Rating System

LEED BD+C: New Construction

Rating System Version

v2 - LEED 2.2

Inquiry

Our project is the renovation of an historic armory to make a new home for a theater company. The building has masonry bearing walls and a barrel vaulted roof and occupies half of a block in an urban neighborhood. The building has three perimeter walls facing the street and one common wall with the adjacent building on the other half-block. Having been designed originally as an armory, the building has very few windows and no new windows can be added. The program includes two theaters, theater support spaces and the administrative offices for the theater company. The administrative offices are tucked up in the vaulted roof trusses on a new floor level created above the house of the main theater. This level is completely enclosed by the vaulted roof with no exterior walls. Regularly occupied perimeter spaces are limited to the ticket office on the ground floor, three offices on an intermediate level and an open office area and two private offices located along the edge of the vaulted roof at the top level. First we wish to confirm that only regularly occupied spaces within 15 feet of the three walls facing the street should be considered in EQc6.1, while regularly occupied spaces adjacent to the common wall with the adjoining building will be considered non-perimeter spaces falling under EQc6.2. Is this correct? Since the administrative offices at the top level do not have walls, windows cannot be provided, but this space will have new skylights. Though technically challenging, the design team is investigating the feasibility of providing operable skylights along the perimeter of the top level. If this proves feasible, will operable skylights be considered equivalent to operable windows for achievement of this credit? These skylights will be motorized with individual controls accessible to occupants. Alternatively, if operable skylights are not feasible can an alternative compliance path be considered for credit achievement? Credits 6.1 and 6.2 have a common intent to provide a high level of thermal, ventilation and lighting system control by individual occupants. We propose that if 100% of the regularly occupied perimeter spaces and 50% or more of regularly occupied non-perimeter spaces are provided with the individual temperature, ventilation and lighting controls as required for EQc6.2, this would meet the intent and requirements of BOTH credits, and therefore warrant the award of a point for each credit. The individual controls incorporated into this building will give the occupants a high level of control over the temperature, ventilation and lighting of their own environments, thus promoting productivity, comfort and well-being of the building occupants. Would this alternative compliance path be acceptable for the project to earn both EQc6.1 and 6.2?