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Green Buildings in Fairfax County

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors adopted a green building policy for county facilities in 2008. County buildings with more than 10,000 square feet be constructed to meet minimum green building standards, if not exceed them. The policy applies to the design and construction of new buildings and renovations or additions to existing ones.

Buildings are certified under established green building rating systems that recognize outstanding performance in several key areas:

Sustainable Sites: discourages development on undeveloped land and seeks to minimize a building’s environmental impacts
Water Efficiency: encourages the smarter use of water inside and out
Energy & Atmosphere: encourages the implementation of energy-wise strategies
Materials & Resources: encourages the use of sustainably produced materials and waste reduction, reuse and recycling strategies.
Indoor Environmental Quality: promotes strategies that improve indoor air quality, acoustics and access to natural daylight.
Innovation in Design: encourages the use of technologies and strategies that improve a building’s performance.
Regional Priority: encourages the builders to consider and address local high-priority environmental concerns.

LEED^® Certified Buildings

The U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design® (LEED) rating system includes several tiers. The goal for county projects greater than 10,000 square feet is silver certification; smaller facilities are recommended for certification. Currently, these are the county buildings that have been certified:

Gold