GSA Moves to LEED Gold for All New Federal Buildings and Major Renovations

Agency's higher green building standards help deliver on President's push for sustainability.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. General Services Administration's upgraded requirement for LEED Gold certification as a minimum in all new federal building construction and substantial renovation projects will move the government's federal inventory into a more sustainable future. By using the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Green Building Rating System established by the U.S. Green Building Council, GSA can evaluate and measure achievements in sustainable design.

"Sustainable, better-performing federal buildings can significantly contribute to reducing the government's environmental footprint," said Robert A. Peck, GSA's Commissioner of Public Buildings. "This new requirement is just one of the many ways we're greening the federal real estate inventory to help deliver on President Obama's commitment to increase sustainability and energy efficiency across government."

With a portfolio of more than 361 million square feet of space in 9,600 federally owned and leased facilities, GSA's goal is to provide sustainable, healthier, more productive workspaces for the federal workforce, while being a responsible asset manager using taxpayer dollars wisely.

For projects funded prior to FY 2010 that are in design, GSA is requiring that LEED Gold be incorporated into ongoing designs where possible, after considering budget and schedule constraints on the current design and construction contracts. GSA's Facilities Standards will be updated to reflect these changes by the end of calendar year 2010. For GSA's leased properties, the requirement remains at the LEED Silver certification for new construction lease projects of 10,000 square feet or more. For leases in existing buildings, LEED for Commercial Interiors is optional, at the request of the tenant agencies.

For more information, visit gsa.gov/sustainabledesign.

As the federal government's workplace solutions provider, the U.S. General Services Administration works to foster an effective, sustainable and transparent government for the American people. GSA's expertise in government workplace solutions include:

• Effective management of government assets including more than 9,600 government-owned or leased buildings and 210,000 vehicles in the federal fleet, and preservation of historic federal properties;
• Leveraging the government's buying power through responsible acquisition of products and services making up more than 11 percent of the government's total procurement dollars;
• Providing innovative technology solutions to enhance government efficiency and increase citizen engagement; and,
• Promoting responsible use of federal resources through development of governmentwide policies ranging from federal travel to property and management practices.

SOURCE U.S. General Services Administration