Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a program of the U.S. Green Building Council that sets standards for design, construction and operations of buildings.  Certification means these aspects of a building have been reviewed and met rigorous standards.  There are several levels of LEED Certification.

LEED Platinum Certified
LEED Gold Certified
LEED Silver Certified
LEED Certified

The following buildings in West Des Moines have received some level of LEED certification.

Aviva USA headquarters is LEED Gold Certified and is the largest structure in Iowa and one of only five its size or larger in the United States to acheive that designation.

The West Des Moines Historic City Hall has been designated by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) as having achieved a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating of Platinum.  Built in 1905, the Historic City Hall is now home to a visitor center, meeting space and the offices of the Historic Valley Junction Foundation.  The West Des Moines Historic City Hall is the second building in Iowa to become LEED New Construction version 2009 Platinum Certified and has the unique distinction of being the first building in Iowa to be on both the National Register of Historic Places and to be LEED NC v2009 Platinum Certified.  This video highlights the many sustainable features the City of West Des Moines was able to incorporate into our Historic City Hall. See the electricity being generated by the building's photovoltaic cells!

Mercy West Lakes Hospital has received a LEED Certified designation for its 293,000 square foot seven-story building.

R&R Realty Group’s building at 7000 Vista Drive has received certification for LEED Existing Building – Operation & Maintenance

Year Built: 1992, Building Area: 272,490 square feet, Stories: 4

The certification was done in conjunction with the existing occupying tenant.  LEED Certification allows this building to operate more efficiently and use less natural resources while still delivering a high level of customer satisfaction for the building occupants.