MRc1.1 Building Reuse

I think in the context of this credit the new square footage would not be considered an addition since you are not adding it outside the building footprint or envelope.

Hi Nicole,

If I'm understanding this right- you're increasing the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of the building, and questioning whether or not you need to declare the increase in determining basic eligibility for the credit. I'd say, yes, the new floor does count. It helped me when I started to think about a building that added ten floors on top of an existing floor- that made it look much more like a new addition despite the fact that you are maintaining the footprint.
Since you are only adding one floor though- it should not impact your project's eligibility for the credit, as it's highly unlikely that the second floor is twice the size of the first floor. Plus- the credit is based on reuse of existing materials, so no penalty there.

Hope that helps.
-Anne

Anne & Nicole -
The outcome might be the same in this case, but I think the question touches on whether you're adding the new floor inside the existing volume of the building or whether it's being added on top of the existing building and adding to it's height.

It might be a nit picky distinction, but we had a similar scenario converting a historic armory - a single volume shell - into a multi-level performing arts center. The exterior shell and roof remained intact, but several levels of program are were added within that volume. So even though the FAR did increase, both the footprint and the existing shell (and volume above grade) stayed the same. Make sense?

Thanks David- I agree that if you're not changing the envelope then the additional square footage should not keep you from applying for the credit.
thanks-a