LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program is a green and sustainable building framework that provides a series of metrics and performance targets to quantify the sustainable features of a building. This program was originally created in 1994 by the U.S. Green Building Council, who continue to oversee the implementation of the LEED program worldwide. In Canada, LEED traces its roots back to 2004, with the launch of the LEED Canada for New Construction and Major Renovations (LEED Canada-NC) system. Since then, the system has continuously evolved with new iterations, changes to sustainability metrics, and increased focus on specific building types.
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The 2009 version of LEED focuses on seven overarching categories of sustainability attributes:
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Sustainable Sites: focusing on physical location, alternative transportation, rainwater management, and minimizing ecological impacts
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Water Efficiency: focusing on water conservation, both inside and outside the building
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Energy and Atmosphere: focusing on the initial and ongoing energy performance of the building
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Materials and Resources: focusing on sustainable material sourcing and minimizing construction waste
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Indoor Environmental Quality: focusing on low-emitting products and a healthy indoor environment
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Innovation in Design: focusing on a holistic project delivery model and innovative sustainability initiatives outside of the LEED rating system
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Regional Priority: focusing on sustainability initiatives that resonate stronger given the project location
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While the Royal Inland Hospital Patient Care Tower is pursuing certification under the 2009 version of the LEED rating system, the newest version of LEED, version 4.1 released in 2019, continues to advance the sustainability initiative, focusing on supply chain accountability and transparency, building-specific sustainability metrics, and integrated project delivery.