My client wants to know what credits might be applicable to the re-use of furniture from another one of its projects for use in the current project. I told the client that I believe the only applicable credit would be MRc3 but cautioned that if we list furniture with this credit we must do so consistently with the other MRc3-7 credits. I suggested he first do a simple pricing exercise to see if the total local market value for the furniture he intends to reuse is even close to the 5% threshold needed before we consider tracking down all of the recycled/regional content, and COC info for any wood included in the furniture construction.
Is anyone aware of any pilot or innovation credit other than the standard MRc3 that we can pursue on this project by re-using furniture en-mass from another client building?
Thanks!
Susie Spivey-Tilson
LEED Fellow, Senior Program Manager for Global Energy & SustainabilityCBRE
LEEDuser Expert
158 thumbs up
January 8, 2020 - 2:36 pm
If you reuse furniture for MRc3 then you won't need to track down recycled content or (COC) FSC wood as it won't contribute to both. See the credit guidance here: https://leeduser.buildinggreen.com/credit/NC-2009/MRc3#tab-faq. You can apply it to MRc5, however. Would recommend doing the exercise to see if you can get to the 5% threshold, and allow you to evaluate the overall effect to the other MR credits when including the furniture, but wouldn't let not earning the credit deter you from reusing the furniture. Would still make for a great story!
Jeff Wiedmeyer
Facility Leaders in Architecture1 thumbs up
January 8, 2020 - 3:08 pm
Thank you Susie! The reply and the link to credit guidance were both helpful. I am slightly unclear still on how reused material won't contribute to MRc4, 6 or 7 but will have an overall effect on the other MR credits... Is this based on the impact of a larger denominator (after adding the value or replacement cost of the reused furniture) bringing down the percentages of MRc4, 5, 6 and 7?
I believe the client will reuse the furniture either way and I agree, great story for them!
Jeff Wiedmeyer
Facility Leaders in Architecture1 thumbs up
January 24, 2020 - 1:16 pm
Follow-up question:
If the project does not have enough value in the reused furniture to attempt either MRc3 threshold, can the project count value under the Regional Material column WITHOUT having to track down the recycled content, rapidly renewable content or the FSC wood (COCs) OR is that option only open to teams that are attempting MRc3?
Thank you kindly LEEDuser community!
Susie Spivey-Tilson
LEED Fellow, Senior Program Manager for Global Energy & SustainabilityCBRE
LEEDuser Expert
158 thumbs up
January 24, 2020 - 5:31 pm
You can absolutely include the re-used furniture in your calcs for MRc5. The reused furniture doesn't contribute to other credits anyway. In other words, you can include the reused furniture in your Materials Calculator, even if it doesn't contribute enough to earn a point under MRc3, and you can use those materials to contribute to MRc5 Regional Materials - and you don't need the recycled content, rapidly renewable content or FSC wood as the reused furniture won't contribute to those credits. https://leeduser.buildinggreen.com/credit/NC-2009/MRc3#tab-faq.
Jeff Wiedmeyer
Facility Leaders in Architecture1 thumbs up
January 24, 2020 - 5:39 pm
The reused furniture's local market replacement costs would be added to the denominator of all MR credits though, correct? This might slightly hurt the recycled content % but would help the regional materials %.