Introduction:
GSA LEED Applications Guide
Background & Purpose
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is
The process also illustrates how LEED criteria
one of the largest building owners and managers in
relate to existing GSA mandates, performance
the nation, responsible for the construction,
goals, and programmatic requirements.
operation, and maintenance of various federal
While first cost will not be the sole basis for
facilities, including courthouses, office buildings,
assessing LEED credits and developing a project's
land ports of entry, and research facilities. In
overall "green" goals, the process defined in the
response to federal government mandates
Applications Guide can assist project teams in
(including Executive Order 13123--Greening the
separating the no-cost/low-cost "low-hanging
Government through Efficient Energy
fruit" from the moderate and high-cost measures
Management), and as a matter of agency policy,
that require more detailed design investigations and
GSA actively promotes a value-driven building
cost/benefit analyses. Overall, the Applications
design process that emphasizes design excellence,
Guide is intended as a tool to assist project teams in
user satisfaction, reduced operating costs, and
planning and budgeting for LEED in the earliest
environmental responsibility.
stages of the design process. By engaging the
Through the Facilities Standards for the Public Buildings
LEED evaluation process early, project teams have
the greatest opportunity to pursue integrated
Sustainability and Energy Performance as basic
design solutions that can deliver life-cycle cost-
tenets of their General Design Philosophy. As a
effective, environmentally responsible, high-
means of evaluating and measuring achievements
performance buildings.
in sustainable design, GSA uses the Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green
Building Rating System of the U.S. Green Building
Council. Since fiscal year 2000, GSA has mandated
that all of its new construction and major
modernization projects attain, at minimum, a
LEED Certified rating, while striving for LEED
Silver. Certain projects have even achieved a
LEED Gold rating.
In support of GSA's commitment to the LEED
program, this GSA LEED Applications Guide has
been created to assist GSA Project Managers and
their design teams in developing focused, value-
driven, and cost-effective approaches to meeting
GSA's LEED mandate. This Applications Guide,
which is a companion document to the GSA
Figure 1. Nathaniel R. Jones Federal Building and United
LEED Cost Study, outlines an evaluation process in
States Courthouse, Youngstown, Ohio (LEED Certified Rating)
which the predicted first cost impacts of the
Architect: Robert A.M. Stern Architects
individual LEED prerequisites and credits
(developed from the Cost Study) are used as a basis
for structuring an overall LEED project approach.
GSA LEED APPLICATIONS GUIDE
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