Green building can be defined as the integration of design solutions addressing five basic areas in which impacts can be reduced and opportunities for higher performance created.  Each of the three benchmarking tools available to Multifamily projects vary in format.  SeaGreen and Built Green are generally prescriptive in nature. 

LEED tools, however, are generally performance based, requiring specific standards to be met or exceeded in order to achieve credits.  They have a related focus on reducing impacts and improving performance through strategies that accomplish general goals in the topic categories:

Site Design

• Avoiding development on previously developed sites
• Building in already developed areas to avoid sprawl and create community connectivity
• Promote alternatives to single occupancy transportation
• Reduce parking by providing van and carpool opportunities
• Protect and restore open space, habitat and native vegetation
• Design sites to reduce stormwater runoff, reduce imperviousness, improve infiltration and on site to reduce runoff and eliminate water pollutants or treat pollutants on site
• Provide vegetative shading to help cool sites and buildings
• Install vegetated or reflective roofs to reduce summer cooling requirements

Water Efficiency

• Reduce irrigation through efficient design or recycled use of rainwater and/or waste water
• Install drought tolerant planting
• Reduce potable water use for sewage conveyance with efficient fixtures and/or on site treatment, and/or use of recycled rainwater
• Reduce potable water use for consumption with efficient fixtures

Energy Efficiency

Optimize energy efficiency by:

• Modeling performance to show performance beyond code or ASHRAE standards
• Improving shell components (insulation, windows, infiltration) beyond code
• Installing very efficient heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment
• Using heat recovery
• Maximizing use of natural daylighting
• Installing efficient electric lighting
• Install renewable energy systems on site
• Provide mechanical equipment commissioning
• Provide ongoing measurement and verification of water and energy systems to insure continued optimum efficiencies
• Purchase green power to support off-site use of renewable energy

Building Materials

• Retain and re-use existing building construction
• Recycle and/or salvage construction demolition waste
• Reuse salvaged and refurbished building materials
• Use materials with high reclaimed or recycled content
• Use materials constructed from rapidly renewable sources
• Use sustainably harvested wood materials

Indoor Environmental Quality
Optimize air quality through:

• Monitored control of ventilation systems
• Use of effective natural ventilation and cross ventilation
• Maintain good indoor air quality during construction
• Protect site stored and install absorptive materials
• Ventilate completed spaces
• Use sealants, paints and coatings, and carpeting with low VOC content
• Use composite wood products containing no added urea-formaldehyde
• Provide access to daylight and views
• Design thermal comfort controls to maintain temperature and humidity within standard ranges
• Minimize entry of pollutants and contamination of occupied spaces by chemical pollutants

Building Operation and Maintenance

• Provide operations and maintenance plans and training of O&M staff
• Provide tenant/occupant education
• Provide for on-site recycling and collection