LEED certification consultancy for Iraq
ERKE delivered the LEED consultancy, energy modelling and commissioning for the American University of Kurdistan Male Residence Facility in Duhok, which achieved LEED v4 BD+C Gold with 62 points on 23 July 2026 — the first LEED Gold-certified new-construction building in Iraq.
- LEED Fellow
- USGBC Faculty
- BREEAM Assessor
- Since 2007
- Istanbul · London · Dubai
Held by ERKE's senior consultants — including LEED Fellow and USGBC Faculty member Cemil Yaman.
Nineteen years. 250+ LEED certifications. 15+ countries.
Since 2007, ERKE has delivered 250+ LEED-certified projects across 15+ countries, including 25 LEED Platinum certifications. That depth stands behind Iraq's benchmark green building: the American University of Kurdistan Male Residence Facility in Duhok, the first LEED Gold-certified new-construction building in the country.
American University of Kurdistan — Male Residence Facility
Sumel / Duhok, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. LEED v4 BD+C: New Construction — certified Gold, 62/110 points, on 23 July 2026.
| Credit category | Points achieved |
|---|---|
| Integrative Process (IP) | 1 / 1 |
| Location & Transportation (LT) | 5 / 16 |
| Sustainable Sites (SS) | 7 / 10 |
| Water Efficiency (WE) | 7 / 11 |
| Energy & Atmosphere (EA) | 18 / 33 |
| Materials & Resources (MR) | 7 / 13 |
| Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) | 10 / 16 |
| Innovation (IN) | 3 / 6 |
| Regional Priority (RP) | 4 / 4 |
| Total | 62 / 110 |
Full project detail & ERKE's role →
Certification data: USGBC project directory — American University of Kurdistan.
What we do
Consultancy across the LEED rating systems, plus the technical disciplines ERKE applied to deliver Iraq's first LEED Gold new-construction certification.
LEED Building Design + Construction
Certification management for new construction and major renovation projects, from registration through design- and construction-phase review.
LEED Interior Design + Construction
Certification consultancy for commercial interiors and tenant fit-outs, aligned to the LEED ID+C rating system.
LEED Operations + Maintenance
Certification consultancy for existing buildings under the LEED O+M rating system, covering operations and ongoing performance.
Energy modelling
Building energy performance simulation to support LEED Energy & Atmosphere credits — the discipline behind the AUK project's 18/33 EA points.
Daylight & CFD simulation
Daylight and computational fluid dynamics simulation to support Indoor Environmental Quality credits, as applied on the AUK Male Residence Facility.
Commissioning
Fundamental and enhanced commissioning, verifying building systems are designed, installed and calibrated to perform as intended.
Sustainable materials / EPD & LCA support
Guidance on sustainable material selection and Environmental Product Declaration / Life Cycle Assessment documentation to support Materials & Resources credits.
The Iraq LEED market is opening
According to the USGBC project directory, only three LEED-certified buildings exist in Iraq to date. ERKE delivered the most recent — and the first Gold new-construction certification.
| Project | City | Rating system | Level | Certified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American University of Kurdistan — Male Residence Facility | Duhok | BD+C: New Construction (v4) | Gold — 62 pts | 2026-07-23 |
| U.S. Consulate General Erbil | Erbil | BD+C: New Construction (v2009) | Silver | 2026-01-08 |
| Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank — Baghdad Branch | Baghdad | ID+C: Retail (v4) | Gold — 68 pts | 2022-11-21 |
A market opening up
A cluster of large Sulaymaniyah projects registered with USGBC in April 2026: Downtown Slemani (LEED for Communities, registered February 2026), four residential towers of roughly 55,000–63,000 m² each, a 77,832 m² mall, a 45,323 m² office tower (Core & Shell), and a 48,451 m² hotel tower & performance centre — all registered April 2026. Earlier registrations not yet certified include the University Presidency Building in Erbil (2015), Al Qasim Green University (2013), and Al Yarmouk Park Community Hall in Mosul (2021).
Source: USGBC project directory, as queried September 2026.
How LEED certification works
-
Register
Register the project on LEED Online with GBCI and select the applicable rating system — BD+C, ID+C or O+M.
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Design phase
Integrate energy modelling, daylight/CFD analysis and material selection into the design, then submit design-phase documentation for preliminary review.
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Construction phase
Verify construction meets the credits submitted at design, and carry out fundamental and enhanced commissioning of building systems.
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Certification review
GBCI reviews the full submission and issues the certification level — Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum.
Talk to us about your project
Reach us on WhatsApp for the fastest response, or send a message using the form below.
- +90 216 369 7393
- Phone
- +90 216 369 7393
- info@erketasarim.com