Today, “going green” involves far more than just recycling plastics and turning off the lights before leaving a room. With a growing emphasis placed on environmental preservation, construction companies are feeling the pressure to be as environmentally conscious as possible. This has led to the formation of many industry standards and certifications, one of which being LEED. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a certification developed by the United States Green Building Council to set a standardized goal for “green” building that can be applied to any and all types of construction projects.
LEED is the most widely used third-party verification for green buildings, with over 2 million square feet being certified daily. LEED has four different certification levels: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The certifications are awarded based on a point system. The number of points a construction project receives indicates which level of certification it is awarded.
There are many benefits to LEED certified construction. Not only does the construction have to be done efficiently, but the internal functions of the building generally tend to be more efficient as well. The buildings usually feature things like energy efficient windows, lighting, HVAC systems, and appliances. LEED certified homes also feature things like low-flow faucets. These energy savings cause the building to have less of an impact on the environment, and also lead to cost savings.
Chris-Tel Construction is very committed to environmental conservation. Many of our projects, including office buildings, schools, recreation centers, and residential projects have received LEED certifications. Chris-Tel has worked on many renovations of run-down, low income housing to make the buildings more energy efficient. This, in turn, has made the housing even more affordable for those that live there. This not only leads to less of an environmental impact, but also serves as a motivator for the surrounding community to follow in Chris-Tel’s footsteps.
One of our low-income housing renovations was the Broadway Apartment renovation. The apartment buildings were abandoned in the early 2000s, and renovation work began on them in late 2011. In the renovation process, many environmentally-conscious considerations were implemented. Once completed, the Broadway Apartments received a LEED Platinum for Homes certification. This project was the first in Florida to receive this honor. At Chris-Tel Construction, we are proud to be the leaders in LEED Certified building.