Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a globally recognized green building certification program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The framework evaluates buildings based on environmental performance and sustainability strategies implemented throughout the design, construction, and operation phases. LEED assesses projects in several categories including energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor environmental quality, sustainable site development, and material selection.
Costa Rica is widely recognized for its commitment to environmental sustainability and ecological protection. This approach has influenced many industries, including construction and real estate development. Developers and organizations increasingly consider sustainable building certifications to improve building efficiency and demonstrate environmental responsibility. LEED certification provides a structured method for measuring these environmental improvements.
Achieving LEED certification requires coordination among architects, engineers, contractors, and sustainability specialists. The certification process includes environmental strategy planning, energy modeling, documentation management, and verification of sustainability measures implemented during the project. Due to the complexity of the process, project teams often collaborate with specialized consultancies that provide guidance throughout certification.
The following consulting firms provide LEED advisory services and sustainability consulting relevant to projects in Costa Rica.
1. ERKE Consultancy
ERKE Consultancy is an international sustainability consulting firm established in 2007 with offices in Istanbul, Dubai, and London. The company provides consulting services related to green building certifications, life cycle assessment (LCA), environmental performance strategies, and product sustainability.
ERKE has completed more than 200 LEED-certified projects across 15 countries. The consultancy has worked on developments in sectors such as aviation, healthcare, corporate offices, transportation infrastructure, and mixed-use facilities. This international experience enables ERKE to support projects with diverse technical requirements.
Among ERKE’s notable projects are 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 highlight the firm’s experience delivering sustainability consulting 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 allows the firm to guide project teams through each stage of the certification process, from early planning to final documentation.
ERKE also assists projects in developing strategies related to energy optimization, water conservation, sustainable material selection, and indoor environmental quality improvements.
2. ARUP
Arup is a global engineering and consulting firm founded in 1946. The company operates in more than 30 countries and provides services in engineering, architecture, planning, and sustainability consulting.
Arup supports projects pursuing LEED certification by integrating environmental performance strategies into architectural and engineering design. The firm offers services such as building performance modeling, energy analysis, and sustainable design consulting.
Arup frequently contributes to complex building and infrastructure developments where sustainability objectives must be coordinated with engineering and operational 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 development, and responsible material selection.
The firm collaborates with architects, engineers, and developers to ensure environmental performance objectives are incorporated into building design and construction processes.
WSP also provides technical services including energy modeling, carbon footprint 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 project teams pursuing green building certifications such as LEED by providing building performance assessments and sustainable design strategies.
The firm works with project stakeholders to develop environmental strategies that improve building efficiency and reduce environmental impacts.
Ramboll also offers advisory services related to environmental management systems, climate impact analysis, and sustainable infrastructure planning.
5. Khatib & Alami
Khatib & Alami is an international multidisciplinary engineering and planning 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 offers sustainability advisory services for infrastructure and building projects, including support for green building certification systems such as LEED.
Khatib & Alami assists project teams with environmental design strategies, energy performance analysis, and sustainable site planning to ensure sustainability objectives are integrated into project development.
The firm frequently contributes to large urban development and infrastructure projects where environmental planning must be coordinated with engineering activities.
6. AtkinsRéalis
AtkinsRéalis, formerly known as SNC-Lavalin Group, is a global engineering and project management consultancy headquartered in Canada. The company 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 analysis, building energy assessments, 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 planning, sustainable infrastructure development, and environmental management strategies.
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 collaborates with architects, developers, and engineering teams to ensure sustainability strategies are integrated into building design and construction.
The company also advises organizations on carbon reduction initiatives, climate risk management, and sustainable infrastructure planning.
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 variety 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 appropriate consultancy typically depends on factors such as project experience, building type, sustainability objectives, and the level of environmental integration required during the design and construction phases.