Impact of LEED-NC Credits on Contractors

Sustainable development has long been recognized as the next step that humankind should take in order to recuperate from the aftermath of the industrial revolution Gottfried 2000 . Events such as the Stockholm Declaration, the Brundtland Report, and the Rio Summit have brought nations together to address humankind’s increasing impacts on the environment. Some studies indicate that one of the largest contributors of these impacts is the construction industry CICA 2002 . In the wake of sustainable construction entering the mainstream and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-New Construction LEED-NC green building rating system becoming synonymous with green buildings, the need to assess the impact of this system on constructors’ practices is imperative. This research attempts to analyze and define constructors’ role in executing LEED-NC projects. Buildings in the United States consume one-third of all primary energy produced and close to two-thirds of electricity produced Vanegas and Pearce 1997 . According to Kibert 2005 , 30% of all new and renovated buildings in the United States experience poor indoor environmental quality due to noxious emissions, off gassing from evaporation of harmful substances present in building materials, and pathogens, resulting in low productivity that causes an annual loss of $60 billion. In an effort to address the environmental impacts of buildings and construction activities, several researchers have suggested the inclusion of sustainability in construction project objectives that brings forth the need to reconsider how existing practices in the design and construction industry best align with the sustainability goal Houvila and Koskela 1998 . In addition, the shift to incorporate sustainable practices into typical design and construction processes requires a redefinition of the existing role of project participants in order to contribute effectively to sustainable project objectives. An important characteristic of sustainable projects is that they lend themselves to a multidisciplinary and integrated team effort rather than a typical