Sustainability

Built green.
Not marketed green.

Sustainability at Vertex isn't a department — it's a project delivery standard. Every project that qualifies goes through our Green Initiative framework from day one of pre-construction, not as an afterthought at close-out.

By the numbers

40%

Of projects in the last 3 years have achieved LEED certification

22

LEED-certified projects delivered since 2015

68%

Average construction waste diversion rate across all 2023 projects

4

LEED AP accredited professionals on the core leadership team

Three principles.
Every project.

Plan It In — Don't Bolt It On

Sustainability measures that aren't priced and scheduled in pre-construction are the first things cut when a project faces cost pressure. Our Green Initiative requires that all sustainability targets are established and budgeted before the first drawing is issued for construction.

Material Accountability

We track the embodied carbon and regional sourcing of major material categories on every project. It adds a layer of procurement discipline, but it's also how we find cost savings — local sourcing is typically both greener and faster to the site.

Close-Out Documentation

LEED certification requires meticulous documentation. We assign a dedicated sustainability coordinator to every qualifying project, so the paperwork trail is maintained in real time — not reconstructed from memory at project close-out.

Our Approach

Why our
LEED rate keeps
going up.

Most contractors treat LEED as a client-imposed requirement. They do the minimum to hit the point threshold, file the paperwork, and move on. We've watched that approach result in certification delays, cost overruns, and frustrated owners who expected more.

Our approach is different because Angela Tran's sustainability team sits inside the pre-construction group — not as a consulting overlay but as core project personnel. That means energy modeling assumptions get tested against actual mechanical specs. Material submittals get reviewed for LEED compliance before they're approved. Waste diversion targets get written into subcontractor scope.

The result isn't just a certification. It's a building that performs the way the energy model said it would — which is still, unfortunately, not the norm in commercial construction. We intend to make it one.

Vertex Green Initiative

Our formal
commitment to
better buildings.

Launched in 2020, the Vertex Green Initiative is our internal framework for embedding sustainability into every phase of project delivery — from site selection through building commissioning.

Discuss a Sustainable Build

LEED-Ready Pre-Construction All qualifying projects receive a LEED feasibility review and point-gap analysis during pre-construction, at no additional fee.

50% Waste Diversion Minimum Every Vertex project targets a minimum 50% construction waste diversion rate, regardless of LEED intent.

Regional Material Preference We give procurement preference to materials sourced within 500 miles of the project site, reducing embodied carbon and lead times simultaneously.

Annual Sustainability Report We publish an annual report documenting our portfolio's environmental performance across energy, materials, water, and waste.