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Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and internationally recognised to assess the environmental performance of buildings. Projects pursuing LEED certification earn points across several categories, including energy use, water efficiency, materials, air quality etc. Based on the total number of points achieved, a project then earns one of four LEED rating levels: Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum.
HOW LEED WORKS
LEED provides an independent third party certification that a building was designed and constructed using strategies aimed at an improved environmental performance in six (6) key areas known as credit categories. In addition to this, there are two (2) bonus categories “Innovation in Design” and “Regional Priorities” and an additional category “Integrative Process”. The LEED credit categories.
The abovementioned categories are further subdivided into prerequisites and credits. Prerequisites are mandatory requirements for a LEED certification while credits are weighted with points to reflect their potential environmental impacts; projects have the flexible options to target some LEED credits only.
A LEED assessment can be undertaken for every building typology during any stage of its life cycle. For Uptown Dubai Phase 1, the LEED assessment will be based on Building Design and Construction (BD+C) requirements: applicable to buildings which are being newly constructed or going through a major renovation.
WHY LEED?
Green buildings are built to be environmentally friendly in a variety of aspects and allow us to support the needs of today while being aware of and planning for the needs of future generations. The overall goals include balancing environmental responsibility, resource efficiency, occupant comfort and well-being, and community sensitivity resulting in a high-quality product that enhances marketability, may increase the productivity of occupants and contribute to creating a sustainable community.
Buildings and our built environment have tremendous impacts on us and our surroundings and over 80% of these impacts result from decisions made during the design process. According to the USGBC website (http://www.usgbc.org), in the United States alone, buildings account for over:
Thus by incorporating green concepts during the design phase of a building, we can contribute to the reduction of these environmental impacts and simultaneously create other economic and social benefits. These benefits include improving the quality of life, reducing operating costs, creating positive corporate images and improving productivity.
LEED-certified buildings have been proven to benefit in a number of ways. These include:
The Uptown Dubai Phase 1 development aims to achieve LEEDv4 Gold (i.e minimum of 60 LEED credit points under the Core and Shell Assessment). The design review of the project by the U.S. Green Building Council for LEED compliance will be undertaken after the detailed design stage of the project.
Measures incorporated within the development include;
LOCATION AND TRANSPORTATION
2. In addition to the pedestrian connections, bicycle storage areas and the development’s close proximity to nearby public transportation (bus & JLT
Metro) reduces the need to use cars for day-to-day activities to an extent. Uptown Dubai Phase 1 details a 42% reduction in car park space
provision in relation to LEED’s baseline figures.
3. 72 carpark spaces (5% of total space) are specifically designated for green vehicles and an additional 31 (2% of total space) spaces reserved for
electric cars with associated charging stations all across the development. Green vehicles are eco-friendly vehicles which run on alternative, low-
polluting, non-gasoline fuels such as electricity, hydrogen, propane, compressed natural gas, liquid natural gas, methanol, ethanol etc.
SUSTAINABLE SITES
WATER EFFICIENCY
ENERGY AND ATMOSPHERE
MATERIALS AND RESOURCES
INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
INNOVATION
REGIONAL PRIORITY
LEED regional priority credits aim to incentivize the achievement of LEED credits that address geographically specific environmental, social equity, and public health priorities. Due its location in the Middle East and by complying with measures of the following LEED credits (in accordance with LEED requirements), Uptown Dubai Phase 1 earns additional points for the following;