The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria.

LEED is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. Commercial real estate programs exist for:

• New Construction (LEED-NC)
• Existing Buildings Operations & Maintenance (LEED for Existing Buildings: O&M)
• Core & Shell (LEED-CS)
• Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI)

LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in six key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality and innovation and design.

As an active member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Transwestern is pursuing LEED certification on over 13 million square feet of new and existing commercial space. We believe in the integration of sustainable building and operational measures into standard business practice for economic, environmental and occupant-related benefits.

Transwestern continues to be a pioneer industry-wide in the LEED for Existing Building: Operations and Maintenance program with over 51 buildings registered across the Transwestern managed portfolio. The Transwestern standard of operational excellence is only furthered by these initiatives to incorporate sustainable practices including water savings, energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality within the Transwestern managed portfolio.

As of 2008, Transwestern has two LEED certified properties within its managed portfolio, with many more currently going through the certification process:

• Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago: LEED-EB GOLD CERTIFIED
• Wellington Webb, Denver: LEED-EB GOLD CERTIFIED