Many of our clients are interested in exploring green construction for their projects. Defined as environmentally responsible building that uses resources efficiently, certification in this area is overseen by the U.S. Green Building Council and their LEED standards program. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design.
The process starts with credentialing design and construction professionals on green building standards. As the process is involved, consultants are often retained to advise in both the design and construction phase. Naturally, this does add cost for the developer/owner. LEED is a stepped point system that ranges from “LEED certified” to “LEED Platinum” on the top end.
Developers of Class A office buildings often seek LEED certification because they believe it attracts corporate tenants willing to pay a premium for the association with green building design and construction. For owner/developer Sheryl Dickey, principal of Dickey Consulting Services, a project management, public/government relations, and economic development consulting firm in Fort Lauderdale, we built a two-story LEED Silver building, the Midtown Arts and Business Center. Located in the Midtown Historic District just north of downtown, this flexible entertainment space is being marketed to the arts community as performance, rehearsal, gallery and special events space.