thisbigcity:

With sustainability an increasingly important factor in decision-making, building developments are less likely to be driven by economic gain alone. To be considered truly sustainable, social, environmental and economic needs must be taken into account. However, achieving comprehensive sustainability is complex, resulting in numerous tools emerging for a sustainable built environment and beyond. Here are five of them:

1. BREEAM

The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) is an environmental rating scheme that awards credits based on sustainability considerations. On completion of a review by a BREEAM accredited assessor, a building can be awarded Pass, Good, Very Good, Excellent, or Outstanding rating. British in origin, the scheme has inspired international equivalents.

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LEED buildings don’t work on their own. Employee education is key.

Well, this is timely. Just yesterday, I wrote an article about consumer relationships to their green homes, pointing out the education gap that contractors should fill. It appears that the federal government already decided it was a good idea to educate users on how green buildings function.
 

According to the Federal Times, the House and Senate have each passed a piece of legislation that requires certification of employees who manage federal green buildings. The 2010 Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act requires the General Services Administration to identify the “core skills needed to manage a federal building” and to create a certification process for employees.

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ragtag:

IS IT GREEN?: Las Vegas CityCenter

It looks great but in the desert can anything be green and sustainable? Six LEED Gold certificates - does it call in to question the criteria for LEED?