Rating System

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

Rating System Version

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

Inquiry

A private company is developing a corporate educational campus on a previously developed site. This site will include the renovation of an existing building and the construction of three new structures. The local zoning open space requirements for this site require that 80% of the site area be maintained as native woodland. The project has been designed according to this premise so the total building footprint (including any access roads and hardscaped areas) occupies only 20% of the given site. Exceeding the local zoning requirement by 25% percent (as per Option 1 of SSc5.2) would represent maintaining as open space the overall site and thus excluding the possibility of any building development. We feel that the high ratio of the existing open space local zoning requirement complies with the intent of this credit and could represent the fulfilment of the next incremental percentage for an Innovation credit. We seek confirmation on whether the special circumstances regarding open space requirements for this project fulfil credit SSc5.2 and could be eligible for an innovation and design credit.