LEED Certification

The BrightBuilt Barn has received a Platinum rating from the U.S. Green Building Council, only the 3rd project in Maine and the 7th in New England to meet this level of exellence.

LEED for Homes is broken down by theme into eight broad categories. Each category has a set number of credits with varying numbers of obtainable points per credit. The BrightBuilt Barn will achieve a wide variety of points spread over the eight categories. Among the innovations for which the project will be receiving points are:
Innovation & Design Process: For holding an initial design charette and continually involving a broad range of experts in decision-making processes. Our kick off charette in the spring of 2007 included the architects, mechanical engineers, solar installation specialists, green building consultants, Tedd Benson from Bensonwood and Kent Larson from MIT’s House_n research group. The collaboration has continued with regular team meetings both in person and using Internet technologies.
Location & Linkages: For avoiding an environmentally sensitive site or a site that was once farmland.
Sustainable Sites: For keeping site disturbance to a minimum, using native, drought tolerant plants and reducing the amount of water thirsty grass on the site, and for shading as much of the hardscapes as possible.
Water Efficiency: For using low-flow plumbing fixtures and for developing a site plan that uses native plants and does not plant grass, thus not requiring supplemental water for success.
Energy & Atmosphere: For being a net-zero house, or producing as much or more energy each year than the building uses; also for using Energy Star appliances.
Materials Resources: For primarily using materials that have at least 25% recycled content; getting all of the framing and other wood products from local sources within 250 miles of the site; using only paints, adhesives and sealants with little or no VOCs; and for reducing waste in the fabrication process and in on-site construction, while diverting a high proportion of unavoidable waste generated to recycling resources.
Indoor Environmental Quality: TBD
Awareness and Education: For preparing a homeowner’s manual and holding educational events at the house to educate the general public about unique features of this house and about green building principles in general.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a voluntary, consensus-based national rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council to certify high-performance, sustainable buildings. LEED for Homes is broken down by theme into eight broad categories. Each category has a set number of credits with varying numbers of obtainable points per credit. The BrightBuilt Barn will achieve a wide variety of points spread over the eight categories. Among the innovations for which the project received points are:

Innovation & Design Process: For holding an initial design charette and continually involving a broad range of experts in decision-making processes. Our kick off charette in the spring of 2007 included the architects, mechanical engineers, solar installation specialists, green building consultants, Tedd Benson from Bensonwood and Kent Larson from MIT’s House_n research group. The collaboration has continued with regular team meetings both in person and using Internet technologies.

Location & Linkages: For avoiding an environmentally sensitive site or a site that was once farmland.

Sustainable Sites: For keeping site disturbance to a minimum, using native, drought tolerant plants and reducing the amount of water thirsty grass on the site, and for shading as much of the hardscapes as possible.

Water Efficiency: For using low-flow plumbing fixtures and for developing a site plan that uses native plants and does not plant grass, thus not requiring supplemental water for success.

Energy & Atmosphere: For being a net-zero house, or producing as much or more energy each year than the building uses; also for using Energy Star appliances.

Materials Resources: For primarily using materials that have at least 25% recycled content; getting all of the framing and other wood products from local sources within 250 miles of the site; using only paints, adhesives and sealants with little or no VOCs; and for reducing waste in the fabrication process and in on-site construction, while diverting a high proportion of unavoidable waste generated to recycling resources.

Indoor Environmental Quality: For using an HRV to continually move fresh air through the building and for avoiding materials that off gas.

Awareness and Education: For preparing a homeowner’s manual and holding educational events at the house to educate the general public about unique features of this house and about green building principles in general.

Click here to download a copy of the final BBB LEED for Homes Checklist.