We have a client with a 7 story midrise residential project. We have always used LEED NC for their projects because they prefer it. That approach has always worked. We are trying to determine what happens with v4, and we are confused by the way the guidance is presented. Has anything really changed with respect to our ability to select LEED NC for a 6-8 story residential midrise project?
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Asa Foss
LEED for Homes Techincal DevelopmentUS Green Building Council
LEEDuser Expert
48 thumbs up
July 13, 2016 - 11:00 am
Hi Michelle,
For LEED v4, multifamily projects 4-8 stories need to use LEED Multifamily Midrise. This is a change from the v2009 rating systems, where projects 4+ stories had the option to choose between LEED NC and LEED Midrise. USGBC created and balloted Midrise to specifically address multifamily, so it's tailor made for a 7 story residential project.
Michelle Rosenberger
PartnerArchEcology
519 thumbs up
July 13, 2016 - 12:34 pm
Hi Asa,
Thanks for the response. Perhaps you could shed more light on why the guidance is so hard to figure out. Providers aren't mentioned at all in the reference guide now. There seems to be a focus on Green Raters instead, but the website is a little confusing when you try to figure out who's a Green Rater and who is a Provider. Green rater trainings do not seem to be happening in the near future, even at Greenbuild in Los Angeles. And the Green Rater test for v4 can't be undertaken until 2017 even if you can find a training. The LEED for Homes workbook is very hard to find, is dated 2014 and not referenced in the Sample forms on the USGBC.org site.
There just seems to be a whole lot of confusion around how this program is being implemented when apparently a hard deadline is fast approaching. Many of our clients don't perceive Homes as preferable to LEED NC. Since this is a significant departure from previous policy allowing us to choose a rating system based on being able to achieve the requirements, we are surprised by the lack of clear information for those that are attempting this transition.