We're attempting this pilot credit on a hospital here in San Francisco, California. I have some thoughts about the building facade requirements that I'm curious if anyone has also encountered.

1. Adjacent buildings
My project is in a dense city. On one side, we have some houses very close to the property line that our building abuts. One house is 2' from my building and another is about 20' away. In calculating the various facade areas, I'm proposing to exclude the region blocked by the house that's 2' away, because no bird could possibly hit it there. However, I'm including the area of the facade eclipsed by the house 20' away ... because I that's enough distance for a worst-case bird to swoop in, turn sharply and smack the building.

I'm curious if others have encountered this issue. I think the credit language should offer guidance in these situations.

2. Sloping sites
My project site slopes one story in height from one side to the other. In dividing the facade into facade zones 1 and 2, I'm using a goofy-looking sloped region matching the site slope. It cuts through individual windows and made more work out of calculating the areas of various materials. No big deal, but a nuisance.

Is there a better way? Should the credit language provide a method for sloping sites?

3. Sensitive sites & bird magnets
San Francisco has adopted a bird-safety ordinance that our design is in compliance with. One feature of it that the pilot credit omits is an understanding that some project sites are more sensitive than others. Buildings near migration corridors, water, dense tree canopies, open space or other sanctuaries, for example, are held to a higher standard than buildings in less bird-ful places. In my mind, this is omission a significant flaw in the pilot credit.

4. Damaging to urban context?
Finally, I'm finding that the requirement to limit clear glazing (i.e., Threat Factor > 75) in facade zone 1 to just 15% of the glazed area in that zone is profoundly inappropriate for an urban building. My project isn't especially glassy, but our percentage is > 80% ... and yet we're in compliance with the City's bird safety ordinance because it's in an area devoid of bird-attracting features. I feel that, if we start building facilities with virtually no clear glazing, we'll trend toward cities of milky, opaque fritted facades and blank walls with little engagement with the street. Retail and food service projects will avoid this credit, as it would destroy their business.

Am I off base here? Anyone else finding the 15% rule problematic?