vermontstreetproject

The dichotomy between LEEDs for New Construction (commercial) and LEEDs-H (residential) is stark, with the former guilty as charged, the latter showing USGBC's ability to evolve in a positive direction as it lives with its creation over the years. As a designer/builder in a company that Kevin once called "one of the greenest companies I know," I admit to approaching my first certified home project, slated for platinum if it kills me by golly, with a healthy dose of cynicism. I had just walked along a beach looking at a LEEDS Gold office building with solid west glass, (viewside, after all,) among other surprising details. Gee. Certainly consistent with Joe Lstiburek's withering blasts.

I was pleased, then, when I sat down with the LEEDS-H provider for my own project and found an intelligent, generally right on and even instructive process. There are flaws, like a broad brush discounting of electric btu sourcing and the ratios of bedrooms-to-points-requirements, but even those are forgivable in light of the overall soundness of the program, and its ability to force wide ranging conversation about placement, services, neighborhood, and building systems. I learned a few things, and became a fan.

Word has it that the lessons learned here and elsewhere are soon to inform additonal improvements in the other LEEDs areas.