This article was originally published as "LEED+: Projects implementing LEED are poised to leverage the shared advantages of complementary rating systems" in the November/December issue of USGBC+. Read the original version.
Big sustainability projects often begin with big dreams. Visionaries John Schmid, CEO of Propark America and the developer of Canopy Airport Parking in Denver, and Richard Piacentini, executive director of Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, both recall the moment they crystallized remarkable concepts to save the Earth’s resources.
Schmid set his mind to constructing a parking facility that would elevate energy efficiency to a lofty new level. Piacentini and his board, using a master planning process, began with USGBC's LEED green building rating system and then folded in other sustainability certifications for a robust solution.