Rating System

LEED BD+C: New Construction, LEED BD+C: New Construction, LEED BD+C: New Construction, LEED BD+C: New Construction, LEED BD+C: Schools, LEED BD+C: Schools, LEED BD+C: Core and Shell, LEED BD+C: Core and Shell

Rating System Version

v2 - LEED 2.0, v2 - LEED 2.2, v2 - LEED 2.2, v3 - LEED 2009, v2 - Schools 2007, v3 - LEED 2009, v2 - LEED 2.0, v3 - LEED 2009

Inquiry

This credit has no sample calculations. Our assumption for 5.1 is that remaining open space is any area that is not a building. This seems to be confirmed in the CIR dated 8/10/2001, where the project site is 40,000 sf, building is 20,000 sf and remaining open space is 20,000 sf. Our site is 81,500 sf total with a building footprint of 23,500. Therefore, our remaining open space is 58,000. Divide by 2 and we get 29,000 sf of area that must be approved, adaptive vegetation. Please confirm this math. This would seem to be in keeping with the credit intent as it discourages large parking areas. What we found confusing is that in credit 5.2 the manual is quite clear that "open space" is everything that is not "development footprint including building, roads and parking". This is not consistent with the 5.1 definition of open space. If one is allowed to subtract parking and building footprint from total site in 5.1 then there would be less area required to have approved vegetation. Secondly, we have questions about what constitutes approved, "adaptive, restored, native trees shrubs and grass". Specifically, we wish to know if our turf areas can count toward the required area. Our turf is part of a mixed landscape of all native trees, shrubs, groundcovers and fountain grasses. The turf is selected specifically for this region and requires less mowing and watering than other species we could have selected. The turf constitutes about 60% of our vegetated area. It should also be noted that our site was a former mill and had nothing on it when purchased but old concrete slabs, volunteer growth and unimproved earth.