The role of building envelope design on energy efficiency and sustainability in the leed certification system

Reflections on the sustainability approach in the construction sector cause green building certification results to become increasingly popular. In this direction, the LEED certification system has become a widely used system for designing high-performance, environmentally friendly buildings and evaluating them internationally. However, the Leed Certification System does not include a category that directly evaluates the building envelope; the building envelope establishes an indirect but effective relationship with many score categories such as energy and atmosphere, indoor environment categories, material use, and water management. This thesis study provides an examination of the sustainability and energy efficiency of the LEED certification system building envelope design through a mathematical framework and case study. Within the scope of the study, 200 buildings from both Türkiye and abroad are included in detail. Gaziantep Ecological Building, Via Green, Paragon Tower, TED Rönesans College, Prokon Ekon General Directorate Building from Türkiye; International examples such as The Edge, Apple Park, Bosco Verticale, Bank of America Tower, and Empire State Building are included. The examined examples reveal performance criteria such as thermal insulation, shading systems, and natural ventilation that support the applicability of passive energy options of the building envelope. Direct sales were determined with many sustainability criteria such as daylight diversity, material selection, reduction of heat effect, and rainwater management. The findings show that the building envelope is not only an architectural appearance but also one of the places where the green building is hidden. A more systematic and visible evaluation of the building envelope of the LEED v4 system will be an important step in achieving sustainability. This planning, product results, the presentation of new sub-criteria focused on the building envelope, and the possibilities of integrating their certifications are emphasized.