Rating System

LEED ID+C: Commercial Interiors, LEED ID+C: Commercial Interiors, LEED BD+C: Core and Shell, LEED BD+C: Core and Shell

Rating System Version

v2 - LEED 2.0, v3 - LEED 2009, v2 - LEED 2.0, v3 - LEED 2009

Inquiry

Our project scope is unique in that the building owner is currently seeking certification under LEED Core & Shell for the overall base building tower, while also requiring all tenants to attain LEED for Commercial Interiors certification. Due to this unique scenario it is unclear how to address certain credit requirements for the Commercial Interiors projects when the tenants will be located within a Core & Shell building concurrently pursuing the same related credits, effectively making a LEED NC project. The CS project is 1.5M SF (mixed office/retail). We have a known occupancy for a portion of the tower and have calculated a default occupancy count for the remaining portion of the tower totaling 5,359 FTE Peak/4986 FTE, requiring 68 bike storage spaces and 25 showers/changing rooms. In an effort to provide the appropriate number of bike racks and changing rooms for both the CS and CI credit requirements, it is unclear how to avoid counting the tenants\' occupancy twice, thereby inflating the overall number of racks and changing rooms needed. As well, the credit calculation methodology differs among the two rating systems. Relative to bike racks the base building has provided 68 spaces which accounts for 3.5% of the total known and default occupancy of the building. CI requires bike storage be provided for 5% of the occupancy. We propose that all tenants may earn this credit by providing bike storage for the 1.5% of their occupancy which was not accounted for in the CS calculations. Relative to showers the CS project will have provided showers for 0.5% of the known and default FTE. CI requires that tenants provide showers for 0.625% of the occupants (equal to 1 per 8). Since the project is in essence the equivalent of a LEED NC project we propose that tenants be required to only provide showers for 0.5% of their occupants (as is also the new requirement in LEED ID+C 2009). The implication would be that the tenants whose known occupancy was accounted for in the CS calculation would not be required to add any new showers to earn LEED CI SSc3.2. For those (future) tenants who were accounted for using the default occupancy in the LEED CS calculation we propose that the requirement be to provide additional showers only if the actual occupancy is greater than the default used in the CS calculations. If the actual occupancy is greater we propose that the 0.5% rate be used in the calculation. This approach will allow the tenants to use the CS provided showers toward their count and will address any variations in occupancy density between actual and default. Please confirm if this is an acceptable approach for all tenants in this project. If this is not acceptable please define how a LEED CI tenant in a LEED CS building should calculate bikes/showers when the CS has already provided a percentage of these amenities.