LEED Buildings on UK’s Campus

What is LEED?

As many of you may have seen, a majority of our buildings on campus feature a small LEED circle in the doorways of the main entrances. But what is LEED?

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is one of the most widely used building rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED certification provides a framework for healthy and efficent cost-saving buildings. The development of LEED buildings are essential in contributing to ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) standards. 

Green buildings are more important than ever, as they save money, improve efficiency, lower emissions, and create healthier spaces for people. These buildings have become critical in addressing climate change and meeting the ESG goals and creating more balanced communities.

LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainable accomplishment, and a proud achievement contributing to the makeup UK’s campus

How does LEED work?

To gain a LEED certificate, a building project earns points by following prerequisites that address carbon, energy, water, waste, transportation, materials, health, and indoor environment quality. 

Projects that go through the verification and review process are awarded points that correspond to a level of LEED certification: Certified (40-49 points), Silver (50-59 points), Gold (60-79 points), and Platinum (80+ points). 

Almost all of the new construction on campus aims to achieve LEED certification targets. In 2010 UK opened its first LEED certified facility, the Davis Marksbury Building. When current projects under construction, such as Whitehall and Scovell, are completed and certified, the university will have over 40 LEED buildings! Fourteen of these are new residence halls which are designed to be an average of 60% more efficient than their predecessors. 

Most of these high-performance buildings on UK’s campus can be identified by the LEED certification sticker in entryway doors.

Registered LEED Buildings on campus and certification status