Achieving LEED® Certification

LEED is a nationally-accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. The rating system assigns points in six main categories: Site Selection, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, and Innovation & Design Process. Buildings can earn Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum level certification, depending on the quantity and quality of measures pursued.

SWA has offered LEED services since 2000, when the U.S. Green Building Council first began to certify projects under this groundbreaking green building rating system. As the program has matured, the U.S. Green Building Council continues to release more sophisticated rating systems for various building types, accounting for the needs, limitations, and potential of different spaces.

LEED® for New Construction (and Major Renovations)™

The LEED for New Construction rating system is aimed at guiding new or majorly renovated commercial and institutional buildings toward high performance building choices.

As a leading practitioner of LEED support for commercial and institutional projects, SWA has participated in the successful certification of some of the highest profile LEED certified office, government, educational, cultural, and high-rise residential buildings in the U.S.

SWA customizes each client’s LEED support package to include complementary energy consulting work. Our goal is to maximize the time, effort and money that our clients put into developing their sustainable projects while minimizing complications, distractions, and waste.

For qualifying buildings, SWA also provides concurrent support for earning the ENERGY STAR®.

LEED® for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance™

LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance promotes higher building performance while cutting operating costs and improving indoor environmental quality for tenants and building staff. Owners and managers of existing building LEED projects recognize that new construction only represents 1% of the U.S. building stock, and that the average commercial building has a life of about 40 years. Rather than waiting around for the right moment to build a high performance building from the ground up, LEED for Existing Buildings: O&M clients choose to take action without delay—pursuing lower energy bills, longer building life, and the peace of mind that comes with high performance—in the buildings they already own and operate.

SWA guides our clients throughout the entire process of achieving LEED for Existing Buildings: O&M, including initial O&M review meetings, technical auditing, retro-commissioning, O&M policy implementation, and documentation. We also provide documentable training in all sectors (waste management, health and safety, policies, and engineering) for building owners, managers, project teams, and tenants.

For qualifying buildings, SWA also provides concurrent support for earning the ENERGY STAR. 

LEED® for Commercial Interiors™

LEED for Commercial Interiors certification empowers tenants to promote sustainable practices in the fit-outs of their spaces. Such clients are not typically involved with building construction or charged with operational decisions, and instead turn to SWA for LEED for Commercial Interiors guidance in designing healthy, productive, and energy-efficient interior spaces.

LEED® for Core and Shell™

LEED for Core and Shell certification empowers developers to employ sustainable design strategies specifically on the base building and project site area. It is an alternative for when developers are not able to build out interior spaces with specific tenant fit-outs in mind.

Unique to LEED for Core and Shell, among all the LEED rating systems, is the opportunity to “Pre-Certify” project plans. Developers and owners are thus given the capacity to promote a building that is still in development as a “LEED certified” project to prospective tenants.