Private Balconies

Maya Karkour

EcoConsulting

LEEDuser Basic Member

549 thumbs up

May 4, 2010

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Tristan Roberts

Representative

Vermont House of Representatives

LEEDuser Expert

7780 thumbs up

Wed, 05/05/2010 - 13:21

What would the logic for counting them as open space? In general, the credit language calls for "vegetated open space." If you are also earning SSc2, then that requirement broadens to include vegetated roofs or pedestrian-oriented hardscape. Private balconies don't seem to qualify under any of these descriptions.

Michael Kros

Architect

DLR Group

LEEDuser Basic Member

25 thumbs up

Fri, 07/30/2010 - 16:48

We are doing a project that deals with a private balcony as well. Would the area underneath the balcony (at street level) count as pedestrian oriented hardscape if we are earning SSc2?

Tristan Roberts

Representative

Vermont House of Representatives

LEEDuser Expert

7780 thumbs up

Tue, 08/03/2010 - 16:48

I don't see why not, if it's in your LEED boundary. Some of the open space must be vegetated, per the requirements described in the tabs above.

Nicole Michel

LEEDuser Basic Member

6 thumbs up

Wed, 03/09/2011 - 15:48

What about interior courtyards? We have a similar issue, where we are working on an urban project earning SSc2 that includes 2 small interior patios within the building. The patios are on the ground floor of a 4-story building (located above the underground garage). They are vegetated and open to the sky, but enclosed on all 4 sides by glass walls. Could they be counted as vegetated open space?

Susann Geithner

Principal

Emerald Built Environments

LEEDuser Basic Member

900 thumbs up

Wed, 03/09/2011 - 16:08

We had a LEED CS V3 project with exactly the same situation and counted the area of the courtyards towards the open space and vegetated space. Both courtyards are accessible by all building occupants.The requirements under LEED NC for this credit are the same as for LEED CS. So I think you can do that.