonious interior spaces to live and work. It is our job to improve the health and well-being of employees and occupants by bringing a piece of the outdoors to you.
Want to learn more about the history of green design? Take a look at our the history of the Green Thumb archive.
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