Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is one of the most popular green building certification programs in the world. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings, homes, and neighborhoods with the goal to help building owners and operators be more environmentally responsible and use resources more efficiently.
The LEED Green Associate credential is a non-technical certification for professionals who want to have a fundamental understanding of green building expertise. The coursework focuses on the LEED project process (including integrated design), core sustainability concepts, green building terminology, and various aspects of the LEED rating system.
Prerequisites: none
The Living Building Challenge is an international sustainable building certification program created in 2006 by the non-profit International Living Future Institute. It is described by the Institute as a philosophy, advocacy tool and certification program that promotes the most advanced measurement of sustainability in the built environment. It can be applied to development at all scales, from buildings – both new construction and renovation – to infrastructure, landscapes, neighborhoods and communities and is more rigorous than green certification systems such as LEED or BREEAM.
Prerequisite: successful completion of the LEED Green Associate program
Section: Spring 2021 Cohort description
Spring 2021 Cohort Now Forming
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is the world’s most widely used green building rating system with nearly 80,000 projects participating in LEED across 162 countries as of 2016. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings, homes, and neighborhoods with the goal to help building owners and operators be more environmentally responsible and use resources more efficiently.
The focus of the Spring 2021 study group will be the LEED Green Associate curriculum. The material is fairly non-technical and was created by USGBC to help educate professionals who want to have a fundamental understanding of green building practices. The coursework focuses on the LEED project process (including integrated design), core sustainability concepts, green building terminology, and various aspects of the LEED rating system. Cohort participants who apply themselves to learning the material and completing all study group objectives will be well prepared to take the LEED Green Associate certification exam if they desire to do so. Taking the exam is not an expectation for study group participation.
The study group will meet virtually using Zoom for a total of 8 sessions of 2 hours each, with session dates and times to be determined by cohort member's availability. In addition to attending all study group sessions, participants are expected to fully prepare for each session by completing all assigned tasks, the majority of which will be reading through and understanding the course materials. The format for the study group is a co-teaching model where participants will be divided into groups with each group responsible for leading an assigned section of the coursework.
Registration is first come, first served, so make sure to sign up early!
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