We have a client who is interested in pursuing LEED C+S for a football stadium project because of the types of spaces in the program. These include a catering kitchen that serves other parts of campus, a sports medicine clinic operated by the campus hospital, and a retail space that is to come online 2 years later once a new lightrail transit adjacent to the stadium is complete. There are other spaces as well that we would consider to be 'CI' (tenant) spaces that are not a part of the scope of the project and will be finished later.
We're able to assign sf to C+S as well as CI per Page 7 of the Rating System Selection Guidance. From this we fall in the 40-60% range indicating the Rating System Selection is the project team's choice. Yet page xv of the BD+C guidelines indicate if owner occupies >50% then it should be NC. So,
1. Does the C+S approach seem applicable, knowing we've got a number of tenants outside the scope who will be located here?
2. Do the 40-60% and >50% relate to each other?
Thanks so much!
Susann Geithner
PrincipalEmerald Built Environments
1297 thumbs up
January 30, 2012 - 2:39 pm
Chris, very good questions. The 50% owner occupied requirement form the BD+C guide is the old rule.The USGBC has introduced new rules per the rating system selection guide, which are more current. So if you control between 40-60% of the spaces and their finishes, you can choose LEED NC or CS. That has been changed because of situations like change owner/tenant ratio. Your case seems pretty clear LEED CS also since your built-out won't be finished for years. However keep in mind that the tenant spaces will also have to comply with some of the credit requirements.
Good luck
Jozef van Ruiten
Architect AIA LEED Green AssociateNovember 26, 2012 - 6:30 pm
Hello Susann,Chris, I'm glad I'm coming across this post, as I'm trying to find the Addenda that actually states the changed requirement in regards to the occupancy criteria for CS vs NC. It's hard to keep on top of the Addenda and changes related to it, and I'm preparing for the AP exam; this one obviously slipped by as most updates just refer to credits themselves, and not to system selection criteria. This came up as I was doing another mock exam, and surprised by the 'correct' answer, referring to the July 2010 addenda (but not one in regards to the issue). So, if I understand correctly; the 40-60 % range is now the 'overlap' area (of choice), whereas everything under 40% is 'definitely' CS and everything over 60% is 'definitely' NC ? Thanks !
Tristan Roberts
RepresentativeVermont House of Representatives
LEEDuser Expert
11478 thumbs up
November 26, 2012 - 9:01 pm
Jozef, have you reviewed the LEED rating system selection guidance document? (There is a link at the top of the page.) This provides the 40/60 policy that applies in various ways to all the rating systems.
Jozef van Ruiten
Architect AIA LEED Green AssociateNovember 27, 2012 - 12:09 pm
Hello Tristan, thanks for your comment ! Yes, I did review it, and am trying to apply and relate it to what it was before. In my understanding then, the minimum 'occupancy requirement' for NC didn't disappear; it only was lowered from 50% to 40%. According to my 'other' source of information (the mock exam provider), a pertaining addenda would have changed the requirement for NC to not have any minimum occupancy requirements at all any more, but I guess that's off then, and I'm going to ignore that. Thanks again for pointing in the right direction !