Conclusions
This study’s findings suggested that LEED certification could in fact be used as an aid for delivering satisfactory interior environments, however, it is clear that modifications will be necessary to improve the reliability of this green building guide. Part of an integrated design team’s challenge when pursuing a LEED certification is to balance the additional 2 to more than 5 percent in green construction costs (USGBC, 2009) with the life-cycle cost savings and enhanced satisfaction levels associated with this type of construction. Therefore it is essential that all of the stakeholders in a LEED-certified building, whether they be building owners, architects, interior designs, engineers, or occupants, are confident that the adherence to this system’s requirements will consistently result in expected performance. For this reason and based on the collection of over 200 Occupant IEQ Survey responses, it is believed that final LEED certification should be awarded after a building’s performance and interior environment has been reviewed post-occupancy.
Additionally, all too often the LEED rating system is relied upon as the sole method for providing healthy and sustainable built environments. However, as the users of LEED-certified higher education buildings demonstrated, more can be done to ensure the success of these designs. The development of successful interior environments is an iterative process, which is contingent upon the feedback and perception of building stakeholders. Therefore, in addition to utilizing green building assessment tools, such as LEED, it is recommended that POEs be required in the construction of sustainably designed venues. Barriers to the widespread adoption of POEs, such as costs, defending professional integrity, time, and skills, have made it a struggle for these instruments to become a mainstream activity in building procurement (Hadjri and Crozier, 2009). Nonetheless, it is believed that this study’s findings may shed some light on how this additional tool may aid in the production of exemplary facilities. It is hoped that this research will help to inform sustainable practices in higher education settings and serve as a foundation for continued research in the field of sustainable design.