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Real estate investment and development firm Gerding Edlen was among seven companies in the country recently singled out for special recognition for green building practices.

Gerding Edlen’s many multifamily residential projects won the Portland-based developer a LEED for Homes award in the category of outstanding commitment to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

The awards, presented by the U.S. Green Building Council, recognize companies and organizations that have demonstrated outstanding leadership and innovation in residential green building. The USGBC noted that Gerding Edlen has developed or redeveloped 65 LEED projects, including the first platinum LEED for Homes mixed-use building in Seattle, according to the USGBC.

Renee Loveland, sustainability manager for Gerding Edlen, said the firm has had strong ties to the USGBC for many years.

鈥淲e started pursuing LEED (ratings) as early as 2000, portfolio-wide,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e have a long-standing working relationship with USGBC and their certification process is very valuable. Actually going through the process of getting certified is important to achieving our goals.鈥�

Gerding Edlen was honored in 2012 by the Massachusetts chapter of USGBC for high achievements in energy efficiency for the historic renovation of Factory 63, a 160,000-square-foot multifamily structure in Boston.

Loveland said the firm is striving to keep up that level of commitment in green residential building. Gerding Edlen currently has nine multifamily buildings either in progress or recently completed, in California, Massachusetts and Oregon.

Roseburg-based NeighborhoodWorks Umpqua was the only other Oregon-based recipient to be honored in the LEED for Homes competition. The Roseburg-based provider of housing for low-income Oregonians in Coos, Curry, Douglas and Josephine counties received an award for the most outstanding affordable project.