Brittany, I would want some additional context on this. What kind of a space is it? Is it integral to the project building, or separated in some way? What credits are you grappling with relative to this determination?
For example, if the issue is a difficult in providing daylighting per IEQc8.1 due to hurricane codes, then I bet you could provide a narrative to get around that. If the issue is more about ventilation and occupant comfort, then it seems like a storm shelter would definitely want to provide a high level of IEQ and should be considered regularly occupied.
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April Ambrose
Business Development ManagerEntegrity
230 thumbs up
April 1, 2010 - 10:45 am
Usually what we do during the design process is to have the architect classify all rooms as being: regularly occupied, not occupied, classroom learning space, individual workstations, multi-occupant space, high density spaces, etc. In the case of storm shelters, we are very unclear as to how this falls.
Yes, for the purpose of daylighting, we hope that we'll be able to exclude these spaces. However, in the case of thermal comfort, we're not sure what to do.
This space is being built into the side of the hill on the second floor of 4 floors of a new high school building. Funding for the storm shelter is primarily coming from FEMA. FEMA requires that the space not be used for anything else (i.e. exercise room, meeting space, etc.). In addition, storm shelters built in Arkansas for tornadoes are different from storm shelters built for hurricanes. Students are only in tornado shelters for a few minutes at a time. Hurricane shelters may be used for days. As such, the ventilation requirements are much lower for these rooms. Plus, they may get used 6 times during tornado season each year, or never get used. So, they seem to me to be unoccupied.
This is how we will be submitting it, as non-regularly occupied. It seems difficult for me to imaging that LEED will regulate these spaces over what FEMA may require since they are considered by FEMA as life-saving spaces.
Any guidance is helpful!
Tristan Roberts
RepresentativeVermont House of Representatives
LEEDuser Expert
11478 thumbs up
April 1, 2010 - 11:05 am
Based on your description, I would agree that you should be able to classify the space as non-regularly-occupied. But this is simply my non-GBCI opinion, obviously. Seems like you would want to document as rigorously as possible how often the spaces will be used, for how long, and that adequate ventilation can be provided at least for that period of time.
April Ambrose
Business Development ManagerEntegrity
230 thumbs up
April 1, 2010 - 11:25 am
Thank you, Tristan. We intend to do so. Unfortunately, I just got an email saying that the FEMA money may not come through after all. If it does not, then the school won't build the room anyway!
Again, thanks for your help and timely response!