Dear GBCI,
one of our client is a developer of industrial parks and is now starting a new project in Portugal with the following characteristics:
-one single new industrial building with GFA = 30.000 m2;
-the building will be developed as an open-space to future commercialization;
-future tenants will be mainly, logistics companies;
-the number of tenants, and therefore the number of independent internal zones to be created, only be known after project commercialization;
-the fit-out specification of each zone will be developed according to future tenants specifications;
-our client is available to consider a tenant lease agreement in order to guarantee, where applicable and necessary, LEED requirements during zone’s fit-out.
We would like to certify this industrial building using a “Core & Shell” version of the “LEED BD+C: Warehouses and Distribution Centers”. Is it possible?
Example 1: LEED Credit LT Surrounding Density and Diverse Uses
Core & Shell: number of points depends on surrounding density and proximity to diverse uses;
Warehouses and Distribution Centers: number of points depends on previous status of the site and surroundings (previously developed / greenfield) and proximity to transportation resources;
In this credit, the “Warehouses and Distribution Centers” approach fits better our project.
Example 2: LEED Credit EQ Interior Lighting
Core & Shell: not applicable to Core & Shell;
Warehouses and Distribution Centers: applicable;
This credit should not be applicable to our project because interior zones fit-out specification is a responsibility of future tenants. Therefore, in this case, the “Core and Shell” approach fits better our project.
Can you give us some guidance on this issue? We would like very much to apply LEED in this project!
Thanks in advance,
Dave Hubka
Practice Leader - SustainabilityEUA
LEEDuser Expert
495 thumbs up
March 27, 2019 - 1:35 pm
since it is Core & Shell, i do not expect GBCI would allow alternative compliance paths or W&DC credit options.
Michelle Rosenberger
PartnerArchEcology
519 thumbs up
March 27, 2019 - 3:05 pm
Hi Ricardo,
I would try a discussion with the USGBC. We have the same issue with Core & Shell warehouse projects that are not built out for specific tenants. The Warehouse rating system has more appropriate credits but is overall intended for a fully built out project. We have been told that we can substitute a few Warehouse specific credits for the Core & Shell credits to make certification possible. This is not as straight forward as alternate compliance because you may be relying on the points that come with the different version of the credit. I would suggest you reach out to a LEED Coach or request a call with reviewers to discuss the specific credits and get some minutes of the results of the call if favorable. Good luck.
Kristina K
13 thumbs up
April 9, 2021 - 12:58 pm
Hi Michelle,
Can you please provide some insight on the approach your team used in pursuing warehouse credits under the CS rating system? Was the project dependent on these points and has it received certification the using warehouse credits?
Has anyone else had experience with this scenario? We had reached out to LEED Coach on this in the past and they confirmed that warehouse credits have not been pre-approved for substitution for CS projects.
Appreciate the help.
Michelle Rosenberger
PartnerArchEcology
519 thumbs up
April 9, 2021 - 2:29 pm
Hi Kristina,
Yes the projects have received certification. There were two of them on a master site. One of them could be considered dependent on these points and the other was not. They are cold dark shell projects with no buildout or significant building systems other than lighting so very difficult to get enough points for certification. We had met with USGBC staff in 2017 to discuss with them the difficulty of having enough scope to certify such buildings. We also discussed the fact that the Warehouse program is basically predicated on a complete build out of the space. So we gained no advantage as a CS project pursuing that program with the exception of a few differences most notably the Surrounding Density credit, given the typical locations of warehouse projects. The USGBC staff member Corey Enck confirmed in this meeting that we could use LEED for Warehouse credits as an alternative compliance path for compatible CS credits. We were able to upload the notes from this meeting from 2017 with our submittal.