Hello everyone,
I have a question: I need to calculate the FTEs and define the areas of regular occupancy for a convention center that includes office spaces and two event halls that could potentially be considered auditoriums. The calculation for the offices is straightforward, but the one for the auditoriums is more complex since it is not specified in the LEED manual tables. Based on your experience, what methodology have you used to calculate the FTEs and define the regular occupancy area for these types of spaces? The project applies for LEED v4 NC certification.
Andrey Kuznetsov
ESG consultant, LEED AP BD+CSelf Employed
19 thumbs up
June 22, 2024 - 6:39 am
First - I believe that your question about FTE is not for air volume purpuses per ASHRAE 62.1 (since FTE for bycicle racks calculation and other issues for LEED is nothing to do with occupant dencity per ASHRAE 62.1).
Second - I've had couple of v3 projects with big auditoriums (for 500-1000 places) and I was considering FTE and transients by two means, comparing them and taking into account one that gave bigger figures:
1. I considered such area of auditorium and it supporting miscellanious spaces (like storahe of auditoriums equipment, cleaning room dedicated specifically to it, premises for projection apparatus and auditoriums light and equipment control, etc.) within the building as "Educational, postsecondary" (it was research facility in industrial/innovation/startup park with laboratories, auditorium for presentations) and calculated FTE and transients per table in Annex of Refguide.
2. I took an actual number of seats in auditorium as number of transients, and from Design Documentation actual number of emploees, per worplaces that were designed at this auditorium (it was specific documentation part that was calculating all emploees at all parts of facility per local standart - i.e. it considered something like that it must be 2 operators, 2 maintenance staff, 1 cleaner and so on at auditorium to it operate properly).
Actually, I do not remember wich figures were bigger. But all this calculations, and considereations, and final conclusion about FTE and transients I filed in a proper explanation for GBCI and it passed review.
In case your question was per ASHRAE 62.1 - most suitable category for auditorium is "Lecture hall (fixed seats)" per table 6.2.2.1.