Christine J. Engustian, a land-use attorney and member of the Rhode Island Builders Association, has earned the designation of a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). According to the council, Engustian is the first Rhode Island attorney to hold this accreditation.
PBN: What prompted you to seek this designation?
ENGUSTIAN: The primary focus of my law practice is land use and real estate development law and has been since I graduated from law school. When I learned about the U.S. Green Building Council and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification for buildings many years ago, I was eager to determine how I could best serve my clients. For me, it was not enough to inform them merely of the existence of the LEED certification for their development projects and the associated cost-saving and environmental benefits. I wanted to know the LEED-certification process inside and out so I would be in the best position possible as an attorney.
PBN: Will your accreditation help your clients whether or not they choose to obtain LEED certification for their projects?
ENGUSTIAN: Going green is in the public conscience. There are pervasive efforts to protect the environment and to safeguard people’s health. The bottom line is that people want to live and work in environments that promote good health and owners want to save costs. The performance standards under the LEED certification are useful guides for anyone designing and constructing a building or residence.
PBN: From a legal standpoint, what has the increase in demand for low-impact development meant?
ENGUSTIAN: One of the main legal results is that more and more clients seek to have certain green building features incorporated into their contracts for commercial or residential buildings. Another result is that more towns and cities are considering adopting regulations that will mandate practices that rise to green building and greater energy efficiency. In effect, these municipalities will be incorporating performance standards under LEED for the approval of land-development projects even if they are not requiring a building to gain LEED certification. •
