Why LEED Matters

Green buildings help us be more productive and fulfilled in the workplace.

My journey with the LEED green building rating system, started back in 2007 when I pivoted from the film industry to take a community position with the U.S. Green Building Council in Washington, D.C.  (USGBC) I chose USGBC because they were a growing NGO with an entrepreneurial spirit and a compelling vision that buildings & communities will sustain the health of all life. I had lifelong asthma and also suspected that my Dad had gotten his lung cancer from a toxic DC government building, and knew intrinsically that green buildings were better for us. Moving to the LEED Platinum USGBC office ended up radically changing my health for the better. Within weeks of starting my job, I never had to pick up an inhaler again. I had personal proof that green buildings were better for people. And most importantly, I knew that I had made the right career choice and that I had found my “why”.  

But many Americans who are not part of the architectural design community have yet to have this epiphany around the imperative for green buildings, not only as a solution for our health, but as a critical tool to combat climate change. Not all of us have experienced the benefits of green buildings, so how can we know until we experience them? We just announced our LEED Gold certification for my coworking business’ flagship space, and my members feel the inherent benefits on a daily basis. They are healthier and more productive, and the space just feels good. They often tell me that they chose to work out of Good Coworking because they want to do the right thing for themselves and the environment, and are grateful to have this choice in Dallas. 

We have so much more work to do as green building advocates and educators. When the rest of us, those who simply live, learn and work in buildings, demand green buildings, developers will start to see that the risk/reward will be justified. Currently, those in the commercial real estate sector know that green buildings are important, but most continue to prioritize profits, utilizing less eco-friendly materials and practices.  The built environment accounts for close to 50% of total carbon emissions globally, so pushing to be net zero (or even net positive,) in design and construction is absolutely critical for us to reach global climate goals. The architectural design community is mostly on board, and The American Institute for Architects (AIA) is pushing their Architecture 2030 challenge. There is also a bleeding edge choice for design innovators, the Living Building Challenge by the Living Future Institute. Taking the health of building occupiers to the next level, and helping buildings optimize their human and social capital is the WELL rating system.

How do those of us “in the know” create these green building epiphanies for others? For starters, USGBC, The Living Future Institute and IWBI must create more advertising and storytelling campaigns around the benefits of healthy buildings. We cannot assume that everyone already gets it. IWBI did launch a celebrity TV campaign for their WELL Health-Safety Seal during the pandemic, which is an incredible start. I want to see more of this, so that we can start to reach more people and make LEED and other key rating systems a household name. 

And those of us who have businesses that lease commercial space, can ask building owners for LEED certification when we look for office and coworking spaces to lease. LEED is a great option both for existing buildings and new construction, and has applications for many types of projects, such as homes, neighborhoods, retail, hospitality, data centers, warehouses & distribution centers and healthcare.

I also challenge my fellow coworking operators to do what you can to push your landlords to add healthy building features, even if they aren’t pursuing LEED. Also, a few things that can be done by you as occupants include organic coffee and condiments, healthier snacks with less sugar, green cleaning practices, filtered water, enhanced lighting and access to views of nature, and live plants. You can also eliminate your single use plastic footprint and choose reusable cutlery, plates and mugs. SUPER certification is a new, affordable tool to make your workplace truly plastic free and to tell that story to others.

I am committed to being a resource for the rapidly growing coworking / flex workspace industry and to support creating the education and tools to make this happen. Innovators and creatives are occupying our spaces, so we are reaching other changemakers when we provide a healthy, eco-friendly place to work. And I hope we further inspire our members and guests to demand green buildings for their future offices and other third spaces. 

I’d be remiss if I didn’t address the elephant in the room when it comes to the topic of green buildings. Over the years, LEED has gotten mostly unwarranted criticism, either for being not rigorous enough, or being too costly. But what about the cost implications of ignoring the health of our indoor spaces, where we spend 90% of our time as Americans? There are many compelling reasons to go the extra mile to pursue LEED certification. First of all, a rigorous third party certification ensures that corners are not cut during design and construction, and that the building will perform as intended, both from a health and energy perspective. Certification benefits go way beyond a coveted plaque on the wall, a higher property value, and lower operating costs, and there are studies to back that up. Students learn better in LEED certified schools and adults are more productive and healthy in LEED certified workspaces. It isn’t a huge leap to conclude that those benefiting from green buildings are then able to affect more change in their community and contribute more to our economy as a whole. It is readily evident in fewer sick days taken and lower health care costs, and the benefits don’t stop there. 

I am not the foremost technical expert in green buildings, but I am someone who walks the talk and can speak to the profound benefits that they had on my health and well-being. I encourage others like myself who are not building practitioners to learn more about why green buildings are so important, and when possible, choose to work, learn and live in these spaces, and demand them from your landlord. Not everyone is in a stable economic environment, or has the luxury of making these choices, so those of us who do have the power to choose, must do the right thing in order to effect change. I look forward to a future where there are green buildings for all.