Do parking garages need to be included in the LEED project?

Mark, the answer would typically be "yes." Check the LEED Minimum Program Requirements Supplemental Guidance Document for a deeper understanding of this.

My reading of the MPRs is that the exclusion of parking garages is only for LEED certification on their own, and for gross floor area as part of the occupied space. They are integral to supporting the project building and should be included in all relevant credits, as would other site features.

I am working on an office building project that includes a significant parking garage, both under the building and to the side of the building. The reviewer asked us to be sure to include the parking garage in the lighting calculations as well as other energy calculations. This corroborates Tristan's recent comment.

I have been reviewing LEEDuser and the Supplemental Guidance to the MPR document. There doesn't seem to be a clear definition of when you should or should not include a parking garage. I am working on a Student Union project being certified under BD+C 2009 that will have a parking garage built at the same time adjacent to the student union property line. There is a convenience bridge connecting the two separate buildings. The parking deck is replacing existing ground lots and it not required for the Union. The union and other parts of campus will have access to the parking deck. The teams first assumption was to not include the deck since it is a non-certifiable building and not required for the Union to function. I am searching for confirmation that this assumption is correct.

Lauren – As noted in the February 15, 2015, post above, you can find the parking garage exclusion in LEED Interpretations #100079 & 100080 (http://www.usgbc.org/leed-interpretations?keys=10079 ).

Another way to look at it is that MRP4 a sets minimum gross floor area (GFA) for LEED projects, but the definition of GFA specifically excludes “floor area dedicated to the parking and circulation of motor vehicles.” Therefore, by itself, a parking garage would have zero GFA and would be ineligible for certification.

However, a project like your student union (if it has sufficient GFA and meets the other MPRs) could include the garage within its LEED Boundary. If your project team chose to include the garage, its materials would count toward MR credits, its energy use would figure into energy models, and any other features within the boundary would figure into several other prerequisites and credits. This could work to your advantage or disadvantage.

Be aware that the “reasonable site boundary” requirements of MPR3 could force your hand, requiring you either to include the garage or requiring you to exclude it.

For more on how to document non-certifiable buildings (such as parking garages) as part of a LEED project, see this discussion on the NC-2009 EAp2 forum: http://www.leeduser.com/comment/redirect/59216.