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Consider surveying tenant occupants about their interest in a carpooling or vehicle share program, as an additional way to make a reduced parking capacity work.
If using salvaged materials, make sure the durability of the product has not been compromised and material contains no harmful contaminants, or you may have to replace the salvaged item with a new product all too soon.
Focus on “big ticket” items when seeking reused materials for the LEED credit. High-priced materials like flooring that meet the reuse requirement may represent enough value to earn the credit.
Before implementing any programs to reduce reliance on single occupancy vehicles, assess the likelihood that tenant occupants will actually use them; you may have to provide carpooling incentives to motivate people to share rides, for example. See Resources for more information on rideshares and carpools.
If you’re not careful, limiting parking capacity could be frustrating for occupants, and not behavior-changing. Consider strategies that go above and beyond the credit requirements:
The parking spaces that need to be assessed for this credit are only the spaces located within the LEED boundary. If your building’s occupants have access to parking that’s outside the scope of the project and the LEED boundary, you don’t have to factor it into credit calculations.
Analyze the initial cost budget to know what materials the project can target and incorporate the LEED requirements accordingly into construction specs for the specific materials. The contractor will appreciate not filling out forms for materials that are not reused, or that have so little cost value that it is a waste of time.
You can use the guidance from LEED-NC MRc3 to help determine construction items as defined in CSI MasterSpec Format, Divisions 3-10, Sections 31.60: Foundations, 32.10: Paving, 32.30: Site Improvements, and 32.90: Planting.
While salvaged materials—such as a reclaimed raised-floor frame—may be hidden from the end user’s view, other salvaged materials can add historic character to a space when displayed prominently, such as reclaimed wood flooring.
