What are possible conditions to enable excluding underground parking from calculations of IEQ 4 - Low emmiting materials?
if we have 3 underground levels of parking and they have the following conditions:
1- Mechanically ventelated with co2 sensors that will be alarmed when co2 concentration raised by 10% above limits.
2- there are 3 vertical shafts used for air intake.
3- there are open entrances in the lower ground level only and ramps for the remaining 2 levels.
4- there is no openings in the structural retaining walls. So, there is no views to the outdoor.
With these conditions, Can we exclude the 3 underground parking levels from calculations of IEQ 4 - Low emmiting materials?
Mara Baum
Partner, Architecture & SustainabilityDIALOG
674 thumbs up
March 28, 2012 - 11:36 am
Ibrahim, you have just described the conditions that define the parking as interior space, which means that you are required to include the garage in any of the EQ4 credits that you are pursuing.
Ibrahim El-Shair
LEED Construction Coordinator, Sustainability ProfessionalDAR
4 thumbs up
March 29, 2012 - 1:58 am
Thanks Mara, but when can i exclude the underground parking from IEQ credits (conditions) ?
Mara Baum
Partner, Architecture & SustainabilityDIALOG
674 thumbs up
March 29, 2012 - 12:05 pm
Typically you would need to, given that it's usually always enclosed and mechanically ventilated. Only parking that is open to the air would be excluded.
Ibrahim El-Shair
LEED Construction Coordinator, Sustainability ProfessionalDAR
4 thumbs up
April 3, 2012 - 7:02 am
Dear Mara,
What do you mean exactly by (OPEN TO THE AIR)?
Mara Baum
Partner, Architecture & SustainabilityDIALOG
674 thumbs up
April 3, 2012 - 12:23 pm
A parking garage that is not mechanically ventilated - these are typically above grade, though it's theoretically possible to fully naturally ventilate a below grade parking garage with area ways and similar approaches. The question to ask is whether or not the garage is an interior environment.