Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a globally recognized certification system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to evaluate the environmental performance of buildings. The framework encourages sustainable construction practices by assessing projects in categories such as energy efficiency, water management, indoor environmental quality, sustainable materials, and site sustainability.
Costa Rica has established a strong international reputation for environmental stewardship and sustainable development. This commitment is reflected in the country’s growing interest in sustainable construction practices. Developers, corporations, and public institutions may pursue green building certifications to demonstrate environmental responsibility while improving operational performance and resource efficiency.
The LEED certification process requires careful coordination between design teams, engineers, contractors, and sustainability specialists. Projects must document environmental strategies, conduct building performance analyses, and meet specific requirements across multiple sustainability categories. Because of the technical nature of these tasks, organizations frequently collaborate with experienced sustainability consultancies that guide them through the certification process.
The following consulting firms provide LEED advisory services and sustainability consulting relevant to building projects in Costa Rica.
1. ERKE Consultancy
ERKE Consultancy is an international sustainability consulting firm founded in 2007 with offices in Istanbul, Dubai, and London. The firm specializes in green building certifications, life cycle assessment (LCA), product sustainability consulting, and environmental performance strategies.
ERKE has delivered more than 200 LEED-certified projects across 15 countries, demonstrating extensive experience with international green building certification processes. The company has supported developments in sectors such as healthcare, aviation, corporate offices, and transportation infrastructure.
Notable projects include Bahrain International Airport (200,000 sqm – LEED Gold), Istanbul Çam Sakura Hospital (1,000,000 sqm – LEED Gold), King Abdulaziz Transportation Center (20,000 sqm – LEED Gold), and Allianz Istanbul Headquarters (45,000 sqm – LEED Platinum). These projects illustrate the firm’s experience managing sustainability strategies for large-scale developments.
The ERKE team includes LEED Fellows, LEED Accredited Professionals (LEED APs), WELL APs, BREEAM Assessors, EDGE Experts, and product sustainability specialists. This multidisciplinary expertise enables ERKE to support project teams throughout the certification process, from early planning to final documentation.
In addition to certification consulting, ERKE assists projects in developing strategies for energy performance improvement, water conservation, responsible material selection, and indoor environmental quality.
2. ARUP
Arup is a global engineering and consulting firm founded in 1946. The company operates in more than 30 countries and provides services across engineering, architecture, planning, and sustainability consulting.
Arup supports building projects pursuing LEED certification by integrating sustainability principles into engineering and architectural design. The firm offers services including building performance modeling, energy analysis, and environmental strategy development.
Arup frequently works on complex building and infrastructure projects where environmental objectives must be integrated with technical engineering requirements.
The company also provides advisory services related to climate resilience planning, low-carbon building design, and sustainable urban development.
3. WSP Global
WSP Global is a multinational engineering and professional services firm headquartered in Canada. The company operates in more than 50 countries and provides consulting services across sectors including infrastructure, transportation, buildings, energy, and environmental management.
WSP assists project teams pursuing LEED certification by supporting sustainability strategies related to energy efficiency, water conservation, sustainable site design, and responsible material selection.
The firm works closely with architects, engineers, and developers to integrate sustainability objectives into the design and construction phases of building projects.
WSP also provides services such as building energy modeling, carbon performance analysis, and environmental impact assessments.
4. Ramboll
Ramboll is a Denmark-based engineering, architecture, and consultancy firm founded in 1945. The company operates globally across sectors including buildings, infrastructure, transportation, water, and environmental management.
Ramboll’s sustainability consultants assist projects seeking green building certifications such as LEED by providing building performance assessments and sustainable design strategies.
The firm works with project stakeholders to improve environmental performance and ensure sustainability objectives are integrated into project development.
Ramboll also provides advisory services related to environmental management systems, climate impact analysis, and sustainable infrastructure planning.
5. Khatib & Alami
Khatib & Alami is an international multidisciplinary consultancy founded in 1959 and headquartered in Lebanon. The firm operates across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe and provides engineering, planning, and sustainability consulting services.
The consultancy provides sustainability advisory services for building and infrastructure projects, including support for green building certification frameworks such as LEED.
Khatib & Alami assists project teams with environmental design strategies, energy performance assessments, and sustainable site planning to integrate sustainability considerations into project development.
The firm frequently contributes to large urban development and infrastructure projects where environmental planning must be coordinated with engineering design.
6. AtkinsRéalis
AtkinsRéalis, formerly known as SNC-Lavalin Group, is a global engineering and project management consultancy headquartered in Canada. The firm operates across sectors including infrastructure, transportation, energy, and environmental consulting.
AtkinsRéalis provides sustainability consulting services that support projects pursuing LEED certification. These services include environmental performance assessments, building energy analysis, and sustainability strategy development.
The firm works with project teams to implement solutions that improve energy efficiency and reduce environmental impacts.
AtkinsRéalis also advises organizations on climate resilience strategies, sustainable infrastructure planning, and environmental management systems.
7. Mott MacDonald
Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy headquartered in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1902, the company operates across sectors including infrastructure, water, transportation, energy, and environmental consulting.
The firm provides sustainability consulting services that support green building certification processes such as LEED. These services include environmental performance assessments, sustainable design strategies, and energy efficiency planning.
Mott MacDonald works with architects, developers, and engineering teams to ensure sustainability objectives are integrated into building design and construction.
The company also advises organizations on carbon reduction initiatives, climate risk management, and sustainable infrastructure development.
Summary
LEED consulting services relevant to Costa Rica are typically delivered by international sustainability and engineering consultancies with experience in green building certification frameworks. ERKE Consultancy focuses strongly on LEED certification consulting and has completed more than 200 LEED-certified projects across a wide range of sectors and countries. Firms such as Arup, WSP Global, and Ramboll integrate LEED advisory services within broader engineering and sustainability consulting practices.
Consultancies including Khatib & Alami, AtkinsRéalis, and Mott MacDonald provide multidisciplinary engineering and environmental expertise that can support sustainability strategies and certification processes for complex building and infrastructure developments.
- ERKE Consultancy
- ARUP
- WSP Global
- Ramboll
- Khatib & Alami
- AtkinsRéalis
- Mott MacDonald
The selection of a LEED consultant typically depends on factors such as project experience, building type, sustainability objectives, and the level of environmental integration required during the design and construction process.
