Rating System

LEED BD+C: New Construction, LEED O+M: Existing Buildings

Rating System Version

v3 - LEED 2008, v2 - LEED 2.2, v2 - LEED 2.0

Inquiry

LEED IEQ 6 requires the initial determination of room occupancy using ASHRAE 62-2201, Table 2. We have been attempting to pursue this credit point for a hospital renovation/addition consisting of approximately 100,000 gsf of Intensive Care, Critical Care, Emergency Department and Outpatient procedure spaces. But we have been finding that the ASHRAE table is so limiting in it\'s brief list of room types that we are expecting to have to submit to the USGBC the \'narrative justifying exceptions\' that is mentioned in the Reference Manual, pg 288, for a majority of the roughly 400 spaces: For example, a straight-forward application of the reference standard results in the following \'regular occupancies\'; A 459 sf CAT scan room, using the ASHRAE occupancy of 20/1,000 sf for Medical Procedures, has an occupant load of (9) people. Similarly, a 257 sf critical care room, using the 10/1,000 for Patient Rooms, has an occupant load of (3), requiring (3) lighting, (3) airflow & (3)temperature controls. The more we consider how to apply the ASHRAE table in determining the number of controls, the more we wonder if (a) we are failing to understand some important nuance of the instructions; OR (b) how most any project team could pursue this point without having to submit an enormous number of the written justifications; OR (c) if this is a point that is suitable only for a remarkably small number of projects (and project types) to pursue. Would the USGCB accept a submission that includes many dozens of \'exceptions\' arguing, for example, that a 324 square foot x-ray room has one (non-regular occupant) patient and only one (regular occupant) technician? Isn\'t there somewhere a better standard for use in determining occupancy? Thank you, Andrew M. GIl, AIA LEED AP HOLT Architects, P.C. Ithaca, NY 14850 amg@HOLT.com