We have a Garment factory project that has three blocks with connectivity bridge.
The three blocks are namely Cutting block, Sewing block, and Fabric store block. The gross floor area of Cutting block, Sewing block, Fabric store are 1,50,000 sq.ft, 1,00,000 sq.ft,and 24,000 sq.ft respectively (The connecting bridge area is included in the gross floor area of the project)
Each blocks are mutually dependent on each other functionally that one single block cannot function without the other.
Thus, the project has been designed in such a way that, all the blocks are interconnected by means of structural connectivity through bridge at each floor levels of the blocks making the building a single entity to perform its function.
Can anyone clarify, whether this project can be registered as Single building under LEED NC 2009 rating system.
Thanks in advance!..
Christopher Schaffner
CEO & FounderThe Green Engineer
LEEDuser Expert
963 thumbs up
December 24, 2015 - 12:44 am
The LEED MPR Supplemental Guidance states that multiple buildings on a project site may only be considered a single building if both of the following criteria are met:
a) Space that can be included in the gross floor area of the project that serves a purpose other than parking or the circulation of people is contiguous throughout the structure.
AND
b) All building components of the LEED project that are addressed by LEED prerequisites and pursued credits (systems, materials, etc) can be treated as one, such that separate reviews of the same issues are not required for different portions of the superstructure.
By my understanding you don't meet the first requirement. Since each block is only connected by circulation space, it sounds to me like three projects on a master site.
Aswin M
Conserve Consultants Private Limited6 thumbs up
December 24, 2015 - 1:00 am
Thanks for your valuable suggestion Christopher!..
But referring to the Supplemental Guidance to the Minimum Program requirements(Revision 2), “LEED rating systems do not specifically address many building types, such as manufacturing facilities. Buildings types that are not specifically accommodated for may still apply for LEED certification if they meet all of the MPRs”
Can the factory building exempt the ancillary buildings as such it is exempted for Resorts, K-12 School, Hospitals to include multiple buildings below 25000 sq.ft to be registered under the Single Building.
Christopher Schaffner
CEO & FounderThe Green Engineer
LEEDuser Expert
963 thumbs up
December 24, 2015 - 9:42 am
Your project can still apply for LEED, but you have to meet the MPRs. And to meet the MPRs you'll have to be three buildings.
May I suggest you reach out directly to the GBCI to discuss? We've done this on complex projects like this and it saves a lot of headaches.
Jon Clifford
LEED-AP BD+CGREENSQUARE
LEEDuser Expert
327 thumbs up
December 26, 2015 - 12:40 pm
Aswin—As Christopher suggests, if the connecting links between the buildings are only for circulation of people, your project may not meet the ‘one building’ definition described in the MPR Supplemental Guidance. If you cannot qualify as one building, you may consider using the Group Approach described in the LEED Campus Guidance for Projects on a Shared Site. If your buildings are as interdependent as you say, the Group approach (which is sort of a hybrid) may be simpler to document than the Master Site approach.
Aswin M
Conserve Consultants Private Limited6 thumbs up
December 29, 2015 - 11:14 pm
Thanks for your suggestions Christopher & Jon!!..
As per your suggestion & reference to the guide, we are heading with Group Approach as per LEED Campus Guidance.
Kindly clarify:
For Group Approach, the project needs to be registered individually (three buildings) and documented individually after creating a Block
The project shall be reviewed together under a Block and shall receive a single review comments for the entire Block. Each attempted credit threshold has to be achieved by all the three buildings in the Group.
Kindly correct me if I am wrong in my understandings about Group approach and provide your valuable additional guidance on the same.
Thanks!..
Aswin M
Conserve Consultants Private Limited6 thumbs up
December 29, 2015 - 11:16 pm
Thanks for your suggestions Christopher & Jon!!..
As per your suggestion & reference to the guide, we are heading with Group Approach as per LEED Campus Guidance.
Kindly clarify:
For Group Approach, the project needs to be registered individually (three buildings) and documented individually after creating a Block
The project shall be reviewed together under a Block and shall receive a single review comments for the entire Block. Each attempted credit threshold has to be achieved by all the three buildings in the Group.
Kindly correct me if I am wrong in my understandings about Group approach and provide your valuable additional guidance on the same.
Thanks!..
Jon Clifford
LEED-AP BD+CGREENSQUARE
LEEDuser Expert
327 thumbs up
December 30, 2015 - 12:06 am
Aswin—The Group Approach is a single certification, so the review process is similar to a single-building review. I don’t recall all the intricacies of how to enter the documentation into LEEDonline, but Pages 10 through 13 of the Campus Guidance (http://www.usgbc.org/resources/campus-guidance) spell out the process. (I suspect that the latest version of LEEDonline may differ somewhat.)
For many of the credits, the documentation is the same as for a single-building project, but for some credits, you must complete separate forms for each building as outlined on Page 11.
Pages 18 through 53 spell out the special campus documentation for each LEED BD+C & ID+C prerequisite and credit. Follow the instructions for “Group Certification” listed under each item.