On February 17 and 18, the Office of Sustainability partnered with the the U.S. Green Building Council’s MO Gateway Chapter to host a training course for nearly 20 Washington University staff and faculty, preparing them for taking the LEED Green Associate (GA) exam. Successfully passing the LEED GA exam signifies competence in green building and sustainability concepts, divided into seven categories:
- Location & Transportation
- Sustainable Sites
- Water Efficiency
- Energy & Atmosphere
- Materials & Resources
- Indoor Environmental Quality
- Innovation & Design Process
The LEED GA accreditation can be a “terminal” certification, or it can be the prerequisite to obtaining a LEED Accredited Professional credential in one of five specialty areas:
- Building Design & Construction
- Operations and Maintenance
- Interior Design & Construction
- Neighborhood Development
- Homes
Hosting this course on campus addresses an important objective within the 2015-2020 Strategic Plan for Sustainable Operations: Continue to enhance staff sustainability knowledge and skills in capital projects, operations and maintenance, and custodial and grounds teams. The specific strategy is to offer opportunities to gain green credentials, including LEED GA, LEED Accredited Professional, and IFMA Sustainability Facility Professional.
The positive dynamic of having numerous representatives from the teams that plan, design, build, and operate Washington University’s built environment was a primary benefit of hosting the course for WashU members. In addition to introducing and reinforcing the goals outlined within the Strategic Plan, stakeholders were able to discuss applications of green building concepts with tangible examples that were immediately applicable to participants’ work.
A second LEED GA exam prep course is being planned for April. If you are interested in enrolling, contact Cassandra Hage (chage22@wustl.edu) to receive an alert when registration is available.
To learn more about the U.S. Green Building Council and LEED credentials, click here.