We are assessing a two stories office building composed by three main office blocks, each one connected by two greenhouse blocks hosting plants and people as a break area (non regularly occupied area, considering that those spaces will be occupied for less than 1 h/person per day).
The greenhouse allows occupants to perceive the variability of daylight, see green spaces and human activities since it looks like a square, considering that the building is located on an existing industrial area, so the external view is much poorer than the view to the greenhouse.
So, could we consider the greenhouse as a connection to the outdoors and therefore the offices exposed to the greenhouse compliant with the purpose of this credits?
Thanks in advance.
Jill Perry, PE
ConsultantJill Perry, LLC
LEEDuser Expert
440 thumbs up
March 20, 2014 - 5:09 pm
Technically speaking, no. And LEED reviewers are almost always technical. I see your point, and you can attempt this approach if you want, but just because a space includes things that are beautiful and/or that are sometimes found outdoors, doesn't mean you're giving the occupants a connection to the outdoors. The key missing ingredient is the weather (in addition to the daylight).