Rating System

LEED O+M: Existing Buildings

Rating System Version

v2 - LEED 2.0

Inquiry

Our project is a mixed-use office building located in a dense, mixed-use neighborhood in downtown Washington DC. The project is registered under LEED-EB 2.0. Our building development density is more than 3 times the density of 60,000 sf floor space per acre required by SS Credit 2, High Development Density Building and Area. Thanks to a large site, the credit requires us to calculate the development density of all buildings that fall within a radius of approximately 700 linear feet of our building. Because our building is located in a mixed use area, calculating the development density of the neighboring buildings is complex and difficult as the information is not readily available. Many neighboring buildings have retail on the ground floor, commercial space on some of the intermediate floors, and residential space on the upper floors. Information about rentable commercial real estate areas for buildings in the area can be accessed, although gross numbers are not readily available. Gross square footages for the retail or residential floors of mixed use developments are not available in the public realm - local tax records note the property site area, but not the gross building area. Due to the complexity of the surrounding area, we request that the intent of the credit be deemed to be met using the Community Connectivity option for the Development Density credit outlined in other LEED rating systems - NC, CI, CS, Schools. Community Connectivity requirements would follow those described in the LEED Rating systems noted above.