I want to confirm that Regularly Occupied Spaces in Convention Center projects are still defined as "Regularly occupied spaces are areas where one or more individuals normally spend time (more than one hour per person per day on average) seated or standing as they work, study, or perform other focused activities inside a building." Therefore only spaces applicable would be the employee offices and retail vendor spaces? Thank you!
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Jon Clifford
LEED-AP BD+CGREENSQUARE
LEEDuser Expert
323 thumbs up
July 18, 2015 - 10:48 am
By focusing only on employees, you may be interpreting this definition too narrowly.
The definition that you cite IS current, issued in November 2011 Addenda along with clarifications to the definition of “non-regularly occupied spaces”: “Spaces that occupants pass through, or spaces used in pursuit of focused activities for less than one hour per person per day (on average).” All occupied spaces in your building must fall into one of these two categories.
The IEQ Credit Category Space Matrix addresses these distinctions quite thoroughly. (For the latest version, see http://www.usgbc.org/resources/eq-space-type-matrix.) On the “Note & Definitions” tab, at the very bottom, a note clarifies how the “one-hour” timeframe is averaged: “The one hour timeframe is continuous and should be based on the time a typical occupant uses the space. For spaces that are not used daily, the one-hour timeframe should be based on the time a typical occupant spends in the space when it is in use.” Therefore, many spaces where visitors spend an hour or more in meetings and other events may also qualify as regularly occupied.
The “BD+C & ID+C Matrix” tab offers many examples of regularly occupied spaces, including exhibition halls, conference rooms, dining, as well as offices. For non-regularly occupied space, the matrix lists circulation spaces (such as lobbies & corridors) and service areas (restrooms, locker rooms, storerooms, & custodial areas).
The Space Matrix also provides excellent guidance on how to apply IEQ credits throughout a building.