SEH director of Planning and Urban Design, Bob Kost, RLA, AICP and Gus Blumer, RLA, recently became Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professionals.

Both Kost and Blumer both work at the professional consulting services firm’s Minneapolis office.

“SEH regularly encourages staff to become LEED accredited as we’re always striving to provide an interdisciplinary approach to design,” Blumer said.

“Currently 40 percent of the Planning and Urban Design Group is LEED accredited, and many of SEH’s core disciplines consist of LEED-accredited staff, including our water resources, architectural, municipal, water, and environmental groups.”

Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED is the first widely accepted rating system in providing standards for buildings and sites that meet energy-efficient and environmentally sensitive measures in the design process, which integrates stormwater management, renewable energy, and sustainable materials. LEED also addresses indoor air quality to provide thermal comfort and a healthy environment to building occupants.

“The LEED rating system truly supports all aspects of improving environmental quality, because of its whole-building approach to planning and design” said Kost. “LEED considers initial costs and life-cycle costs, as well as the availability of materials, allowing the owner and designer to make informed choices in the selection of energy-saving and sustainable design measures.”

To achieve accreditation, LEED Accredited Professionals must demonstrate knowledge of the credit requirements, ability to organize a project team, implement the rating system in design, and perform the necessary calculations in the credit process.