Buildings
Rice University is a member of the US Green Building Council (USGBC) and is committed to building long-lasting, resource-efficient facilities. In 2006, Rice set a goal that all new buildings would be certified as part of the USGBC's LEED program for new construction. LEED - which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - is the industry standard for green building in North America. In March 2008, Rice raised its goal from basic LEED certification to certification at the LEED-Silver level for new construction. This minimum standard was raised again in 2022 to be LEED-Gold or better. Since then, Rice has constructed thirteen LEED certified buildings.
The Rice Buildings that have earned LEED certification are as follows: