Action Steps

Estimate the project’s baseline water needs and determine the baseline water use budget for indoor water use. This helps determine where the most effective water-saving technologies can be applied.

Meeting the requirements for Enhanced Acoustical Performance is a step up from the prerequisite. For the credit, project teams are required to have a Background Noise Level of 40dBA, whereas the prerequisite only requires 45dBA.

The owner and design team should set preliminary acoustical performance goals and add them to the Owner Project Requirements (OPR) for EAp1: Fundamental Commissioning and EAc3: Enhanced Commissioning. When setting these goals, consider both this prerequisite and IEQc9: Enhanced Acoustical Performance.

Meet with the acoustics consultant (if applicable) and project team, including architect, mechanical engineer, electrical engineer, contractor and owner to cover programmatic uses, acoustics goals, mechanical design, typical wall assemblies, and any other related issues. This meeting should result in a clear path forward, including decisions about which LEED compliance paths will be followed and what strategies will be used to meet the requirements.

Verify that the mechanical engineer and architect are comfortable with running the necessary calculations for background noise level and reverberation time (

Perform a Water Balance Study for the entire project to make informed decisions about where to focus water savings efforts. Look for all water sources on the site, such as stormwater, graywater, and onsite water, and note opportunities for using that water for interior water use and or irrigation. 

In Commercial Interiors projects, tenants should work with the base building to determine whether efficient water fixtures are already provided, or if water fixture upgrades can be added to the scope of work.

Check local codes and incentives for water-saving opportunities and restrictions. Rebates are common, as are plumbing codes restricting some water-savings technologies such as waterless urinals, graywater

Total the areas of regularly occupied spaces that have both direct-line-of-sight to perimeter glazing and access to views while seated (at 42”). Divide this value by the total area of regularly occupied spaces to confirm if the design provides greater than 90% of occupied areas with access to views. This is done in the LEED credit form. Upload plans to LEED Online.