February 11, 2026
USGBC
Calvin Hennick

A trio of recent LEED-certified projects show how industrial spaces can be both healthy and sustainable.

In Durham, North Carolina, a net zero energy pharmaceutical warehouse and distribution center stores life-saving therapies. In Silver Spring, Maryland, technicians test drinking water samples in a newly upgraded laboratory certified for its environmental performance. And in Smyrna, Georgia, a former warehouse has been transformed into a WELL Platinum employee work and wellness hub, complete with a fitness center, collaboration spaces and a cafeteria.

These very different facilities—all with very different uses—serve as powerful illustrations of both how industrial spaces are becoming more sustainable, and how some builders and designers of those facilities are placing an increased emphasis on human health and wellness.

“So much of the focus on human health has typically been from the perspective of indoor health, and health of the occupants,” says Ryan Snow, regional director for U.S. market transformation and development at USGBC. “These projects are addressing health in a number of ways—from a public health perspective to clean water to manufacturing medicine.”

The number of projects certified under LEED for Building Design and Construction: Warehouses and Distribution Centers shows the progress of a sector that many still associate more with diesel fumes than solar panels. To date, there are roughly 8,000 LEED-certified and -registered warehouse and distribution projects, along with nearly 6,000 certified and registered industrial manufacturing facilities.

Snow cites examples where developers of sustainable and healthy manufacturing facilities, warehouses and data centers have also paid more attention to aesthetics. He adds that these buildings integrate more seamlessly with surrounding communities, break down stereotypes about industrial sectors, and make facilities more attractive to employees and potential tenants.

“The developers that are building these facilities know that the operational efficiencies are important, and it becomes a selling point,” Snow says. “The tenant or the user can save on the operations, and because they’re saving on operations and they’re creating healthier spaces, that increases the valuation of the buildings.”

“In many cases, developers and owners proactively deliver LEED because it’s become integral to how they build, and it sets them apart,” Snow adds. “They can confidently say, ‘Choose us, and you’ll get a higher-performing, higher-quality building.’”

Speeding Ahead

Browning’s Velocity industrial park concept aims to tear down the stereotype of the “ugly” warehouse.

The first LEED Silver building in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, isn’t a Class A office building, a multifamily housing complex or a government facility.

It’s a warehouse.

Velocity 65 Building 3, built by the Indianapolis-headquartered developer Browning, attained certification in early 2024 and won a USGBC Rise to the Challenge Award later that year. Compared to two buildings Browning previously built at the same industrial park, Building 3 achieved a 35% reduction in indoor water use, as well as a 100% reduction in exterior water use through native landscaping.

The facility also features 100% LED lighting, a reflective roof that reduces heat island effects, and efficient electrical and mechanical systems that helped reduce energy use by 28%.

Browning selected products from manufacturers with environmental product declarations, and also used low-emitting paints, flooring and other materials. Browning is now at work on [Velocity 65] Building 5 at the site, which will feature similar sustainable elements, and the firm has committed to certifying all of its future industrial projects under LEED Volume.

“This is our standard, and it’s 100% repeatable,” says Mark Susemichel, chief development officer.

Velocity is a branded name for some of Browning’s industrial parks across Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. Susemichel says Browning is constructing logistics facilities that are more modern and sustainable than warehouses of the past, in response to changes in industrial operations and client demands. In particular, he says, international organizations want their logistics facilities to be as sustainable as possible to meet regulatory requirements and company goals.

“You don’t walk into any of these buildings and just see aisles with product stacked on pallets,” Susemichel says. “There’s increased technology, there’s robotics, there’s a slew of engineers. On top of that, the employment market has gotten very competitive. You can’t be the warehouse employer that has an unpleasant, unhealthy place to work, or you won’t attract people to work in the facility.”

Increasingly, Susemichel says, industrial buildings are being constructed with amenities that were “unheard of” only a decade ago, such as wellness centers, inviting break rooms and expansive outdoor green space. He notes that Browning’s LEED Volume commitment ensures that their warehouses will include some of these features—which, in turn, boosts demand for the facilities.

“We can’t have a sea of parking and a sea of concrete, or we won’t qualify for LEED,” Susemichel says. “We have to provide alternative spaces for employees. Whoever occupies these buildings can promote a safe and healthy place to work.”

Rather than viewing their logistics facilities as “commodities,” Susemichel says, industrial tenants have started to become choosier about their buildings, looking beyond square footage and location and considering amenities, the environment and overall building quality.

“We have to find a way to differentiate ourselves,” he says. “We found it through LEED. The demand is growing for sustainable facilities, and we want to be ahead of that curve.”