LEED certification from the USGBC has done more to promote sustainable building practices in the US than any other force of the last decade. For some, the LEED program is indeed the equivalent of green building and design. So if LEED is the future and is a value add for clients shouldn’t architects and engineers advocate for certification? Recently, Stephen Del Percio outlined this argument in his blog post he pits two schools of thought against one another. The first is advocated by green building rock star Jerry Yudelson, who this past September gave two keynotes at a event sponsored by Central Texas Green Building Council. As quoted in the press release Yudelson presented the following:

clear evidence that high-level green outcomes add significant value to buildings.

“...What part of a 30 percent increase in value from LEED certification is hard to communicate?...You are doing your clients a disservice by letting them build projects without LEED certification,’ he said. ‘It almost amounts to dereliction of your duty as professionals....”

These quotes demonstrate Mr. Yudelson’s clear belief that it is the responsibility of architects and designers to advocate for LEED certification, under the guise that it is a clear value-add when designing a new building.

For his part, in the same blog post Del Percio, discusses why attorneys caution against such advocacy:

First, the design professional who functions as an advocate, extolling the promises of increased energy efficiency, asset values, and rental premiums of LEED-certified buildings is creating a corresponding high expectation in the eyes of his or her client.

...insurance coverage implications of the Energy Ace LEED certification “guarantee.” Unbridled green building advocacy could also provide an insurance carrier with the argument that the design professional has provided the functional equivalent of a guarantee- either LEED certification, performance, or otherwise- that might give the carrier grounds to deny coverage for negligence claims arising out of the project...

Build2Sustain’s blog always seeks to explore the issues important design/build pros. We feel it’s important to drill into these issues in more depth. So we’ve asked Stephen Del Percio and Shari Shapiro to be part of our first ever podcast. The podcast will discuss green certification and managing client expectation. We’re thrilled to be recording the podcast later this week for release next month.

In the meantime, we throw the comment section open to you. Architects-do you advocate for LEED certification in your design practice? Attorneys, what are the risks involved to advocating green building practices broadly and certification specifically? The best comments and questions will be used in our discussion with Stephen and Shari later this week.