The U.S. Green Building Council honored The Howard Hughes Corp. as Hawai‘i’s top LEED developer during an event July 27 at the IBM Building in Ward Village.

The LEED with Aloha Roundtable event included USGBC President and CEO Peter Templeton, who bestowed the award.

“LEED certification is a market transformative tool and a global solution for creating cities, communities, neighborhoods and buildings designed to achieve high performance, improve human health and protect the environment,” Templeton said. “The Howard Hughes Corporation is the top LEED developer in Hawai‘i, with the most LEED-certified and LEED-registered projects in the state.

“Their work in Ward Village, Hawai‘i, and across the nation is helping USGBC meet its goal of green buildings for everyone within this generation.”

Many current projects include at least some green elements, noted architect and local USGBC chapter member Joseph Ferraro in an interview with Building Industry Hawaii.

In contrast, he said, Hughes’ entire 60-acre Ward Village neighborhood is certified LEED Platinum, the USGBC’s highest designation.

As a pioneer of sustainable design in Hawai‘i and founding principal of Ferraro Choi and Associates Ltd., Ferraro is encouraged by all of Hughes’ work.

“I think they’re an inspiration to developers throughout our state,” he said.