For the second year in a row, Illinois leads the list of U.S. states with the highest concentration of LEED-certified commercial and institutional buildings.

The U.S. Green Building Council's Top 10 States for LEED in 2014 ranking, announced Wednesday (Feb. 4), is based on certifications earned during the past year and Census data from 2010.

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Illinois certified 174 LEED commercial and institutional projects in 2014.

In Illinois, 174 projects comprising 42.5 million square feet of space earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification in 2014. That translates to 3.31 square feet per capita.

Other LEED-leading states are Colorado and Maryland, with 3.14 and 2.70 square feet of LEED-certified space per person, respectively.

Momentum in the South, Southwest

Making their debuts on the Top 10 list this year were Georgia, with 1.83 square feet per person, and Arizona, with 1.74 square feet per capita

The newcomers “show that 2014 was a year of major growth for LEED in the South and Southwest regions of the country,” according to the USGBC.

Collectively, 1,662 commercial and institutional projects became certified within the Top 10 states in 2014, representing 251.7 million square feet of real estate. Worldwide, 4,502 projects were certified in 2014, representing 675.7 million square feet, according to USGBC.

This stylish eclectic loft apartment spanning over three floors is situated in New York’s Tribeca.

Description

Carbon footprint

Start with oxygen; add nitrogen, carbon, sunlight – the basics. Yes, an ecosystem can prosper on the bare minimum – but why settle on spare when you can skew stunning? Behold Hudson Park, a spacious six bedroom, six bathroom biotope rich with colour and texture. If you breathe film, the private in-home theatre’s for you. If spa-calibre comforts are most nourishing, the master washroom is your native habitat.