Hi folks,
We are certifying 4 buildings as a part of an industrial plant. Everyone who arrives in the plant, both visitors and staff, have to enter the complex through P10, entitled "entrance building". This is an internal policy of the company for safety. Therefore, the bicycle storage was located at 60m (60yards) from P10 and the changing rooms are INSIDE P10. However, the distance from the bicyle storage from some of the other buildings to be certified is over 200yards.
Do you folks think that, even though the other buildings are not complying with the maximum distance, this is a situation we can justify?
Thanks
Michelle Rosenberger
PartnerArchEcology
523 thumbs up
September 20, 2012 - 11:29 am
Hi Marcio,
Boy, that's a tough one. Do you have shower capacity for all 4 buildings worth of peak users in P10? If so, you may have a chance, but I haven't seen any exceptions on the distance parameter so far even on campus projects. I think you'd need a CIR for this one, particularly if you are considering installing the showers only for this credit.
Michael Miller
Project Architect236 thumbs up
September 20, 2012 - 12:49 pm
I think the important distinction you need to make with USGBC is the differnce between this single point of entry to the complex and a typical, porous campus, where people can be arriving at a building from many directions. In the latter case, remote bike parking could mean a cyclist is forced to travel quite some distance beyond their actual destination, plus the remote bike parking location may not be readily apparent from the building entry/ies. Both of these would act as discouragements to cycling. In your case, the forced single point of entry to the complex is a very different condition. If all users must enter via that building, it becomes, in effect, the only arrival point for the individual project building(s). Thus there is no inconvenience put on cyclists compared to other modes of travel. (I imagine you will have to carefully argue your case, via CIR or otherwise.)
Of course, as Michelle notes, you'll also need to be able to demonstrate adequate capacity (bike parking; changing rooms/showers) for the entire complex since you're claiming a common bike-support facility.
Good luck!
Marcio Alberto Casado Pereira
181 thumbs up
September 20, 2012 - 12:59 pm
Michelle, Michael, thanks for both of your responses.
Yes, we are providing bike storage and changing room for all the buildings on campus - actually, our number is even a little over the credit requirement. So in what concerns to that we should be fine.
No, it is not a porous campus, there's no way someone can get into through other entrance. There are not even roads sorrounding the entire site because of its geographical location - we are upon a plateau, our neighbor is another industrial plant. Both cars and bicycle storage are located in the same parking zone, bicycles are even closer to the P10 entrance than cars. Hopefuly this rises our chances, yeah?!
Matthew Cunha-Rigby
Sustainable LeaderHDR, Inc.
25 thumbs up
October 15, 2012 - 8:12 pm
Hi Marcio -
Yes, if EVERYONE going to the facility must proceed to the "entrance building" first, then you can place all of your bike racks within 200 yards of that building entrance and have it count to all buildings on campus. See LEED Interpretation #5847.
We have successfully used this approach for a few projects, for both SSc4.1 and SSc4.2.
However, if you take this approach, per the Application Guide for Multiple Buildings and On-Campus Projects, you will have to provide enough racks/showers for everyone at the facility to meet the credit (not just the LEED project).
One possible alternative - if that is not an option and you can only provide enough racks/showers for your project - is to provide clear, specific signage stating that the bike racks and showers are for the use of employees/visitors at the LEED project building only (I've seen GBCI comments asking for this requirement in shared parking/bike facilities). That said, this signage is not at all ideal and I would recommend against using that approach. I would also personally question how much longer the GBCI would accept it.