LEED AP BD+C study guide
LEED AP BD+C · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The LEED AP Building Design + Construction (LEED AP BD+C) is one of the LEED professional credentials offered through GBCI, the credentialing and certification body that operates alongside the U.S. Green Building Council. The LEED AP BD+C study guide has 10 sections and about 3,138 words.
01Integrative Process
Integrative Process (IP) rewards a team that studies how systems interact before design hardens. In LEED v4 BD+C it is a single-point credit; LEED v4.1 restructures the requirement (and elevates it toward prerequisite status), so confirm which version your exam targets before memorizing point values.
295 words, about 1 min02Location and Transportation
LT rewards projects that sit in walkable, transit-served, resource-rich places and that manage parking demand. Credits include LEED for Neighborhood Development location, Sensitive Land Protection, High Priority Site, Surrounding Density and Diverse Uses, Access to Quality Transit, Bicycle Facilities, Reduced Parking Footprint, and Green Vehicles.
299 words, about 1 min03Sustainable Sites
SS addresses what happens on and to the site: erosion control, site assessment, habitat, open space, stormwater, heat islands, and light trespass. The only prerequisite is Construction Activity Pollution Prevention , which requires an erosion and sedimentation control plan meeting the EPA Construction General Permit or the local equivalent, whichever is stricter.
313 words, about 2 min04Water Efficiency
WE reduces potable water use indoors, outdoors, and in cooling towers. Prerequisites in v4 BD+C: Outdoor Water Use Reduction , Indoor Water Use Reduction , and Building-Level Water Metering .
326 words, about 2 min05Energy and Atmosphere
EA is the largest point category. Prerequisites in v4 BD+C: Fundamental Commissioning and Verification , Minimum Energy Performance , Building-Level Energy Metering , and Fundamental Refrigerant Management .
324 words, about 2 min06Materials and Resources
MR rewards waste reduction, material transparency, and life-cycle thinking. Prerequisites in v4 BD+C: Storage and Collection of Recyclables and Construction and Demolition Waste Management Planning .
309 words, about 2 min07Indoor Environmental Quality
EQ protects occupant health and comfort. Prerequisites in v4 BD+C: Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance (meet ASHRAE 62.1 ventilation rates and keep systems clean) and Environmental Tobacco Smoke Control .
307 words, about 2 min08Innovation
Innovation (IN) is a small, flexible category worth a handful of points (up to six in v4 BD+C, one of which may be awarded for having a LEED Accredited Professional as a principal participant). It exists so teams can be rewarded for performance or approaches the rating system does not otherwise capture.
322 words, about 2 min09Regional Priority
Regional Priority (RP) is a bonus category. USGBC identifies, for each ZIP code or region, a set of credits that address the most pressing local environmental issues - things like water scarcity, air quality, habitat loss, or energy supply.
322 words, about 2 min10Project Surroundings and Public Outreach
This domain appears in the LEED AP BD+C exam content outline but is not a point-bearing LEED credit category . It covers how a project relates to its neighbors, its community, and the public during design and construction.
321 words, about 2 min