The LEED-Gold winning Beijing Olympic Village

The Beijing Olympic Village this month became more than a temporary home for the world’s top athletes; it also became the first international project to win Gold certification under a relatively new Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) standard created by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The 160-acre site located about a 20-minute walk north of the main Olympic venues, including the iconic “Birds’ Nest” stadium, contains 42 buildings with 9,000 rooms, as well as restaurants, training facilities, and an entertainment center. Solar panels, green roofs, geothermal heat pumps, and an extensive rainwater recycling system are just a few of the village’s green features. Guo Ao Development Co. spearheaded the design.

Although China has taken a lot of flak from environmentalists for its high pollution levels and rapid industrialization, the U.S. Green Building Council called the Olympic Village an “inspiring example” for the rest of the world with “measurable environmental and health effects [that] will be a real benefit to Beijing in years to come.”

“The fact that [Beijing has] one of the world’s first LEED-ND-certified plans is cause for great optimism that China’s growth in the coming years can be a model of sustainable development,” said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council.

The pilot LEED-ND program incorporates smart growth and green-building principles, awarding points for developments built in infill locations that are transit-accessible and close to existing city centers, as well as near existing development. The aim: to create walkable, sustainable, mixed-use communities.