TRENDS IN TAKING INTO ACCOUNT VISUAL QUALITIES OF ARCHITECTURE IN GREEN STANDARDS USING THE EXAMPLE OF THE LEED SYSTEM

In the context of the ongoing ecological crisis and global climate instability, sustainable architecture and design are emerging as central priorities in the international built environment. Green certification systems such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) offer frameworks for measuring sustainability across a broad range of metrics – energy efficiency, water management, material use, and more. However, the visual and aesthetic aspects of architecture remain underrepresented, despite their significant impact on psychological well-being, user comfort, and social engagement with built environments. This article presents an in-depth analysis of how visual parameters are integrated into the LEED certification system and tracks the evolution of their importance across different versions of the standard. Through comparative study of the current LEED v4.1 and the upcoming LEED v5, the author identifies growing attention to visual-spatial quality – daylighting, landscape connectivity, facade design, material appearance, and environmental harmony. Key categories analyzed include “Indoor Environmental Quality”, “Sustainable Sites”, and “Location and Transportation”, which increasingly incorporate aesthetic factors either directly or through correlated indicators. A detailed breakdown of point allocation reveals that credits addressing visual and perceptual qualities have significantly increased in number and weight, particularly in the LEED v5 pre-release drafts. The study suggests a paradigm shift from purely technical sustainability toward a human-centered, visually rich design approach. Aesthetic experience is now being viewed not as supplementary but as a vital part of sustainable architecture. The article concludes that future green standards should systematically integrate visual evaluation methodologies, potentially drawing on biophilic design principles, environmental psychology, and user perception studies. Special emphasis is placed on the Ukrainian context, where a national green standard is still under development. The findings may serve as a theoretical foundation for implementing visual quality criteria in Ukrainian certification systems and for promoting holistic, culturally responsive, and sustainable architectural practices in line with global trends.