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Colorado Ranks Sixth in U.S. for LEED Green Building in 2018

Jones Hall at the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind achieved LEED Gold. Photo courtesy of RTA Architects.

DENVER — The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has released its annual list of Top 10 States for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), the world’s most widely used green building rating system. Colorado came in at number six on the list, which ranks states based on the number of LEED certified square feet per person. Colorado has made the Top 10 States list every year since the rankings were introduced in 2010.

“Over the past 25 years, the U.S. Green Building Council, its member companies and the green building community have come together to make our planet stronger, greener and more sustainable through LEED,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO, USGBC. “These Top 10 states are examples of how we can create lasting, measurable change and improve the quality of life for everyone in our communities. A better future requires a universal living standard that leaves no one behind—and that future would simply not be possible without the extraordinary work being done in these states.”

The states that made this year’s Top 10 are home to 128 million Americans, and the more than 1,800 buildings that certified in 2018 represent more than 468 million gross square feet of space. Buildings that are LEED-certified create healthier spaces for people, as well as use less energy and water, reduce carbon emissions and save money for families, businesses and taxpayers.

Colorado was ranked number 10 in 2017, but jumped four spots to number six in 2018. The efforts of private businesses and building owners across Colorado, in addition to new policies meant to encourage sustainable development, contributed to the certification of nearly 40 more buildings in the state in 2018 than in the previous year. Colorado certified 114 green buildings in 2018, representing 3.39 square feet of LEED-certified space per person.

Notable projects certified in Colorado in 2018 include:

  • Hudson Town Hall, LEED Gold, which considered the health impact the new building could have on residents and emphasized the use of low-emitting materials to ensure superior indoor air quality for occupants, visitors and the construction team. In addition, the design promoted resource conservation and included the installation of an irrigation system that saves nearly 63,000 more gallons of water a year; and
  • Jones Hall at the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind, LEED Gold, a historic building that achieved LEED Gold and provides a place for visiting families to stay as well as a repository of resources for students across the state;

“LEED project teams across Colorado work hard to document and verify green building strategies that reduce carbon emissions, preserve natural resources and protect human health,” said Patti Mason, regional director at USGBC. “We hope that with the evolution of LEED and the dedication of our USGBC members, we can continue to bring the benefits of green buildings to all communities and to all buildings. I could not be more proud of this achievement.”

 

 

 

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