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It costs a lot. It involves stacks of paperwork. It’s considered by some observers to be too prescriptive, and has debatable efficacy.

As other rating systems have arrived, many developers, architects and builders aren’t feeling as enamored as they once were with Leadership in Engineering and Environmental Design, or LEED, which for over a decade was the gold standard in green building certification.

鈥淭he general feeling on the street in Portland is that there are other rating systems more aggressive,鈥� said Ozzie Gonzalez, sustainability director for CH2M Hill. 鈥淭here are newer dimensions to sustainability.鈥�

Fewer clients are asking for LEED, according to architect Trish Nixon, managing principal at LRS Architects.

鈥淭he conversations we’re having are different,鈥� she said. 鈥淧eople are looking for alternatives. They’re more aware these days.鈥�

Lease Crutcher Lewis‘ Janice Westcott also perceives a shift.

鈥淲e’re still trying to define what the next benchmark will be,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he industry hasn’t figured that out yet.鈥�

LEED, devised around 15 years ago, is a points-based rating program for green building design and construction. More than 24,000 U.S. buildings have a LEED rating. It’s required for most public-sector projects, and in eco-forward Portland, it’s the norm for Class A commercial construction. U.S. Green Building Council聽has certified 557 projects in 10 years. Some that earned platinum status 鈥� LEED’s highest level 鈥� include REI‘s headquarters in downtown and the Port of Portland‘s headquarters at Portland International Airport.

But building professionals say the system has fallen out of favor with some clients who want to go above and beyond LEED, are tired of overwhelming documentation, or simply care less about earning a LEED plaque.

鈥淚t’s been a really great driver for the sustainability conversation 鈥� it’s my own belief that it’s been revolutionary,鈥� Nixon said. 鈥淏ut now there’s a big focus on energy efficiency.鈥�

Designers like Nixon said they often use a LEED scorecard on materials and construction practices, even if an owner doesn’t want a formal LEED rating. That is in part because LEED can add between $80,000 and $100,000 to an average project budget, plus the $900 registration fee and other costs. Also, tallying points requires thorough documentation and vetting.

鈥淲e feel it should affordable,鈥� said green consultant Summer Gorder of EcoReal Solutions. 鈥淒evelopers now are sick of the documentation 鈥� they’re kind of exhausted by (LEED).鈥�

Then there’s the question of the program’s effectiveness. Studies tracking energy and water usage in LEED buildings have found little distinction between the four rating levels 鈥� certified, silver, gold and platinum. The program focuses on a building’s construction, and observers have noted that owners and occupants can operate a building however they like.

Meanwhile, some owners simply don’t care about LEED anymore. A plaque doesn’t carry the same cachet it once did, according to building industry professionals, and standing out in a city teeming with green structures is more difficult now. Some observers believe that some builders pursue LEED merely so that they can charge tenants more to occupy fancy eco-friendly buildings.

鈥淲e’re at an interesting time right now,鈥� said Renee Loveland, sustainability director for commercial developer Gerding Edlen. 鈥淢any people are still using it, but we’re kind of looking for the next big thing. You know, how do we go further?鈥�

New standards include eco-districts, net zero buildings, Green Globes certification, the Living Building Challenge and the WELL Building Standard. Eco-conscious owners now want to consider the health and rhythms of a building’s occupants, and the vitality of its surrounding neighborhood. They’re looking to generate their own power, and recruit occupants’ buy-in on sustainability goals. Indoor air quality and acoustics are being considered.

The fourth version of LEED is being rolled out now through Oct. 26, 2016. Some updates are meant to address a common critique of LEED 鈥� it fails to account for how a building operates. They include building orientation and climatic site considerations, more aggressive energy and water metering and stricter material source disclosure.

鈥淲e’re trying to reduce a building’s carbon footprint, and do it more holistically,鈥� said Elaine Aye of the USGBC Portland office.

The update process began in 2012. Every firm on the USGBC’s disparate update committee had a vote, which slowed the process, Aye said. To improve the system, more rigid rules were required, but there was already a feeling that the LEED process was 鈥減retty stern,鈥� she said.

鈥淚t was a painful process for the GBC,鈥� she said.

If LEED is falling out of favor, it’s the product of its own success, Gorder said.

鈥淚 think there are more options now, and that’s a good thing,” she said. 鈥淚n Portland, we look at what makes sense, not just getting a plaque.鈥�