Rating System

LEED BD+C: New Construction

Rating System Version

v3 - LEED 2009, v2 - LEED 2.2

Inquiry

This CIR is concerned with the integrity of LEED boundary when office spaces and laboratory spaces designed in same building, take place concurrently and adjacent to one another. The GSF of our project is around 211,144 sq.ft - excluding mechanical room and parking space - which comprises the main lab volume of 57,899 sq.ft (19,353 sq.ft underground, 38,546 sq. ft above ground) and office volume 153,245 sq.ft all above ground) which goes up to 7 floor levels above ground and 3 levels below ground. The above ground levels will be occupied by office spaces, part of laboratory spaces and supporting facilities mainly. The below ground levels will be occupied by part of laboratory spaces, car parking, mechanical plant room and back of house (BOH) areas. The entire building will be developed and occupied by single Ownership as the goal is to pursue LEED NC 2.2 Platinum level by all necessary measures. Our project team wants to clarify that Is it possible to have a LEED boundary which covers only certain portion of the building? 1. If it is possible..... 1) In what way, the demarcation and zoning of the boundary has to be made between each program-> Lab and Office? (Separated by each floor level? Or Grouped together as either above or underground level?) 2) How shared facilities such as parking spaces, mechanical rooms, restrooms are attributed for each program and to what extent, it should demonstrate physical barrier? 3) How outdoor landscape area and open space should be designated using GSF ratio of each program? 2. If it is NOT possible.. 1) How should the special circumstances of the Lab be addressed in LEED rating system? (EA and IEQ) 2) Can Lab21 Environmental Performance Criteria contribute to additional LEED point? Or officially considered as credit reference? The main reason why we would intend to exclude the Lab zone from the LEED boundary can be summarized as below 1. Most of the tests within the Lab require non-traditional lab facilities related to construction industries and deal with hard construction materials. 2. The Lab building itself is meant to be acting as a test-bed for on-site experiments which requires flexible fa