LEED administrators are concerned about a small group of developers or project owners who tout their projects as “LEED pre-certified” and then fail to follow through with certification.
A report by The New England Center for Investigative Reporting cites a bronze wall plaque in the lobby of a 500,000 sf Massachusetts office building featuring a USGBC logo. The building has hallway posters highlighting the building’s green features with the logo “LEED Gold pre-certified.”
The office complex is not certified by USGBC. The developer decided not to go through the certification process just to obtain “a piece of paper.” The developer says that the building was built as “green” as if it were certified.
The report says that limited USGBC oversight allows developers to misappropriate the LEED brand. Some use misleading advertising that can deceive renters or buyers by exaggerating a project’s LEED certification status or by obscuring the lack of one, the report says.
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| Aug 11, 2010
Best AEC Firms of 2011/12
Later this year, we will launch Best AEC Firms 2012. We’re looking for firms that create truly positive workplaces for their AEC professionals and support staff. Keep an eye on this page for entry information. +