Our existing building relies on (2) metal fire escapes for emergency egress that we are not modifying. They are full exterior, self supported, and only connect to the building with lateral steel tie backs and a walking surface for egress. Would these count in the total gross square feet of the building?
We currently have them included and listed as "Unrenovated" gross square feet.
- Thanks
David Posada
Integrated Design & LEED SpecialistSERA Architects
LEEDuser Expert
1980 thumbs up
August 7, 2019 - 1:18 pm
No, the fire escapes are outside the building area and wouldn't be included. See the glossary definition:
Gross Floor Area (GFA):
Generally, the gross floor area is the sum of the floor areas of the spaces within the building, including basements, mezzanine and intermediate-floored tiers, and penthouses with headroom height of 7.5 ft (2.2 meters) or greater. Measurements must be taken from the exterior faces of exterior walls OR from the centerline of walls separating buildings, OR (for LEED ID+C projects ) from the centerline of walls separating spaces. Excludes non-enclosed (or non-enclosable) roofed-over areas, such as exterior covered walkways, porches, terraces or steps, roof overhangs, and similar features. Excludes air shafts, pipe trenches, chimneys and floor area dedicated to the parking and circulation of motor vehicles