The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the leading authority on green building and the global developer of the LEED green building program, announced the recipients of its 2024 LEED Homes Awards. The annual awards recognize projects, developers and home builders that exemplify leadership in the global residential green building market.
The 2024 project award recipients include affordable and market-rate single-family and multifamily housing developments in the United States, Asia, Europe and South America. They are among more than 46,000 residential projects that have been certified under the LEED green building rating system, and in 2023 there was nearly a 5% increase in new LEED residential project registrations. The increased number of projects represent a growing commitment to sustainability among developers, builders and owners in the residential sector, which accounts for nearly one-fifth of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
“LEED Homes are energy-efficient and resilient, lowering energy costs and increasing their value while having a positive impact on human and environmental health,” said Peter Templeton, president and CEO, USGBC. “I commend this year’s awardees for their commitment to building healthy, sustainable, resilient and affordable homes to meet the needs of their communities. Their example is critical to decarbonizing the residential real estate sector and bringing the benefits of green buildings to homeowners and renters everywhere.”
In addition to outstanding projects, the awards also recognize LEED Homes Power Builders, developers and builders who have exhibited an outstanding commitment to LEED and residential green building. The Power Builder award recognizes homebuilders who have achieved LEED certification for at least 75% of homes or units delivered in 2023.
Project awardees include an affordable housing project for U.S. veterans, a production facility in Germany repurposed into a multifamily housing development, a residential project aimed at revitalizing a Japanese community, and the first LEED v4.1 residential multifamily building in Latin America.
Outstanding Single Family
- 222 Hog Mountain Circle, Fleischmanns, N.Y., (LEED Gold)—The core motivation behind this project was to serve as an example for sustainable design and construction for new residences. By demonstrating the feasibility and benefits of LEED standards in a remote location, the project sought to inspire and empower others to prioritize sustainability in their own projects.
- Lakeside Net Zero, Richland, Mich., (LEED Platinum)—The heart of this residence is its cutting-edge custom ducted mini-split heat pump system, seamlessly integrated with ventilation coupled with a ground loop heat exchanger. This innovative heating and cooling solution reduces energy consumption by 85%, minimizing the home’s carbon footprint.
- Rift House, Corrales, N.M., (LEED Platinum)—Located in the rift valley of the Rio Grande at 5,300 feet of elevation in the high desert of New Mexico, this 3,700-square-foot house provides its occupants with a comfortable refuge from intense sunlight and heat, large daily temperature swings, violent thunderstorms, airborne dust and cool winters. It is also more resilient to earthquakes and wildfires.
Outstanding Multifamily
- 55 H St., Washington, D.C., (LEED Platinum)—A 100% electric, low-carbon building designed to include a variable refrigerant flow and dedicated outdoor air systems with heat recovery, providing controlled and conditioned ventilation that improves indoor air quality and occupant health, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Green Levels, Munich, Germany, (LEED Gold)—Green Levels is located on the site of the former Siemens production facilities in Munich's Sendling-Westpark. The project team built apartments, social facilities, offices, shopping, and open spaces on an area of around 13,500 square meters. The five buildings include 263 apartments surrounding three green courtyards, fostering everyday encounters and exchanges among residents.
- Prairie Hill Iowa City CoHousing, Iowa City, Iowa, (LEED Gold)—Prairie Hill is designed to foster interaction and support among its members. With 37 residences and over 50 residents, Prairie Hill offers a multigenerational living experience where neighbors know and support one another. The common house serves as the heart of the community, providing spaces for meetings, shared meals, recreational activities and guest accommodations. This setup encourages socializing and mutual aid, reducing the isolation often felt in traditional housing settings.
- Suzumori Village, Saitama, Japan (LEED Gold)—This group of low-rise rental residences is located in an urban area with abundant public transportation and surrounded by vegetation. The owner sought to develop a project that would raise the value of the entire area and built a green, annex-style housing complex with the same volume as the adjacent single-family houses. In addition, the team sought to create an environmentally symbiotic housing complex at a high level that would reduce the burden on the entire global environment by doing its part locally to save energy and reduce carbon dioxide emissions at all stages, from construction to after-use.
Outstanding Affordable
- Las Flores, Santa Monica, Calif. (LEED Platinum)—The 73-unit affordable family housing development—including 19 three-bedroom and two-bedroom units and 35 one-bedroom units, making for a density of 106 dwelling units (189 bedrooms) per acre—is one of the first all-electric affordable housing developments completed in Southern California. The design strategies developed for Las Flores will guide future projects attempting to switch from natural gas hot water systems to electric heat pumps. The building is set on a 30,000-square-foot lot and replaces two one-story commercial buildings and asphalt parking lots, using its transit-oriented location to receive extra height and reduced parking incentives from the city of Santa Monica.
- Legacy Square Santa Ana, Calif. (LEED Platinum)—Legacy Square is a pioneering affordable housing development that blends beautiful aesthetics with forward-thinking sustainability and community-focused transit—exceptional attributes that earned a LEED Platinum certification. Opened in mid-2023, Legacy Square features 93 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments around a central plaza, serving households earning less than 60% of the area's median income.
- Rockland Homes for Heroes, Tappan, N.Y., (LEED Platinum)—Rockland Homes for Heroes (RH4H), a charitable organization in Orangetown, N.Y., provides sustainable and affordable permanent housing for honorably discharged U.S. military veterans. Homes for Heroes II, certified in December 2023, comprises 14 one-bedroom units tailored to accommodate individuals with disabilities. With a commitment to both veteran health and wellness and environmental responsibility, this $5.4 million development exemplifies RH4H's vision for creating resilient and supportive communities that honor the sacrifices of those who have served.
Project of the Year
- Sky Blue, Bogota, Colombia (LEED Certified)—Sky Blue earned LEED Earth recognition, making it the first LEED v4.1 residential multifamily building in Latin America. This important distinction has attracted the attention of leaders in the construction industry and has been lauded by the local green building community. The project's bold sustainability strategies and remarkable results have been showcased in the March edition of the Chilean business magazine Negocio y Construcción and by the Chamber of Commerce of Bogotá at an event focused on eco-urbanism and sustainable construction.
Outstanding Developer/Builder of the Year
- Frankel Design Build (Texas)
- Trammel Crow Residential (Michigan)
- UDR (Texas/Pennsylvania)
2024 LEED Power Builders
- ActiveWest Builders
- AMLI Residential
- Brookfield Properties
- Fore Property Company
- Frankel Design Build
- ICCF Community Homes
- MHI Austin
- MHI Dallas
- Mokulua High Performance Builder
- National Community Renaissance
- Red Sea Global
- Stafford Homes & Land LLC
- Tri Pointe Homes, Arizona