What is LEED?
LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED is an internationally recognised certification system for sustainable buildings. Among other things, it assesses materials, resource efficiency, emissions and transparency throughout the entire construction process. The aim is to measurably reduce the environmental impact of buildings and to promote sustainable decision-making.
Further information
Official certification website (system provider):
https://www.usgbc.org/leed
European context (optional/in-depth):
https://www.german-gba.org/leed/
Certification is achieved via a points-based system: first, mandatory minimum requirements (prerequisites) must be met; thereafter, project-related credits can be selected, for example:
Use of at least 20 permanently installed products from 5 different manufacturers with verified LCA or EPD (Environmental Product Declarations) and certification/verification of the product’s material ingredients
One example is Microsoft Germany’s LEED-certified headquarters in Munich, which is fitted with our products.
©Picture: gguy – stock.adobe.com
What is BREEAM?
BREEAM – Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method. BREEAM is one of the oldest and most widely used sustainability certification schemes for buildings worldwide. It assesses environmental, social and economic aspects throughout a building’s entire life cycle – from design to operation.
More information
Official international website:
https://www.breeam.com/
BREEAM D‑A‑CH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland):
https://breeam.de/
Certification is based on a points system, with a greater emphasis on benchmarking and qualitative assessment. This enables design variants to be systematically compared, and the most environmentally sound solution can be justified in a transparent manner.
One example is the BREEAM-certified headquarters of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in Amsterdam, which is fitted with our products.
©Picture: Architects: Fokkema & Partners (Miss Marjan van Diepen)
What is WELL?
The WELL Building Standard focuses on the wellbeing and health of building occupants. Key assessment criteria include hygiene, material quality, durability and a healthy indoor environment.
More information
Official website of the scheme provider (International WELL Building Institute):
https://www.wellcertified.com/
German-language classification (optional):
https://www.german-gba.org/well/
Certification is achieved through mandatory preconditions and optional optimisations, supplemented by on-site measurements (e.g. air and water quality). Materials are assessed not primarily on the basis of their carbon footprint, but according to their impact on indoor health – for example, in terms of VOC emissions or cleaning requirements.
One example is the WELL Gold-certified DSTRCT.Berlin in Germany.
