Buzzwords like sustainable architecture, green architecture, and environmental architecture are mentioned in almost every large-scale building project. While widespread adoption of environmental practices is certainly a great thing, it can be difficult to keep up and understand what makes a good sustainable building.

Accountability is important when talking about green architecture. Sometimes, architects, like all other professionals, can become guilty of greenwashing, or the practice of misrepresenting a project or item as less harmful to the environment than it actually is. Other times, despite best intentions, planned metrics for green buildings do not always work out. For both these reasons and many more, we need a way to keep track of our buildings to plan for a better and greener future. So, how do we do that? One way is through a third-party certification system.

There is a lot that goes into certifying buildings as sustainable. Read on to learn about how that happens and the different standards that exist today.

What is a Third-Party Certification System?

The phrase itself is certainly a mouthful. It simply means a rating system that is managed by an objective third party. In architecture, LEED is the most well-known third-party certification system. Benefits to third-party certification systems like LEED or the Living Building Challenge include a baseline for sustainable or “green” buildings. It is also a selling point that motivates clients to take on new sustainable practices that result in a more environmentally friendly project.

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