Hello,
I have two questions related to the terminology used in this credit:
1) Could someone help clarify what is meant by the phrase "designed to work in concert" within the Credit Requirements?
"Systems furniture is defined as either ... or a freestanding grouping of furniture items and their components that have been designed to work in concert"
For a private office or conference room, for example, we could easily argue that -all- of the furniture items in that room are designed to work together (assuming they weren't just thrown together haphazardly from whatever was left-over from a supply warehouse).
It seems like this language was meant to broaden the scope of the required items beyond the traditional definition of systems furniture ("a panel-based workstation comprised of modular interconnecting panels, hang-on components and drawer/filing components") - but is unclear where the line stops.
2) Related to the above, in the line that follows the "freestanding grouping" language, the credit seems to be making a distinction with "occasional furniture." The LEED User introduction to this credit lists lobbies and conference rooms as examples of occasional furniture - are these hard and fast definitions? Are there other examples?
Many Thanks,
Valerie Molinski
Environmental Stewardship ManagerTarkett North America
102 thumbs up
June 11, 2013 - 2:54 pm
This is a great question. I've submitted this credit as an ID credit on NC projects 10 times (same type of building, same furniture package) in the last 2-3 years (6 of these in only the last year, so my experience is very current) and have gotten varied results/interpretations. 6 of my projects have gone through fine, 3 are still pending, and one had interpretations that I don't necessarily agree with.
My initial answers to your questions are:
1. You are right. I have been asked to provide documentation for all of the items in a specific office, for example, from the desk 'system' to the metal filing cabinets and the seating as they are all working in concert. Only recently have I been asked for items from the conference room. I will go into that more below.
2. I have never been asked for lobby furniture documentation compliance. I think in this regard, the definition of 'in concert' goes too far. That case could be made for all pieces of furniture throughout the space. At this point, LEED might as well be asking for compliance from every stick of furniture in the project.
Which leads me to the idea that this definition has become nebulous and some reviewers are taking it to another level that I do not think was intended, nor does the credit language currently support.
For example, this one project of the 10 I refer to above is the first time the reviewer has asked me for documentation on the conference room table. I am more than happy to oblige as it meets requirements. The other two items in question are two pieces that were to be built by the millwork subcontractor.
The first was a dry erase board/cabinet. I do not agree with a dry erase cabinet being classified as 'systems furniture,' and additionally, it would not be freestanding and would be installed permanently in the conference room. Thankfully, it was never installed, so I do not have to prove compliance.
The other item in question is a 'booth' manufactured by the millwork subcontractor. The booth appears in these particular projects when there is not enough space to program a room for the bank patron to take him safe deposit box to privately view. The booth is put in another room as an ad hoc solution. It sometimes is built with wheels and sometimes is installed as you would any other piece of millwork. I also do not consider this as a piece of 'systems furniture' either by current credit language definition. I feel that this demonstrates the reviewers are not consistent and taking the request for compliance too far in some cases.
I know some will argue under LEED that "systems furniture and seating is EXPLICITLY this or that," when in my experience it seems that there is not a general consensus when it comes to meeting the credit for reviewers.