PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE 3

GREEN BUI LDI NG S YS TEMS & ACCREDI TATI ON

DANIELLA MARIE M. FELICIANO

ARC43
PART 1
12 GREEN BUILDING SYSTEMS
 LEED
In April 1993, Rick Fedrizzi, David Gottfried and Mike Italiano convened
representatives from 60 firms and several non-profits in the American
Institute of Architects’ boardroom for the founding meeting. Then, ideas were LEADERSHIP IN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN
shared for an open and balanced coalition spanning the entire building
industry and for a green building rating system, which would later become
LEED.

LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a green building

certification system used in the United States. Managed by the United States.
The Green Building Council's building rating system is completed by on-site
or third-party verification. This certification program accepts applications from
a variety of building types, including new construction, existing structures,
houses, and communities. LEED has four certification levels: certified, silver,
gold, and platinum.

LEED focuses on nine areas: location and mobility, sustainable sites, water
efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor
environmental quality, innovation, regional priorities, and integrated
processes. The LEED certification program seeks to ensure that buildings use
their resources more efficiently and provide a safe environment for all
inhabitants throughout their life cycle. As of 2019, there were 80,000
registered projects, with 32,500 having completed the certification procedure.
Intel Corp., Colgate-Palmotive, Mars Inc., and Method Southside Soapbox
Factory are among the most prominent LEED certification holders. In April
1993, Rick Fedrizzi, David Gottfried and Mike Italiano convened representatives
from 60 firms and several non-profits in the American Institute of Architects’
boardroom for the founding meeting. Then, ideas were shared for an open
and balanced coalition spanning the entire building industry and for a green
building rating system, which would later become LEED.
 WELL
The WELL Building Standard began in 2013 by Paul Scialla of Delos company,
becoming the first well-being standard focused, administered by the
International WELL Building Institute (IWBI). Green Business Certification
Inc. from LEED certification is a third-party certified WELL. By the 2016, over
200 projects in 21 countries adopted the certification.

WELL is a building certification program managed by the International

WELL Building Institute (IWBI). WELL focuses mostly on building design
attributes that impact occupant health and well-being. WELL evaluates
buildings on 11 concepts: air, water, nourishment, light, movement, thermal
comfort, sound, materials, mind, community, and innovation. This green
building system features a few preconditions or prerequisites to completing
a WELL certification. Like LEED, WELL can be used for a wide variety of
building and building spaces. As of 2019, 3865 projects were registered, and
232 had earned their WELL certification. Top users of WELL include Wells
Fargo, EY, Deloitte, Lenovo, and Fandango. There are two types of
certifications, the WELL Certification for Owner-occupied and the WELL Core
Certification. The WELL Core is for the building that provide tenant
occupation more than 75%, and not needed to achieve minimum points
from every subjects. The WELL Silver, Gold, and Platinum level must achieve
at least 1, 2, and 3 points per subject, but the WELL Bronze has no minimum
points' rule. For WELL core, there are no minimum point.
 FITWEL
Fitwel is a certification system and proptech platform that positively impacts
health through an integrated approach to the design and operations of real
estate assets. Fitwel's vision for the future is one where every building and
community is enhanced to support the well-being of its occupants. Originally
developed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and
the General Services Administration (GSA), in 2016 the Center for Active
Design became the exclusive operator of Fitwel.

Fitwel focuses on the health and wellbeing of the building occupants as well
as the surrounding community. However, FitWel does not have any
prerequisites for completing this green building certification program. Like
the previously mentioned programs, FitWel can also be used in a variety of
building types and spaces. FitWel focuses on location, building access,
outdoor spaces, entrances, stairs, indoor environment, workspaces, shared
spaces, water supply, cafeterias and prepared food areas, vending machines
and snack bars, and emergency procedures. As of 2019, 840 were registered,
and 240 had completed their FitWel certification. Top users of FitWel include
Skanska Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc., and the Tower Companies.

The Fitwel standard includes 70+ evidence-based design and operational

strategies that enhance buildings and sites by addressing a broad range of
health behaviors and risks. The seven Health Impact Categories (HICs) that
make up the Fitwel building and site certification standard cover a range of
holistic health impacts, including:
Impacts Surrounding Community Health
Reduces Morbidity and Absenteeism
Supports Social Equity for Vulnerable Populations
Instills Feelings of Well-being
Enhances Access to Healthy Foods
Promotes Occupant Safety
Increases Physical Activity
 GREEN
The Green Globe International Standard for Sustainable Tourism has been
developed over three decades in collaboration with the travel and tourism
industry, communities in tourism destinations and other stakeholders. Our
Standard is recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and
Green Globe is an Affiliate Member of the United Nations World Tourism
GLOBES
Organisation UNWTO. The Origin of Green Globes, similar to LEED and
many other systems around the world was BREEAM, developed in the UK in
the late 1980's.

Green Globes is a building rating system used in the US and Canada. Green
Globes is structured so that it can be done as a self-assessment in-house
with the project manager and design team. It uses a questionnaire that is
aimed at helping the user make changes to complete the certification. Like
FitWel, there are no prerequisites to complete this certification. Like LEED,
Green Globes has four levels of certification. Green Globes can be used in
new construction, existing buildings, and commercial interiors. This
certification program focuses on energy usage, water, waste management,
emissions, indoor environment, and environmental management.
 BREEAM
BREEM, or the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment
Method, is the oldest green building rating system. Created in 1990, it has
since certified projects in over 50 countries, has over 560,000 certified
projects, and over 2 million registered. This green building rating system is
measured across 9 categories: management, health and well-being,
transport, water, materials, land use and ecology, and pollution. BREEAM is
aimed at making buildings more sustainable, as well as improving building
performance and efficiency. Many other green building certification
programs, including Green Globes, were inspired by the ideas and
innovations of BREEAM. Top users of BREEAM include Futurebuild and
Overbury.

A BREEAM assessment uses recognised measures of performance, which are

set against established benchmarks, to evaluate a building’s specification,
design, construction and use. The measures used represent a broad range of
categories and criteria from energy to ecology. Each category focuses on the
most influential factors, including reduced carbon emissions, low impact
design, adaptation to climate change, ecological value and biodiversity
protection.
Integrating sustainability measures at the earliest possible stage of a project
using the BREEAM framework enables reduced life cycle costs and increases
in asset value, building user experience and health, corporate image and CSR
requirements, and risk mitigation.
 DGNB
DGNB, a green building certification program created by the German
Sustainable Building Council, focuses on promoting sustainable
building practices across Europe. Objectives include reducing resource DEUTSCHE GESELLSCHAFT FÜR NACHHALTIGES BAUEN
consumption, minimizing environmental impact, enhancing occupant
comfort and well-being, and fostering long-term economic viability.

DGNB uses a holistic approach with an emphasis on performance.

DGNB certification involves a structured assessment process that
evaluates various aspects of a building's sustainability, including site
selection, energy efficiency, materials used, indoor environmental
quality, and lifecycle performance.

This green building rating system

has three levels of certification,
platinum, gold, and silver. For this
certification program, buildings are
evaluated on ecological quality,
socio-cultural and function quality,
technical quality, and process
quality. As of December 2018, over
4800 buildings have eared a DGNB
certification. It is internationally
recognized and accreditation
ensures the credibility and reliability
of the certification process, providing
assurance to stakeholders

There are fees associated with DGNB certification, which cover the costs of
assessment, documentation, and administration. The fees vary depending on
the size, complexity, and type of building undergoing certification. However,
these fees are often considered an investment due to the long-term benefits
of sustainable building practices.
 Green Star
Green Star is an international sustainability reporting and rating
system, that is popular particularly in Australia and South Africa. All
Green Star categories include an innovation category that rewards
projects for creating and utilizing new approaches to sustainability.
Like the other certification programs on this list, Green Star can be
used in a variety of building types and is assessed in categories such as
indoor environmental air quality, energy, transportation, water,
materials, land use and ecology, and emissions. The main goal of Green
Star is to guide project teams to make conscious decisions regarding
energy usage and material selection. As of 2019, over 1450 projects had
completed the Green Star certification.

The certification process:

There may be chances where the rating may not be achieved after
Round 2 Assessment, so the following options are available:
Accept Final Score
New Certification Process
Credit-by-Credit Assessment
Appeal
 BCA Green
The BCA Green Mark scheme is developed and promoted by the
Building and Construction Authority (BCA) of Singapore in 2005. It
provides a comprehensive framework for assessing the overall
environmental performance of new and existing buildings to promote
sustainable design, and best practices in construction and operations
Mark
Scheme
in buildings.
It has a mission which states that “We transform the Built
Environment Sector and shape a livable and smart Built Environment
for Singapore.” The BCA leads the transformation of the built
environment sector through developing a highly competent
professional workforce, adopting productive and game-changing
technologies, and promoting the sector’s niche expertise overseas.

It underscores the collaboration among the government, unions, trade

associations and chambers, industry and institutes of higher learning,
all working together collectively to realize an advanced and integrated
built environment sector with progressive and collaborative firms well-
poised for both local and global business opportunities, and providing
good jobs for Singaporeans.

Those who can apply for this are the developers, building owners and
government agencies for new and existing buildings, districts, parks,
infrastructure and building interiors.
Key criteria:
Climatic responsive design
Building energy performance
Resources stewardship
Smart and healthy building
Advance green efforts
 BEAM PLUS
The Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC) is a non-profit,
member-led organization established in 2009 and has become a
public body under the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance since 2016. The LEADERSHIP IN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN
HKGBC strives to promote the standard and development of
sustainable buildings in Hong Kong. The HKGBC also aims to raise
green building awareness by engaging the government, the industry
and the public, and to develop practical solutions for Hong Kong’s
unique, subtropical built environment of high-rise, high density urban
area, leading Hong Kong to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and to
become a world’s exemplar of green building development.
It has 4 available ratings after completing a Provisional Assessment
(PA) or a Final Assessment (FA).
PROVISIONAL BRONZE / FINAL BRONZE
PROVISIONAL SILVER / FINAL SILVER
PROVISIONAL GOLD / FINAL GOLD
PROVISIONAL PLATINUM / FINAL PLATINUM

BEAM Plus New Buildings covers all types of new buildings, from
single buildings to large-scale development, regardless of whether
they are residential, commercial, industrial or other types. But for new
buildings, here are the assessment aspects:
Integrated Design and Construction Management (IDCM)
Health and Wellbeing (HWB)
Sustainable Sites (SS)
Materials and Waste (MWA)
Energy Use (EU)
Water Use (WU)
Innovations and Additions (IA)
CASBEE was launched in 2015 and can be used for both new construction
and existing buildings throughout Japan. Starting in 2005, earning a CASBEE
certification became mandatory in 24 Japanese municipalities. CASBEE
CASBEE
COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT SYSTEM FOR BUILD
moved internationally in 2014 when a building in Tianjin, China earned their ENERGY ENVIRONMENT EFFICIENCY
CASBEE certification. This program focuses on energy and resource
efficiency, and local and indoor environments. CASBEE was designed to
reduce the life cycle of resource use, as well as improve quality of life for
building occupants and the surrounding community. CASBEE labels
buildings with an overall environmental performance assessment rating
ranging from C through B-, B+, A and S, corresponding to areas divided
according to the line gradient. The ranks correspond to the assessment
expressions shown in the figure, using a number of stars for clarity.

BEE chart and ranking according to the BEE

value in CASBEE:
 GSAS
The Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) is the first integrated
and performance-based system in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
region. Representing green building regulations within Qatar Construction
Specifications, GSAS is aimed at improving the design, construction and
operations of buildings while also identifying sustainability challenges
specific to MENA’s built environment. GSAS framework draws best practices
adopted from 40 different rating systems known regionally and
internationally.
There are 18 certification schemes included and these are:
GSAS Districts Scheme, GSAS Neighborhood Scheme, GSAS Parks Scheme,
GSAS Offices Scheme, GSAS Commercial Scheme, Home, Residential,
Mosque, Hospitality, Light Industry, Education, Sports, Railways, Healthcare,
Interior, Renovation, Bespoke, and Energy Center SEER.

Certification fees vary for different schemes that may range from QR 1,000 -
QR 30,000.

GSAS CERTIFICATION AND PROJCT STAGES:

How to certify:
 MILJÖBYGGNAD
Miljöbyggnad, or Environmental Building in English, is a green
building certification program created by the Sweden Green Building
Council in 2010. Including both new construction and existing building
(ENVIRONMENTAL BUILDING)
pathways, buildings can earn gold, silver, or bronze certification levels.
Interesting, since water usage is not a threatened resource in Sweden,
there is no section regarding water efficiency. However, this program
focuses on indoor environmental quality, energy use, and material use.
Miljöbyggnad uses principles from LEED and BREEAM to develop its YAN MEANING SA ENGLISH POTA
certification attributes. Thus far, over 1000 buildings have received
Miljöbyggnad certification. Miljöbyggnad (MB) consists of two major
schemes: one for new construction, and one for existing buildings.
Projects that meet the requirements can be awarded certificates at
three levels: Gold, Silver, or Bronze. Since the standards of the MB
system are based on the Swedish Building Regulations, which govern
the entire country, it is applicable to all building projects in Sweden
since 2011.

There are only 15 indicators measured for certification, all of which

pertain directly to the building itself. The criteria can be clustered into
three different categories: Energy, Materials, and Indoor Environmental
Quality. During the procedure of Miljöbyggnad certifying, credits given
by indoor environment performance is around 60% of the total credits
which represents the main portion of building energy and
environmental performance.

To become a member, one must fill in the application form and send it
to their email. where their fee levels differ, based on the company’s
turn over, ranging from SEK 5,200 - SEK 72,800.
PART 2
6 GREEN BUILDING SYSTEMS
LEED

Unilever Bayanihan Project

Stop Over Building, 31st Street, Taguig City

Obtaining LEED Platinum certification in March 2017, the building received top points for energy
savings, sustainability, and water efficiency. Its green features include:
Quality views for 90% of occupied space
Daylight for 75% of occupied space
90% use of Energy Star equipment

Willis Tower, Chicago (LEED Gold)

Formerly the Sears Tower, which held the title of the tallest building in the world for a quarter-
century, Chicago’s iconic 108-story skyscraper received LEED Gold certification in 2018.
Undergoing a $500 million renovation at the time, Willis Tower made a number of significant
updates to reduce its carbon footprint, including installing high-efficiency lighting systems,
improving the building’s HVAC system, new air media, fan gearboxes, and fan blades on the
building’s 4 cooling towers, and installing low-flow units on over 450 sinks, 650 toilets and urinals,
which Willis Tower owner and manager EQ Office says will save 11 million gallons of water
consumption annually.
 Ras Bu Fontas Station
Global Sustainability Assessment System
CERTIFICATIONS:
GSAS DESIGN & BUILD
Rating: 4 STAR
Scheme: Railways
Certified on: Aug 14, 2023
Developer: Qatar Rail (QR)
Owner: Qatar Rail (QR)

GSAS CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT:
BEN VAN BERKEL
Rating: CLASS A
Scheme: Construction Site
Certified on: Sep 25, 2018
Developer: Qatar Rail (QR)
Owner: Qatar Rail (QR)

Doha Metro Network

Doha, Qatar 2012-2019
As part of the Qatar Integrated Railway Project, Doha now has its first-ever metro network, in
which one of the fastest driverless train systems in the world, reaching speeds of up to 100km/h,
transports passengers across the Qatari capital via 37 stations and three lines.

UNStudio was enlisted to work on the concept design and the 'Architectural Branding Manual',
in collaboration with the Qatar Rail's Architecture Department. The network’s design bridges
the past and future of Qatar. While drawing inspiration from regional architecture, it
simultaneously presents an effective vision of the future.

One of the key goals of the design is to encourage locals to use public transport. to
achieve this, the new stations strive to enhance the urban experience at the
pedestrian scale and build new habits for the Doha community.

Ben van berkel of UNStudio says: ‘we are going to move differently in the
future. mobility is changing fast, from the introduction of autonomous
vehicles to urban cable cars and the hyperloop. the mobility hubs of the
future have to respond to and cater to these changes. in order to encourage
the use of more sustainable forms of transport, these stations not only have
to ensure smooth passenger flows, but they need to truly appeal to the
public; to be places they want to visit and return to.’
 AL BIDDA TOWER
Global Sustainability Assessment System

CERTIFICATIONS:
GSAS OPERATIONS

Rating: PLATINUM
Scheme: Operations Premium
Certified on: Dec 30, 2019
Developer: Supreme Committee for
Delivery & Legacy (SC)
Owner: Supreme Committee for Delivery
& Legacy (SC)

Doha, Qatar (Completed in 2009)

Al Bidda Tower is a 43-storey landmark skyscraper situated on
the Doha Corniche and is one of the world's few twisted towers.
The unique spiraling structure is one of the outstanding
landmarks on the Doha skyline reflecting the modernization,
spirit and growth of Doha and Qatar as a whole.

DHA Designs worked alongside lead consultant GHD and Hill

International project management to design an exterior
lighting treatment for the facade from inside the building.
DHA Designs proposed an internal cove around the perimeter
of each floor plan, directly behind the glass curtain wall system,
to uplight the soffit above using a colour changing LED linear
light. Rather than try to illuminate the entire perimeter, DHA
Designs proposed shorter lengths of cove wherever the
architectural footprint changed direction, in order to
accentuate the twisted form of the building.
 Zuellig Building
ARCHITECTS: SKIDMORE, OWINGS AND MERRILL
W. V. COSCOLLUELA & ASSOCIATES

The Zuellig Building in Makati is a shining example

of sustainable architecture in the Philippines. This
iconic 33-floor, all-glass building has been awarded
the prestigious LEED Platinum certification, the
highest level of recognition for sustainable design
LEED CERTIFIED

and construction.
Zuellig building is a reflection of Philippine
architecture and upholds Filipino cultural identity.

Sun Life Centre

ARCHITECT: GFP ARCHITECTS

The Sun Life Centre, located in Taguig, is a prime

example of sustainable architecture and a shining
beacon of environmental stewardship. This
remarkable building has been awarded the
prestigious Gold LEED certification, which signifies its
commitment to energy efficiency, eco-friendly design,
and sustainable practices. With its innovative features
and forward-thinking approach, the Sun Life Centre
sets a new standard for environmentally conscious
buildings in the Philippines. Its design incorporates
construction and operational practices that combine
healthy, high-quality and high-performance
advantages with reduced environmental impacts
 Building and Construction Authority. (2023, August 28). Green Mark Certification Scheme | Building and Construction Authority.
BCA. Retrieved March 25, 2024, from https://www1.bca.gov.sg/buildsg/sustainability/green-mark-certification-scheme
Constructive Voices. (December, 2023 10). Philippines Top Green Buildings. Constructive Voices. Retrieved March 26, 2024, from
https://constructive-voices.com/philippines-top-green-buildings/
DNGB. (Ongoing). About the DGNB System. DGNB. Retrieved March 25, 2024, from https://www.dgnb.de/en/certification/important-
facts-about-dgnb-certification/about-the-dgnb-system
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