Designtex applauds the growth in green building and the adoption of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)® rating systems for architectural and interiors projects.  We support these increasingly sustainable built environments by providing documentation to show how our products may align with credits in various LEED rating systems.  Designtex is proud to have been awarded LEED Gold for the 2008 re-design of our Chicago showroom.

We recognize that LEED was developed for building projects and that it can sometimes be difficult to locate where fabrics fit into the rating systems. We have distilled the applicable LEED Materials and Resources credit categories for fabrics into three major areas, which we refer to as the 3 R’s:  Recycled content, Rapidly Renewable content, and Regional Materials. While these are not the only areas where surface materials may contribute credits on a project, they represent the majority of credit opportunities. In addition, the recent adoption of Cradle to Cradle product certification for Innovation credits is a favorable one for fabrics in the scheme of LEED.

To see an overview of how Designtex’s products can contribute credits to a LEED project, please see the LEED CI Matrix.

For an example of LEED documentation for a Designtex product, please click the PDF link to the left.  If you require LEED documentation on individual products for your project, please contact your Designtex Sales Representative.

In addition, to further assist in understanding LEED, Designtex has authored and currently delivers an IIDA- and AIA-accredited Green Textiles course which includes a segment on how surface materials can contribute credits (see Education section for more information and a self-study guide).