The national conference known as Greenbuild is set for Washington DC this year on November 18th-20th. Greenbuild focuses on promoting environmentally sustainable buildings and designs, along with educating professionals in the building community on the importance of Green architecture. The event has 500 speakers scheduled over its three days, and also features Green building tours and LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) workshops. Greenbuild works towards a goal of having an increasing percentage of new buildings made within LEED standards over time, and its conference seeks to explain the benefits of LEED, along with the broader picture of how Green buildings and architecture can bring advantages to cities and communities across the country. One of the most important LEED materials is steel, given its overall strength as a material and its ease in being recycled and perforated into custom designs. Building designers with a strong knowledge of LEED and steel stand to gain a considerable amount of both prestige and financial returns by meeting the proper requirements.
LEED is a certification set up by the U.S. Green Buildings Council that buildings can seek to earn in order to assure the owners that they are meeting a worldwide standard in sustainable building. Additionally, there are also secondary benefits, including receiving specialized government tax rebates and wider zoning allowances.
LEED certifications consists of 4 levels depending on how many points a building projects earns given LEED’s credit system. The categories include the following:
• Location and Transportation
• Materials and Resources
• Water Efficiency
• Energy and Atmosphere
• Sustainable Sites
• Indoor Environmental Quality
• Innovation
• Regional Priority Credits
The more credits a building receives through these categories, the higher the level it will achieve for LEED certification. The levels include Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Receiving a higher level earns the building an increased status within the Green community, and additional opportunities for tax and zoning allowances.
Greenbuild takes the LEED certification process one step further by making it real for participants who attend the conference. While it is one thing to read about LEED in a brochure or a website, it is another thing completely to witness the functionality of a true Green building in action. The conference provides a fun and educational environment that allows like-minded professionals to network and learn from each other.
When going to Greenbuild, keep an eye out for perforated steel on the building tours, as it is an ideal material to meet the rigorous LEED requirements. Perforated steel provides strength, flexibility, and ease of recycling for use in all Green construction projects. As the largest steel perforator in the country, Diamond Manufacturing is more than capable of matching the precise specifications needed for Green architecture. Before making your way to Washington DC to attend Greenbuild, make sure to reach out to Diamond Manufacturing in order to get all the information you need to proceed confidently with LEED!
