Healthcare-v4 SSc7: Places of respite 1 point

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Requirements

Provide places of respite that are accessible to patients and visitors, equal to 5% of the net usable program area of the building. Provide additional dedicated places of respite for staff, equal to 2% of the net usable program area of the building. Places of respite must be outdoors, or be located in interior atria, greenhouses, solaria, or conditioned spaces; such interior spaces may be used to meet up to 30% of the required area if 90% of each qualifying space’s gross floor area achieves a direct line of sight to unobstructed views of nature. All areas must meet the following requirements.

• The area is accessible from within the building or located within 200 feet (60 meters) of a building entrance or access point.
• The area is located where no medical intervention or direct medical care is delivered.
• Options for shade or indirect sun are provided, with at least one seating space per 200 square feet (18.5 square meters) of each respite area, with one wheelchair space per five seating spaces.
• Horticulture therapy and other specific clinical or special-use gardens unavailable to all building occupants may account for no more than 50% of the required area.
• Universal-access natural trails that are available to visitors, staff, or patients may account for no more than 30% of the required area, provided the trailhead is within 200 feet (60 meters) of a building entrance.
Additionally, outdoor areas must meet the following requirements.
• A minimum of 25% of the total outdoor area must be vegetated at the ground plane (not including turf grass) or have overhead vegetated canopy.
• The area is open to fresh air, the sky, and the natural elements.
• Signage must meet the 2010 FGI Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities (Section 1.2-6.3 and Appendix A1.2-6.3:Wayfinding) [Canada ACP].
• Places of respite may not be within 25 feet (7.6 meters) of a smoking area (see EQ Prerequisite Environmental Tobacco Smoke Control).
Existing places of respite on the hospital campus may qualify if they otherwise meet the credit requirements.

Alternative Compliance Paths (ACPs)

Canada ACP

Projects in Canada may consider CSA Z8000 - Canadian Health Care Facilities - Planning, Design and Construction (Sections 6.1.9 and 6.2.2 Wayfinding) as an equivalent to meeting the 2010 FGI Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities (Section 1.2-6.3 and Appendix A1.2-6.3:Wayfinding) for the signage requirement of this credit.

What does it cost?

Cost estimates for this credit

On each BD+C v4 credit, LEEDuser offers the wisdom of a team of architects, engineers, cost estimators, and LEED experts with hundreds of LEED projects between then. They analyzed the sustainable design strategies associated with each LEED credit, but also to assign actual costs to those strategies.

Our tab contains overall cost guidance, notes on what “soft costs” to expect, and a strategy-by-strategy breakdown of what to consider and what it might cost, in percentage premiums, actual costs, or both.

This information is also available in a full PDF download in The Cost of LEED v4 report.

Frequently asked questions

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