Codes, Standards & Rating Systems

Lorax is a single source to manage the entire certification
process and ensure that sustainability objectives are set
and in line with the overall project objectives.

			LEED Certification LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices. Lorax Partnerships has over 9 years of experience with LEED and more than 90 projects certified in the system, in both the public and private sector ranging from office buildings to retail stores.
			Energy Star ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager is an online EPA-based tool used to measure and track energy and water consumption as well as greenhouse gas emissions. Lorax works with building owners and property management teams to create and manage a profile in the Portfolio Manager site to simplify the process of meeting their benchmarking and energy performance goals.
			Living Building Challenge The Living Building Challenge is known as the most rigorous and ambitious performance standard in the green building sector, requiring net-zero and net-positive performance in their all-or-nothing-style green building standard. Lorax faces the challenge by performing thorough research and in-depth analysis on innovative building and construction techniques to support the design and creation of these Living Building Challenge buildings.
			National Green Building Standard The National Green Building Standard is the foremost residential rating system in the United States. It is applicable to single and duplex style homes, as well as multi-family units. In addition to consulting, Lorax has accredited verifiers who act as the required NAHB liaison, submit the project for certification, and provide all requested responses through the NAHB website.
			Green Globes Green Globes is an interactive assessment tool and green building certification system for projects looking for more flexibility within the rating system. Lorax assists owners and project teams with identifying crucial sustainability goals, defining performance measures, gathering documentation, and verifying compliance in seven key areas for their Green Globes projects: environmental management, site, water, energy, resources, emissions, and indoor environment.
			Build It Green Build It Green is a rating system specifically designed for new and existing homes in order to help prevent climate change, minimize pollution, and protect natural resources for future generations. Lorax is prepared to complete plan checks, rough inspections, final inspections, supporting documentation review, and performance testing of the homes for the GreenPoint Rated certification.
			Enterprise Green Communities Enterprise Green Communities provides a framework and the resources to help developers, investors, builders, and policymakers make the transition to a green future for affordable housing. Lorax supports the goals of Enterprise Green Communities by providing technical knowledge in order to maximize health and sustainability in low income communities.
			Sustainable SITES Initiative The Sustainable Sites Initiative is a program based on the understanding that land is a crucial component of the built environment and can be planned, designed, developed, and maintained to protect and enhance the benefits we derive from healthy functioning landscapes. We at Lorax support the value of ecologically resilient communities and can provide the support to guide land design and development within this system.
			International Green Construciton Code The IgCC is the first model code to include sustainability measures for the entire construction project and its site – from design through construction, certificate of occupancy, and beyond. With many cities and states on the road to adopting the IgCC, Lorax is prepared to consult on a new influx of IgCC compliant projects.
			Local Municipality Standards More and more cities and municipalities are creating and adopting their own green building standards for local projects. Our team has been involved in planning and consulting on Local Municipality Requirements since the inception of many of these standards and has consulted upon dozens of them.
			Guiding Principles In 2006, 22 federal agencies signed the Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which voluntarily committed the Agencies to follow the Guiding Principles set out in the MOU.  The Guiding Principles focus on the following five topic areas for both new construction and major renovations: employ integrated design principles; optimize energy performance; protect and conserve water; enhance indoor environmental quality; and reduce environmental impact of materials.  The Guiding Principles Compliance Assessment Program, offered by the Green Building Initiative, is the first 3rd-party assessment and rating program designed specifically for federal agencies.
			Well Building Standards The WELL Building Standard marries best practices in design and construction with evidence-based health and wellness interventions. It harnesses the built environment as a vehicle to support human health, wellbeing, and comfort. WELL Certified™ spaces and WELL Compliant™ core and shell developments can help create a built environment that improves the nutrition, fitness, mood, sleep patterns, and performance of its occupants.
			STAR Communities The STAR Community Rating System (STAR) provides a clear, data-driven approach to assessing social, economic and environmental progress. It is a catalyst for local action and is transforming the way that communities address sustainability and prioritize future investment.