Dear all,
We have a project that consists in a construction of an office building in a site where other building already exists, which will be recycled. In addition, an underground parking it is going to be build where mechanical rooms are going to be install.
There is no physical connection between the new and the existing building at street level but they will be connect through the underground parking. The two buildings, will share fire protection system and electrical system such as firebomb and electric substation.
LEED define that buildings will be consider separate if they have “no physical connection o are physically connected only by circulation, parking, or mechanical/storage rooms”. We think the “two buildings” may be consider as one LEED project but because of how Leed define boundaries make us doubt.
We will appreciate for anybody to help us.
Cheers
Tristan Roberts
RepresentativeVermont House of Representatives
LEEDuser Expert
11477 thumbs up
May 12, 2020 - 9:59 am
Hi Juan, these sound more like separate buildings to me, in the eyes of LEED. Connection via electric substation is not very significant, especially if the buildings are submetered. A more significant connection would be shared HVAC systems.
If the existing building were undergoing major renovation as part of this same project, I think you could make the case to make it all one LEED project, if it were your preference to do so. However, it sounds more like separate buildings.
Please post back any clarifications or additional thoughts.
JUAN FELIPE BARBOT GIORDANO
Industrial EngineerEstudio BR
1 thumbs up
May 12, 2020 - 10:53 am
Thanks Tristan,
My thoughts were practically the same. The buildings have independent HVAC VRF systems. Even though they share Fire and electrical systems (with different electrical metering). But the owner is interested in certyfing the whole project as it is all commercialized under the same name and maintenances will be run as a whole.
Tristan Roberts
RepresentativeVermont House of Representatives
LEEDuser Expert
11477 thumbs up
May 12, 2020 - 12:16 pm
What is the scope of work in the existing building?