We are working on a project located in Dubai, UAE. The total site area was previously developed by an old owner. However, the old owner planted more than 10 Ghaf trees on site 30 years ago (Now Trees' roots are existing in previously developed soil). The trees' size now is huge and by UAE law, we have to restore and protect them. Our Client's intent is to save these trees and relocate them on site and it is a costly process because the size of roots and trees are now so big.
My questions are as follows:
- If the project follows option 1: does the trees' relocation process on site meet option 1 requirements for vegetation and soil properties?
- If the project follows option 2: In case of the trees' relocation process's cost is higher than 4$/m2 of the site area, can we target this credit by providing documents showing the cost of this process with an authorized organization?
Nadav Malin
CEOBuildingGreen, Inc.
LEEDuser Moderator
844 thumbs up
January 31, 2018 - 8:41 am
Hi Ahmed,
This is kind of a unique situation, so you might want to ask GBCI for a ruling in advance to be sure, but I'd say that yes, you're ok on the vegetation and soil properties requirements of option 1, and no, you can't use the cost of relocating the trees to claim credit under option 2. --Nadav
Ahmed Labeeb
UAEP&T Architects
1 thumbs up
February 1, 2018 - 12:55 am
Thank you so much