Masonry Magazine January 2009 Page. 45
Industry News
NSC Links Green Building Certification With Genuine Stone
The Natural Stone Council (NSC) has released the first case study in a series of research-based documents highlighting the environmental advantages of natural stone. The case study, "Application of Green Building Certification Programs to Natural Stone, can be found on the NSC's Web site, genuinestone.com/env_research andresults.php.
The case study highlights the two predominant certification programs in the U.S. currently: the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and the Sustainable Project Rating Tool (SPIRIT), developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Under LEED guidelines, natural stone may contribute to certification in several categories: Sustainable Sites, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, and Innovation and Design. SPiRiT is based on LEED 2.0 and is tailored to Army-specific needs allowing them to create and maintain sustainable facilities.
This first case study provides two examples of projects using natural stone that received certification from LEED and SPIRIT, respectively. ImaginOn in Charlotte, N.C., received a silver rating, the first USGBC LEED-certified public building in that city. Stone cladding used in the project helped contributed to a LEED Materials and Resources credit. A SPIRIT bronze rating was
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