I am working in a project team designing apartments geared for college students. We are planning on considering our kitchens as non-regularly occupied spaces. The reference guide does not say anything about how to handle kitchens for the view calculations. How have people here dealt with this issue? Is a kitchen a "non-regularly occupied area" or shall it be included in our view calcs?
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Eddy Santosa
Director of SustainabilityDBR Engineering Consultants
376 thumbs up
May 28, 2010 - 1:24 pm
Walter,
According page 404-LEED reference guide, it is under regularly occupied spaces.
Walter Currin
9 thumbs up
June 2, 2010 - 10:39 am
Thanks Eddy. I was looking just under the credit for info. It is definately good advice to comb the category information in the reference guide for such things. However, what you reference is specific to schools-- so I am not sure that completely covers ths case (though it may get to the general intent). As I look at this issue further, the LEEDuser glossary defines the ROS in a residence as anything that is not a bathroom, storage, utility areas, or a closet. Thus, kitchens do count as a ROS in this case.
Eddy Santosa
Director of SustainabilityDBR Engineering Consultants
376 thumbs up
June 2, 2010 - 11:32 am
Walter, I am sorry I thought you asked about kitchen in common spaces not in residential unit.
For residential unit, You may take a look old CIR 1/2/2002 EQc8.1 : "In a residential facility, critical visual task areas would be all habitable spaces such as living rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, dining areas, studios, and bedrooms." (inclusion of bathrooms was overturned in newer CIR). Although CIR is for EQc8.1, You can add as your another consideration.
Walter Currin
9 thumbs up
June 2, 2010 - 11:57 am
No problem. I will count the kitchens as an ROS. Thanks! I was not counting the bathrooms. Let's hope that works.
I have what I need now, but for what it is worth it would be great if the sample plan in the reference guide showed a kitcen and bathroom in their plan. (I assume the USGBC will review these post when developing their next guide?)
Tristan Roberts
RepresentativeVermont House of Representatives
LEEDuser Expert
11478 thumbs up
June 2, 2010 - 11:59 am
Walter, I'll forward your comment to a USGBC contact. I think they're listening.
Rick Ferrara
AIA, LEED BD+CGensler
118 thumbs up
December 7, 2010 - 9:02 pm
If it helps you may be able to make a case for a higher line of sight than 42" as the work in the kitchen is likely to be performed standing and not sitting. We successfully made this case in a LEED 2.1 NC project.
Jean Marais
b.i.g. Bechtold DesignBuilder Expert832 thumbs up
April 27, 2012 - 8:51 am
critical visual task areas doesn't mean that they should be counted towards daylit regularly occupied space. As a matter of fact the USGBC should think about whether all regularly occupied spaces should be daylit...What is veiws trying to achieve? 1) Occupant comfort (with priority where it can boost task performance, i.e. cook faster to use less energy, or working more efficiently at the workplace). I am not comfortable when I have an open view to outside whilst sitting on the toilet and my performace there has minimal environmental or economical impact.