One of the first LEED qualified buildings, and the first LEED skyscraper in New York, is  the 7 World Trade tower.

(Building Exterior - Wired New York)

As I mentioned in my previous LEED post, using natural light and resources is a big part of creating a LEED building, and 7 World Trade does just that with its design. The exterior of the building involves lots of windows and glass that let’s in light. The design encompasses clear, low-iron glass which allows for lots of interior light and reflectivity. There is a layer of stainless steel spandrels behind the glass to help reflect all the sunlight coming in through the ultra-clear glass.

(Plaza at 7 Wolrd Trade via Wired New York)

The building also focuses on using recycled materials. Thirty percent of the structural steel from the building is from recycled steel sources. For the interior, recycled materials were used for insulation and various other projects.

The building attempts to lessen its impact by being incredibly conscious of resource use. There is a large park and green area around the building for public use which is watered from collected rainwater. The collected rainwater is also used to cool the building. Steam from the heating system of the building is reused to generate some power for the building too. Tenants of the building have their individual power use metered to encourage them to conserve what resources they are using.

(Building Interior - Wikipedia)

A friend of mine happens to work in the building, and, by all of his account the building is spectacular. He always talks about the big windows and how beautiful the building is, it’s actually a place he looks forward to going to everyday, and ultimately I think that’s what I like about LEED. It’s about making spaces that make humans glad to be there. 

The first in a two part series on LEED requirements for homes.

Part One: Ever wondered what the acronym LEED means? Learn what these guidelines are, and how they are forging the way for a new philosophy in urban planning, green building, and how we live.

Have you ever heard of LEED?

I’d heard of it and seen it in ads for new buildings trying to prove their “green-ness”, but I didn’t really know what it was, let alone what it would mean for me.

But then, a few weeks ago I was talking to an engineer friend when he happened to mention he was working towards being a certified LEED member.

Talking about LEED with this friend, he shed some light on what exactly the government entity really does. The more I looked into it the more I realized LEED really is relevant to the everyday homeowner.

LEED is an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a set of guidelines made by the government to create a benchmark standard for green building.

Sure, some of the guidelines are just complicated technical things, but what really interested me about it was how many of the guidelines were very simple and encompassed issues beyond just the construction world – it’s more involved in creating a shift in philosophy, a philosophy that is moving towards making buildings and communities that are move livable and useable for everyone.

Here are some aspects of the LEED guidelines that interested me the most:

Home Placement for Better Living and Protection of Land

Many of the guidelines refer to the placement of homes. This can involve many aspects of the location and the site including protecting the surrounding land by not disturbing prime soils or endangered species.

Meeting LEED requirements also calls for home sites to be placed in socially and environmentally responsible ways in relation to the larger community.  Basically this means you want to place your home near already existing resources and infrastructure. Living in an existing neighborhood with close grocery stores, libraries, and churches is good for you because it means you can live a lifestyle where you can walk, bike or take convenient public transportation to things without getting into your car and having to drive. Which for me, would definitely improve my quality of life! And save resources!

Creating Connections with the Outdoors and Maximizing Free Resources

Another LEED guideline is to use materials and building techniques that maximize energy efficiency. In itself this is always smart whether your house is LEED certified or not. One way that LEED emphasizes energy efficiency with smart building design is illustrated by their use of windows.

(LEED LivingHome featured in Dwell Magazine)

By installing windows that maximize solar intake you don’t have to use electric lighting as much as you would in a home with few windows. It can also help in winter by encouraging daylighting, or passive heating, from the sun. But the benefits aren’t just about reducing your energy usage. 

I have always been happiest in homes which I describe as being “flooded in light.” Homes that have big windows that let in lots of natural light make your home feel bigger, more airy, and allows for people to feel a connection with the outdoors which can often be lost in the day to day shuffle of life. Using natural light in home design seems like a no-brainer, since ultimately the more sunshine a person gets, the happier they tend to be. 

Friday: Part 2 – A look at the first LEED Building: 7 World Trade