How Do You Measure "Green?"

The term "LEED-certified" has become familiar to most people in the past several years, although the full impact of what it represents is less well known. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is the recognized standard for measuring building sustainability. Developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), a Washington D.C.-based, nonprofit coalition of building industry leaders, the LEED rating system promotes design and construction practices that increase profitability, reduce negative environmental impacts of buildings, and improve occupant health and well-being.

The LEED rating system offers four certification levels for new construction—Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum—which correspond to credits accrued in five categories: sustainable site, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. Achieving certification requires a rigorous, third-party commissioning process.

The Menlo Gateway site and building designs—exterior and interior—will contribute to achieving LEED certification. The project aims for LEED Gold certification for the office buildings and LEED Silver certification for the hotel and health club. In addition, guidelines are being established to help ensure green design for all interior improvements requested by tenants throughout the life of the buildings. A robust Transportation Demand Management program will further contribute to the project’s sustainability by providing local shuttle systems that connect to Cal Train stations in Menlo Park and Redwood City.

The LEED certification process helps ensure that Menlo Gateway will meet high levels of sustainability and become an asset to the community throughout its useful life.