LEED® certification () is a standardized methodology for determining goals and certification, both in terms of construction and operation of green or sustainable buildings. It is a voluntary process designed in the United States and administered by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). As the use of each project is different, LEED® has several types of green certification. One is , which applies to new buildings or those undergoing major renovation. The first building in South America to receive a LEED® platinum rating for BD+C was the corporate building of the company Molymet, located in Nos, San Bernardo. The website Innovación points out that the construction of this building “saves up to 41% of energy and 75% of the materials used in the work were recycled”. In addition, for example, “100% of the building’s wastewater is treated and reused in industrial processes associated with the Molymet Nos plant, while 100% of the water used for irrigation comes from the network of agricultural canals of the Maipo, with no potable water being used for this purpose”, adds the newspaper. Another type of certification is , aimed at projects that will have a complete equipment of their interiors. According to data from the Green Building Information Gateway (GBIG), the Bloomberg Chile Offices -located in Las Condes- obtained the platinum category for this type of certification, due to the fact that, for example, energy consumption in lighting was reduced by 35% while maintaining its level (90% of the occupied space has natural lighting) and the use of drinking water inside the building was reduced by 40%. Both the Viña del Mar headquarters of Caja de Compensación Los Andes and Parque Arauco are applying for certification for existing buildings undergoing improvement work. The other existing certifications are , (Homes, aimed at single-family homes) and , to which new projects that will be located on “new” land or in redevelopments may apply, and which must include residential and non-residential uses or a mix of both; to be certified, urban planning, respect for the environment and the intelligent growth of these suburbs are analyzed, among other aspects. To access the different types of certifications there is an evaluation guideline, which in turn is divided into five categories, each of which awards a score: There are also four certifications, according to the points obtained in the evaluation guideline. From lowest to highest: Inmobiliaria Las Salinas, together with a multidisciplinary team, is working on the design of the Master Plan for the Las Salinas site, conceived as a neighborhood that will generate a new central area for Viña del Mar. In this context, LEED ND Certification is being addressed as one of the most relevant sustainability challenges of the project.
