Design and Build Contract

Because this is a multiple building on campus submission, i would suggest that you just do a combined review. This way,prior to submission, you will be able to ensure consistency between all the credits, both individual and campus/master plan based. This will also allow the reviewer to see the submission as a whole and if everything is correct and coordinated, will make for an easier review.

I would not say there is a risk to a combined review if everything has been designed to meet the credit requirements. There is a possibility that a design credit, say light pollution or one of the EQ credits for controls is denied based on not meeting the requirement. Depending if you need that credit or want to earn it, then you;ll have to change what has already been built or installed. So you may end up in a scenario where you have to bring back the contractor and get a system changed, which may not be feasible or possible. Kind of like, it is what is.

I suggested a combined based on your OP which it appears that design and construction will be finished really close together where time between the two is minimal. If you have been uploading and completing the credits as soon as design is done and there is a few months till completion of construction, then it would be feasible to do a split. Not sure as to what is all involved with your project and the complexity to say accurately do one or the other.

You could also defer design credits until the construction review also. We always defer EAc1 and EAp2 until the construction review. That way the model reflects the as built drawings.

Todd, I will mildly disagree. While we have had great success with our LEED credits, the couple of times where we had issues they were much easier to resolve with the split review, having the design review before the construction review. Ameet, I do not know your situation, but in our design/build work there is still a fair amount of time after the design is locked in and construction finishes. I would agree that the line can be fuzzy for some things, like structure, but for MEP systems we still seem to have some time other than underground, or pre-ordering equipment, that sort of thing.

The other benefit that we see with the design review is that the team is freshest with the information and can complete the documentation the most efficiency at that stage. We all have a lot of projects, and it is too easy to just move to the next deadline and push off the documentation until tomorrow if you do the combined review. The design review forces the team to get everything ready and submitted when it is the easiest to complete.

Ameet, it is fine to have construction activity take place before design submittals are put together. Just make sure everyone is following the rules, and get help when you need it.

Well said Scott, for your pragmatic insight. Usually projects those that are of multiple building campus type, large buildings, highly complex and with good project lead time we adopt the split review. It will afford the project team to optimise their delivery & submissions by focusing on design related issues, which account a lot out of the 100 available points.

There is also the advantage of changing an Innovation in Design credit during the design review if it is likely that the reviewer will deny that points. When one is seeking that last mile to attain the desired certification level, it makes a big difference.

Hi Ameet,

We are in the same situation as yours in one of our projects. Multiple building campus approach with a D&B contractor. We decided it will be a safer route to go with a split review since it will allow us more time to rectify any design changes required prior to actually having the system installed.

With multiple buildings, you just can't afford to go back on an installed system to try making it comply with LEED if something goes wrong and your credit is rejected.

As for when the cut-off date for design phase, we coordinated with the D&B contractor to set a timeline of design submission in which the design would be mature enough to be submitted.