The first buildings ever to be certified for sustainable design and construction by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) were announced recently at the Council¿s Fourth Annual Federal Government Summit. Eleven very distinct buildings from across the U.S. and one from overseas were recognized for achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED¿) certification. LEED is a comprehensive rating system that provides direction and definition for sustainable design and construction.

The first 12 LEED-certified buildings cover a variety of uses from military to corporate to educational. They include: the Bachelor Enlisted Quarters, Great Lakes Naval Training Center (Great Lakes, IL); Brengel Technology Center, Johnson Controls, Inc. (Milwaukee); The Donald Bren School of Engineering Science and Management, University of Southern California (Santa Barbara, CA); Energy Resource Center, Southern California Gas Company, a Sempra Energy Company (Downey, CA); Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank (Duquesne, PA); Kanalama Hotel, Aitken Spence Hotels, Ltd. (Dambulla, Sri Lanka); Nidus Center for Scientific Enterprise, Monsato Company (St. Louis); Oquirrh Park Speed Skating Oval, Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Olympic Winter Games 2002 (Salt Lake City); Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Southcentral Regional Headquarters (Harrisburg, PA); Phillip Merrill Environmental Center Headquarters, Chesapeake Bay Foundation (Annapolis, MD); and the Sundeck Restaurant, Aspen Skiing Company (Aspen, CO).