The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED green building program is the preeminent program for the design, construction, maintenance and operations of high-performance green buildings. Learn more at usgbc.org/LEED. The recent unveiling of LEED v4 set a new revolution in green building design and specification into motion. While the U.S. Green Building Council’s most notable initiative—the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design™ rating system—was always meant to set the tone and lead the sustainability charge, this latest version has presented some seismic shifts and sent consequent shock waves throughout the built industry. Even considering the recently announced extension of LEED 2009 until 2016, LEED v4 will be a game changer.

Notable changes include sharp focus on integrative design, building commissioning, light pollution, cradle-to-grave analysis and material certifications. These changes sharpen otherwise soft aspects of previous LEED versions, and guard against green washing, fuzzy math and unintentional consequences.

This article takes a closer look at these LEED changes particularly as they apply to the Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ) category and its attention to low VOC-emitting interiors. In the new LEED program, source control of pollutants takes on greater importance than ever before in the interest of human heath.

While the new LEED program looks new, one old-school material—gypsum rock—plays an important role in its low-VOC goals, as well as in durability, moisture control and sound control. The history and manufacturing process of this reliable construction standard will be illuminated, as well as the ways it contributes to the intention of LEED v4’s EQ category.

¹ LEED^®, and its related logo, is a trademark owned by the U.S. Green Building Council^®.