Rating System

LEED BD+C: New Construction

Rating System Version

v2 - LEED 2.2

Inquiry

This inquiry regards the landscape plan for an elementary school located on a previously developed site in coastal Virginia. As such, we are attempting to follow the compliance path that requires the restoration of a minimum of 50% of the site area (excluding the building footprint) by replacing impervious surfaces with native or adapted vegetation. A great deal of the adapted vegetation selected for this site is Bermuda grass. This is a type of grass that has adapted to salt spray, which makes it very popular in coastal regions. Landscape architects in the region claim that if the site were left bare to re-naturalize itself, the likely outcome would be a stand of Bermuda grass. The project will not include a permanent irrigation system, and the grassed areas are intended to go dormant in the winter months. The school system does not plan to fertilize grassed areas, but they do keep them mowed regularly. The credit language is a little unclear as to whether this type of grass planting, while clearly complying with WEc1 (water efficient) and SSc5.2 (open space, per precedent set with 12/4/2002 ruling on a SSc5.1 inquiry), will also comply with the requirements of SSc5.1. Will the USGBC accept mowed lawn areas in their definition of adapted vegetation? Can we count areas planted with Bermuda grass towards our native/adapted species totals?