Does hotel type building can achieve this credit?

Yes- the credit is still applicable to your project type. Your survey, however, should just be geared toward the hotel's employees, not the hotel guests who are considered to be "transient" visitors.

Allison, Is your comment on excluding guests from the survey process based on a CIR or review comments you've gotten back? It seems like it would be important to include guests if the intent is to get feedback on building performance and thermal comfort.

Steve- the credit language (page 545 of the BD+C reference guide) indicates that "regular occupants" should be surveyed. Hotel guests would be considered "visitors" not "regular occupants". If you were interested in gathering feedback from hotel guests, I'm sure you could make the survey available to the hotel guests, but it is not a requirement of the credit.

What about a Dormitory/Student Housing Project? Does this still count as 'transient' housing? It wouldn't per IBC....but wasn't sure about LEED. Would this make it qualify as 'residential', and thus this credit could not be considered applicable?

I believe that a dorm would count as residential and therefore not qualify for this credit, although I have not worked on a LEED dorm yet.

A dorm would not typically be eligible for EQc7.2.

I just found out that our office has received this credit previously for a similar student housing project.

Jennifer, your office has received this credit in the past, but under what rating version? Isn't the exclusion of residential projects new to 2009? I would argue that a dormitory like a hotel, is a transient occupancy and "guests" have a greater degree of control only over their individual rooms, not the building as a whole or its common spaces. I hear yeas and nays, do I hear any official word? I really don't want to have to waste a CIR on this one.

I don't think either a hotel or a dormitory is eligible under the 2009 credit language. Both would be considered residential.

I was part of the TAG when 2009 was developed, but I have never understood why residential buildings have been excluded. It seems to me that feedback can be obtained on comfort from any occupied space by means of a survey. My two cents.

I would argue that a hotel should be eligible, because it is not really residential and there is a large number of employees that could respond to a thermal comfort survey. Of course, the final call would be from your GBCi reviewer unless you do a CIR...

Clint --- the project we sucessfully received the credit for was submitted under LEED- NC 2.2.

APplying the definition of residential including basically a stove in the dwelling unit would make the most sense in differentiating how this is applied. And dorm residents would certainly be considered regular occupants.

we have achieved this credit on 3 dorms so far, all NCv2.2

Has a residence hall (dorm) project achieved this credit (NC 2009)? If yes, I would like to know how it was approached.

As far as I can tell, a residence hall is considered a "residential" project but the reference guide appears to lack an official definition. Residential spaces (not projects) are defined in the rating system selection guidance (page 12): http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=6667.

I have not seen a 2009 project, however I have seen a few 2.2 projects. It is my understanding that a dorm is not considered a residentail project type.The last sentence of the definition you reference says: "For buildings such as dormitories and assisted living facilities that have common areas (central kitchens and lounges) it is at the project team’s discretion to define the common areas and the living units as residential."I'm not sure what you're asking for when you say "describe the approach," as the approach is much the same for a dorm as any other school building.

Emily - If you believe a dorm is not considered a residential project, can you elaborate on why? That is what I mean by "describe the approach" as I understand a dorm to be a residential project.

The definition I cited explains that for a dormitory project, it is at the project team's discretion to define certain spaces in the project as residential. That is not the same as saying it is at the project team's discretion to define an entire dormitory project as residential.

Whether or not a dorm is eligible seems to hinge on the definition of residential, which has been discussed by a few individuals in this conversation. My guess is that one might be able to make the case that a dormitory, although residential in nature, may not provide the "higher level of control" mentioned in the LEED addenda (http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=6392) and thus be eligible to achieve this credit.

We have achieved this credit for a V3-2009 NC residence hall project. Below is a excerpt from the response I received from GBCI when I inquired regarding the residential status:

"Dormitories, however, are not always classified as true residential projects within the LEED rating systems. To be
considered residential each dormitory units would need to possess both bedrooms and kitchens. Should the units/rooms in your project not include kitchens, then your project would be eligible for this point. Additionally to be eligible for this credit, it is important that the building operate under one overall HVAC system rather than have individually-controlled systems/units for each unit/room."

Our project did not include kitchens and I am not sure how it would affect controllability but the review team agreed with this interpretation. I hope this helps other projects with this question.

I agree that it makes no sense that residential projects are not eligible.

With that said the definition of residential in ASHRE 90.1 includes both dorms and hotels so to be consistent across credits we might consider using that definition.

I have a dormitory project received this credit under v2009. It has over 25% public assumbly space. But it could most likely depend on which reviewer you got.

I have submitted two residence hall projects for this credit under LEEDv2009. The first was reviewed and accepted with the comment noted above by Cindy Estrada. The second is currently under review and I will let you know if it does not get accepted.

I've communicated with GBCI about the applicability of dorms, and distlled what I learned into an FAQ above under the LEEDuser guidance. I think the comment posted by Cindy reflects what GBCI is trying to offer as a consistent policy. Please keep us posted on how your residence hall projects fare.

An addendum to the LEED 2009 Reference Guide for this credit elaborates on the exclusion of residential projects from this credit stating that these types of projects are assumed to have high level of individual temperature control. If individual occupant controls are not available and there is no kitchen, etc., it seems this credit could be achieved.

From LEED 2009: The Missing Manual
short answer = *some* dorms can pursue IEQc7.2. Hotels can pursue the credit. Guestrooms should be included.

page 87 re: dorms and hotels
"Can residential dorms pursue IEQc7.2?

Residential projects are not eligible for this credit; however, some
dorms would not be considered “residential.”
Projects can apply to the 40/60 rule in the Rating System Selection
Guidance, and if less than 60% of the gross floor area of the dormitory
building qualify as “residential,” per the glossary in that document, then the project would be eligible for this credit. Dormitory units that don’t have their own cooking area, bathroom facilities, and sleeping area would not be defined as ‘residential’ spaces.
Note that per the USGBC’s IEQ Space Matrix, Hotels are eligible
for IEQc7.2 and the guest rooms must be included in the credit
requirements."