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LEED v4
Schools – New Construction
Sustainable Sites

Open space

LEED CREDIT

Schools-NC-v4 SSc3: Open space 1 point

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View the LEED v4.1 version of this credit »

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Michael DeVuono

PE, CPESC, LEED AP BD+C

Arcadis North America
Senior Water Engineer

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Credit language

USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Intent

To create exterior open space that encourages interaction with the environment, social interaction, passive recreation, and physical activities.

Requirements

Provide outdoor space greater than or equal to 30% of the total site area (including building footprint). A minimum of 25% of that outdoor space must be vegetated (turf grass does not count as vegetation) or have overhead vegetated canopy. The outdoor space must be physically accessible and be one or more of the following:

  • a pedestrian-oriented paving or turf area with physical site elements that accommodate outdoor social activities;
  • a recreation-oriented paving or turf area with physical site elements that encourage physical activity;
  • a garden space with a diversity of vegetation types and species that provide opportunities for year-round visual interest;
  • a garden space dedicated to community gardens or urban food production;
  • preserved or created habitat that meets the criteria of SS Credit Site Development—Protect or Restore Habitat and also includes elements of human interaction.
For projects that achieve a density of 1.5 floor-area ratio (FAR), and are physically accessible, extensive or intensive vegetated roofs can be used toward the minimum 25% vegetation requirement, and qualifying roof-based physically accessible paving areas can be used toward credit compliance. Wetlands or naturally designed ponds may count as open space if the side slope gradients average 1:4 (vertical: horizontal) or less and are vegetated. For projects that are part of a multitenant complex only Open space can be either adjacent to the building or at another location in the site master plan. The open space may be at another master plan development site as long as it is protected from development. If the open space is not adjacent to the building, provide documentation showing that the requirements have been met and the land is in a natural state or has been returned to a natural state and conserved for the life of the building. See all forum discussions about 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.

Learn more about The Cost of LEED v4 »

Addenda

7/8/2017 – Updated: 7/10/2017
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Remove "or hardscape" from the 3rd bullet of Step 4.
Campus Applicable
Yes
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
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LEEDuser expert

headshot

Michael DeVuono

PE, CPESC, LEED AP BD+C

Arcadis North America
Senior Water Engineer

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USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Intent

To create exterior open space that encourages interaction with the environment, social interaction, passive recreation, and physical activities.

Requirements

Provide outdoor space greater than or equal to 30% of the total site area (including building footprint). A minimum of 25% of that outdoor space must be vegetated (turf grass does not count as vegetation) or have overhead vegetated canopy. The outdoor space must be physically accessible and be one or more of the following:

  • a pedestrian-oriented paving or turf area with physical site elements that accommodate outdoor social activities;
  • a recreation-oriented paving or turf area with physical site elements that encourage physical activity;
  • a garden space with a diversity of vegetation types and species that provide opportunities for year-round visual interest;
  • a garden space dedicated to community gardens or urban food production;
  • preserved or created habitat that meets the criteria of SS Credit Site Development—Protect or Restore Habitat and also includes elements of human interaction.
For projects that achieve a density of 1.5 floor-area ratio (FAR), and are physically accessible, extensive or intensive vegetated roofs can be used toward the minimum 25% vegetation requirement, and qualifying roof-based physically accessible paving areas can be used toward credit compliance. Wetlands or naturally designed ponds may count as open space if the side slope gradients average 1:4 (vertical: horizontal) or less and are vegetated. For projects that are part of a multitenant complex only Open space can be either adjacent to the building or at another location in the site master plan. The open space may be at another master plan development site as long as it is protected from development. If the open space is not adjacent to the building, provide documentation showing that the requirements have been met and the land is in a natural state or has been returned to a natural state and conserved for the life of the building.

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.

Learn more about The Cost of LEED v4 »

LEEDuser expert

headshot

Michael DeVuono

PE, CPESC, LEED AP BD+C

Arcadis North America
Senior Water Engineer

See all LEEDuser forum discussions about this credit » Subscribe to new discussions about Schools-NC-v4 SSc3 View the LEED v4.1 version of this credit