Integrative Process Prerequisite

Alternatively, I might ask why this is a prereq for healthcare.

I've done lots of healthcare projects - mostly LEED, a few not (GGHC-focused) - and while meeting the requirements in this prereq can certainly help, they are not absolutely necessary to achieve a great green building. It seems shortsighted to prohibit deep green projects from pursuing LEED if, for example, their eco charrette was only a half day and not a full day. I don't think that this prereq meets the original intent of LEED prereqs -- that if a project doesn't meet this set of requirements, then it can't be considered a green building.

I'm not a big fan of restricting what exactly is considered an integrative process since it will prohibit a lot of projects from using LEED, because the decision are made to late.
However I understand the move to demand more especially for Health Care projects. For a very simple reason, a clinic's operations and maintenance costs for approx. 4 years equal its construction costs. So to consider energy and resource saving measures early on is particularly important and should be a no brainer for environmental and economical reasons.

Susann, I totally agree. These requirements, however, are extremely specific. I have several very well integrated deep green healthcare projects that with this prereq would have been kept out of the LEED world. Very frustrating.

I commented on this several times during the LEED HC review process and never received what I felt was an appropriate response. I'm not optimistic in this round either.

Susann I also agree - LEED shouldn't get into the business of prescribing means and methods for the design process any more than they do it for construciton. Project teams should be really resisting this even using the liability issue as a lever just as the contractors do.