The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released a new strategy, “Healthy People in Healthy Places Equals a Healthy Economy,” to use LEED to support buildings and communities in a post-pandemic world.
The program includes launching emergency guidance and upgrades to LEED to ensure that it reflects the realities that buildings and people inside them will face in the near future. “By helping everyone understand the role a LEED-certified building can have in creating healthy spaces, we can help rebuild public trust, stimulate the economy, and ultimately bring about a healthier standard of living for all,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, USGBC president and CEO.
USGBC will update current LEED strategies in LEED v4.1 that support indoor environmental quality, cleaning, occupant comfort, operations, better materials and risk management. The organization will introduce new LEED strategies including pilot credits to support social distancing, nontoxic surface cleaning, air quality, and infection monitoring.
Other USGBC initiatives include forming Regional CEO Advisory Councils to advise and support USGBC’s CEO on how the organization can prioritize sustainability in a post-pandemic world. It will also accelerate the implementation of its USGBC Equity program to better address the social, health, and economic disparities within communities.
USGBC plans to publish a series of best practice guidance reports to help project teams assist their occupants as they reenter their spaces.
Related Stories
| Nov 26, 2014
Cheyenne, Wyoming City Council kills downtown design standards proposal
The Cheyenne, Wyoming City Council voted down a measure that would have implemented design standards for new construction and building additions downtown.
| Nov 26, 2014
ASTM International develops first product category rules for asphalt roofing industry
The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA) and ASTM International have developed Product Category Rules (PCR) for asphalt roofing in North America.
| Nov 26, 2014
International Green Construction Code will include option for outcome-based approach
The outcome-based approach requires the building owner to provide the building’s utility bills for a 12-month period within three years.
| Nov 20, 2014
Pentagon is reviewing hospital construction standards
An independent review panel of military specialists met with healthcare leaders Nov. 12 to consider whether construction standards for medical centers should be strengthened to align with industry best practices.
| Nov 20, 2014
ConsensusDocs releases first standard agreement for commissioning contracting
The new standard contract provides a contractual vehicle for owners to save significant money from operation and maintenance costs regarding energy performance.
| Nov 20, 2014
Revamped zoning is transforming several New Jersey downtowns
The zoning policy shift could produce the biggest transformation of North New Jersey’s downtowns since the arrival of malls pulled shoppers away from town centers in the 1960s and 1970s.
| Nov 20, 2014
ANSI approves 2015 Wood-Frame Construction Manual standard
The American Wood Council's 2015 “Wood-Frame Construction Manual for One- and Two-Family Dwellings” (WFCM ) has been approved as an American National Standard by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
| Nov 17, 2014
AAMA releases new blast hazard mitigation specifications for vertical fenestration systems
This document provides a guide for manufacturers, architects/specifiers, contractors, and building owners for specifying types of systems and services to meet the requirements of blast hazard mitigation.
| Nov 17, 2014
National Roofing Contractors Assn. offers guide for LEED v4 provisions
National Roofing Contractors Association has released LEED v4: Roofing-related Provisions, a document that examines the roofing-related provisions of LEED v4.
| Nov 14, 2014
Army net-zero initiative moving past pilot stage
The U.S Army's ambitious net-zero initiative has had several successful pilot trials, and planners are prepared to expand the nine-part demonstration field to scores of other Army facilities.