FAO Pavilion earns LEED Gold for sustainable design

30 / 08 / 2026

By Marwa Nassar - -

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has secured LEED Gold certification for its New Gate Pavilion at its Rome headquarters, recognizing the project’s high standards of sustainability, environmental performance and design.

LEED Gold recognition:

The pavilion earned 69 points under the LEED v4 Building Design and Construction (BD+C): New Construction rating system, qualifying it for Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is one of the world’s most widely recognized green building rating systems, providing a framework for healthy, efficient and cost-effective buildings.

“The FAO East Gate project is a perfect blend of East and West, yin and yang, science and art, peace and harmony,” FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said. He added that the project’s Gold recognition was “well-deserved and worthy of celebration.”

Sustainable gateway:

The New Gate Pavilion is part of a wider project to upgrade the eastern entrance to FAO headquarters. The work includes a new entrance and security screening facilities, a three-storey parking garage, improvements to the surrounding area and renovation of the front garden.

The project integrates the new structures and landscaping with the historic and cultural character of the FAO headquarters and its surroundings.

Peter Templeton, President and CEO of USGBC, said the certification makes the pavilion “a showcase example of sustainability” and demonstrates FAO’s leadership in transforming the building industry.

Italian support:

FAO said the project was made possible through funding and support from Italy’s Ministry for Infrastructure and Transport, in cooperation with the Municipality of Rome’s Superintendence for Cultural Heritage.

The upgrades combine improved access, security and working conditions with a focus on sustainability, landscaping and architectural harmony.

Broader sustainability commitment:

The LEED Gold certification reflects FAO’s broader commitment to sustainability, extending environmental considerations beyond its work to transform agrifood systems to the management and improvement of its own facilities.

The project also contributes to the modernization of FAO headquarters while preserving the architectural, historical and cultural character of its location in the heart of Rome.