We've been following the credit requirements throughout the design process and are now starting documentation. I am using the "Site Assessment Worksheet" and am trying to better understand the level of detail required. Do we just provide a written narrative or do we also attach the various reports and drawings? (We've got them, but that's a lot of stuff - I don't think GBCI really wants to read it all - ?)
This credit is a very good fit for our project, as the various assessments have had significant impact on design decisions.
Mara Baum
Partner, Architecture & SustainabilityDIALOG
674 thumbs up
July 28, 2014 - 3:55 pm
Also, I have two files for documentation - one in Word and one in Excel. Does it matter which one we use? They seem to be pretty similar. The Word one seems more appropriate. Thanks.
Theresa Backhus
Sites Technical Specialist, LEEDUSGBC
66 thumbs up
July 29, 2014 - 10:21 am
Hi Mara,
The best document to use is the Word file that was updated in November 2013 (http://www.usgbc.org/resources/site-assessment-worksheet) with the release of LEED v4.
You can include whatever level of information is most appropriate for your project, as long as it shows enough detail so that the reviewer can understand what is happening with the topography, major site features, vegetation, water bodies, etc. It's intentionally open-ended to allow for flexibility. A site plan(s) would compliment the narrative and help the reviewer see the spatial relationships of site features. It could be one plan that shows all existing conditions (if legible), or multiple site plans that each show a layer of information. It does not need to be an elaborate new document created just for this pilot credit; it can be a drawing, set of drawings, or written report already created for the project analysis, design development, CDs, etc. I would say to err on the side of caution and provide more, rather than provide less.
Mara Baum
Partner, Architecture & SustainabilityDIALOG
674 thumbs up
July 29, 2014 - 1:50 pm
Hi Theresa, that's helpful, thanks - I think I had an older version of that file.
There is not a single plan or document that incorporates all of the (many, many) issues addressed by this credit. In some cases, the reports number in the hundreds of pages. We'll provide narrative descriptions and add the original analysis/reports where it seems to make sense.