International. The US Green Building Council (USGBC) announced the winners of its annual "LEED for Homes Award," which recognizes projects, developers and home builders who have demonstrated leadership and innovation in the field of residential green construction.
Among the winners of the 2015 version are the Smith residence, developed by Mokulua High Performance Builder in Kailua, Hawaii, which took the award in the category "Outstanding Single-Family Home of the Year". This LEED Gold certified property was the first in Hawaii to obtain its certification under the latest version of the standard, LEED v4.
This project includes innovative technical strategies, such as a radiant barrier that envelops the entire property, from the foundation to the roof, with the aim of managing one of the most prevalent risks associated with the durability of homes in Hawaii, UV radiation.
In the category of "Project of the Year" the winner was the Paseo Verde initiative, a mixed-use building developed by Jonathan Rose Companies and APM. This property is LEED Platinum certified, consisting of 120 rental units, landscaped terraces, green roofs and community service spaces.
The "LEED for Homes Award" is given to companies that have completed a featured project in the previous year or are proven pioneers in the field of sustainable housing construction. This year saw an increase in applications for registration of projects of this type, demonstrating the strengthening of LEED's portfolio for housing, the USGBC noted.
