The Earth is in dire need of help from its inhabitants. With the distraction in the environment is reaching a critical stage, various types of efforts from different corners of the world have been raised and implemented. One of these is a green building rating system called the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED ®).
The LEED is a rating system that provides a framework that is now more recommended for projects to create highly-efficient, healthy, and cost-saving green buildings. Obtaining the rating is available for all building types including those of new construction, interior fit-out, and even operation and maintenance.
When the building is awarded a LEED ® certification, the building is globally recognized to have achieved sustainability.
Currently, there are only 15 museums in the United States which have received a LEED Gold ® certification. One of which is just recently awarded to the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, Kentucky.
Stephen Reily, the Speed Art Museum director, has stated that other than being the first 21st-century architectural landmark in Louisville, the museum has received yet another honor by achieving the said global certification.
The museum has chosen world-renowned architect Kulapat Yantrasast in designing the new Speed. International recognition and celebration of art sustainability were asked of the architect. Yantrasast delivers both project goals as the LEED Gold ® status was recently awarded to the building.
Aptly, the announcement came from the Speed Art Museum on Earth Day.
The Speed Art Museum has met the goals and requirements that Qualified it's building the rate under a LEED Gold ® certification. Requirements include using a sustainable site, water efficacy, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, innovation, and regional priority credits.
The LEED Gold ® certified museum features fritted glass exterior panels which have a unique rain pattern. Each glass panel also has up to 30,000 silver metallic pieces which reflect light. This contributes to protecting the artwork in the museum. Water efficacy is evident in the low-flow fixtures that are specified for the building resulting in lowered building demand in water supply and less wastewater produced. The building and its HVAC system are also designed for optimized energy performance. Points were also earned as regional materials were used to eliminate the need to transport building materials from afar, which means that less fuel was used for the project.
The architect designed the museum to be highly sustainable in every sense including environmental, social, and cultural, connecting people, art, and nature together.
