Feature image photo credit: copyright Laguna.

According to Gabriel Raad, the CEO of Laguna, a Brazilian developer-building company, “If you build a really comfortable, excellent building, then one of the natural outcomes is LEED.”

LEED as an outcome, not as a goal

Viewing LEED as an outcome and not as a goal is a part of a larger shift in the market that is happening not just in Latin America, but all over the world. When USGBC's President and CEO, Mahesh Ramanujam, first announced the Arc platform, he noted that it allowed exceptional projects to now demonstrate that they were also achieving LEED. It’s a change from the previous mindset, where setting and achieving a LEED goal might be a central tenet of the marketing or sales strategy, to seeing LEED as the natural outcome of implementing best practices.

What were the elements of Laguna’s latest multifamily residential project that allowed it to achieve LEED Silver without any additional costs, and LEED Gold with just 1% in additional investment?

The luxury of an open window

Occupant comfort and well-being was a major priority for this project, specifically thermal comfort and daylighting.

Curitiba, Brazil, has a mild subtropical climate (ASHRAE Climate Zone 3), and homeowners prefer operable windows for thermal comfort control, even in larger apartments like the ones developed by Laguna. Llum is a 20-story project with 15 “suspended homes,” designed to provide families with the comforts of a single family residence and the convenience of an apartment building.

Alongside operable windows, Llum was designed with a direct outdoor air system (DOAS), to ensure that all spaces are supplied with fresh air during all times. As with envelope insulation, Brazilian building codes don’t require mechanical ventilation systems. However, for Laguna it was just common sense. As a result, meeting LEED’s requirements posed no barriers to the project.

Comfort can equal efficiency

Laguna began using whole-building energy modeling about a decade ago for commercial projects, primarily as a means of achieving energy efficiency for office and industrial buildings. The adaptation to a residential project with Llum meant that a more comfortable building was also a more energy-efficient one. By giving residents the option to open their windows and enjoy the tropical breeze, Laguna helped make it less likely that people would turn on the air conditioning, and thereby reduced the number of hours needed for mechanical systems.

The innovative glass façade was another way to manage thermal comfort and maximize daylighting. Laguna set a design goal that the building should provide adequate thermal comfort to eliminate the need for mechanical cooling and heating 90% of the time. The building façade plays a critical role in preventing excessive heat gain in the summer and capturing the sun’s warmth in the winter. Llum has a glass façade, which might make you imagine a glass box-style home, but the window-to-wall ratio is just 25%, with window openings carefully considered by exposure—north: 64%; west: 23%; east: 11%; and south: 2%.

Llum LEED Gold residential project in Curitiba, Brazil

The building façade's high-performance glass contributes to the reduction of thermal load. Photo credit: copyright Laguna.

Daylighting and views

Llum means "light" in Catalan, and light was the inspiration for this building designed by Flavio Schiavon. Not only does the glass façade provide thermal comfort, but it also allows the residents to enjoy plenty of natural daylight. Homeowners can reduce their electricity costs and their carbon footprint by taking advantage of daylight, but they may also find their homes more restful. Exposure to daylight helps to reinforce circadian rhythms and promote better sleep and overall improved health and well-being. Andre Marin, Director of Development at Laguna, says, “The well-being of our clients always comes first as we start a new project. It reflects our values and has proven to be a winning business strategy.”

Biophilic design

Biophilic design provides a framework for the satisfying experience of nature in the built environment. It can support and improve human health and provide a deep sense of well-being, and the Llum project incorporates these elements.

Llum’s entrance staircase, a spiral that curls up, assumes the organic shape of a nautilus shell. The interior design of common areas uses natural materials, such as wood, stone, wool and cotton, and a color palette of soft earthy tones, to create a cozy, relaxing environment.

Llum LEED Gold residential project in Curitiba, Brazil

More than 30% of the materials for the sculptural staircase are locally sourced. Photo credit: copyright Laguna.

The play area for children is encircled in greenery, as is also the case with a sundeck and landscaped outdoor terrace—accessible to all building occupants—that are planted with Jaboticaba berry trees, a native Brazilian species.

Llum is just the latest in a long line of projects where occupant comfort and well-being drove the design, helping to redefine what a “market building” can be in Brazil. It is evidence that it’s possible to develop vastly more efficient, comfortable and sustainable residential buildings and still be competitive.

“Our buildings set a new standard for quality and comfort in our region. Our existing clients, exposed to this new standard, are our best marketing tool,” notes Marin.

A gold outcome

Even though LEED certification was not part of the initial design brief, the project did have a very clearly defined set of goals in terms of occupant comfort, energy efficiency and sustainability. Near the completion of the project, Laguna asked its engineering firm, USGBC member Petinelli, to run the numbers and see how close they were to achieving LEED. The project team found that they were already at LEED Silver. For just 1% in additional cost to the project—covering all the costs associated with design and construction, including investment in an on-site renewable energy system—the project achieved LEED Gold in January 2020.

“We have a responsibility to our clients, to our investors, to our team and to future generations to always strive to do what’s right, and not what everybody else is doing. LEED has been both a source of inspiration and a very welcomed outcome,” says Raad.

Doing well by doing good

Business decisions don’t have to be taken exclusively on the basis of a cost-benefit analysis. As a family business, the people at Laguna understand that they have a responsibility to do what's right, and not just to follow the market. “As a business, we know how to generate results doing what we believe in, and this has proven to be our formula for success,” Raad says. "Our values and purpose to always do what’s right has made us into a more resilient business."

Learn more about LEED residential

Project spotlight: LEED is a natural outcome in Brazil