Greetings APUS Community
My name is Wesley Holmes and I will be your guide through the LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations Project Checklist. Building developments impact the environment by changing the physical characteristics of the landscape and ultimately influencing the natural processes of the area.
In the coming weeks we will review the literature concerning how the environment is impacted by development and how the USGBC credit criteria are intended to address these issues. The checklist is broken down into seven broad categories:
- Sustainable Sites
- Water Efficiency
- Energy and Atmosphere
- Materials and Resource
- Indoor Environmental Quality
- Innovation in Design
- Regional Priority
Within each category there are a number of potential credits to earn based on a variety of design and policy elements. These credits are intended to reduce the environmental impact of traditional development practices. Each week we will address a credit and review the literature surrounding the environmental issue the credit is intended to address. With some exceptions, the Credit Checklist largely parallels the process of designing and constructing a new building.
As much as possible these blog postings and the credits they address will parallel the development of the new Academic Center in Charles Town.
Tags: apus, Environmental Protection, LEED, sustainability
