Hello,
I am working on a project that is a medical office building. It has outpatient care (more than 60% of the area is outpatient) but it operates like an office space. For instance,
-It's working hours are a normal 9-5 day, and not 24-hours
-It is overseen by OSHPD but is not required to follow OSHPD's requirements, for instance it's air change requirements
-It's a Type B building and not I or I2.
They don't have the same isolation issues that hospitals have.
Also, recently one of our team members attended a Greenbuild session where it was discouraged for projects to go for LEED-H when they are medical office buildings. However, when I look at this guidance: http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=10135 I get concerned that it would be required for us to use LEED for Healthcare.
Any advice from others on this?
Thank you.
Lauren
Mara Baum
Partner, Architecture & SustainabilityDIALOG
674 thumbs up
December 6, 2012 - 4:50 pm
Hi Lauren,
I agree that the language is a little fuzzy. The challenge with outpatient facilities is that some are glorified office buildings that happen to house doctors and some are basically full hospitals (with procedures) but where patients don't stay overnight. The document that you reference doesn't address that clearly at all, but the rating system itself says "LEED for Healthcare was written primarily for inpatient and outpatient care facilities and licensed long term care facilities. The rating system may also be used for medical offices, assisted living facilities and medical education and research centers." In other words, you should have the choice.
Many of the credits are simply not applicable to buildings that are not heavily clinical, which is likely why the Greenbuild presentation made that recommendation. (Which one was it?)
Good luck!
Lauren Sparandara
Sustainability ManagerGoogle
LEEDuser Expert
997 thumbs up
December 6, 2012 - 4:53 pm
Thanks Mara! I thought of you when I wrote that question. ;-)
I am not certain what greenbuild preso it was. I would have to check with my colleague.
We have to make our decision ASAP regarding the rating system. Do you know of anyone we could chat with that could help to definitively guide us one way or another? Our preference would be LEED-NC because our project is mostly operating like an office building so what we would like is confirmation that that is acceptable.
I appreciate your help!
Mara Baum
Partner, Architecture & SustainabilityDIALOG
674 thumbs up
December 6, 2012 - 4:56 pm
The language in the rating system itself clearly supports that you have the choice of using either NC or HC, so you shouldn't have any trouble with USGBC on that. It sounds like NC is definitely the most appropriate one in your case.
Susan Walter
HDRLEEDuser Expert
1296 thumbs up
December 6, 2012 - 5:06 pm
I second Mara's recommendation. It sounds like you are primarily office use and NC would be a better fit. I have a couple of suggestions on people to call. PM me at smw@wilmot.com.
Susan
Hernando Miranda
OwnerSoltierra LLC
344 thumbs up
December 6, 2012 - 5:48 pm
My concern with split LEED rating system buildings is that the GBCI project reviewers have insisted that elements of each of the rating systems be included in the submittal.
For example, if NC is the primary rating system, EQp1 follow healthcare requirements for that part of the project and NC for the other part.
If you can argue your way out of LEED Healthcare (HC), do so. It is a significantly more expensive documentation process than NC. Many credits worth separate points in NC are merged together in HC.
The USGBC really needs to clarify the requirements for split rating system projects. The LEED reviewers seem to follow rules not published for project teams to see.
Mara Baum
Partner, Architecture & SustainabilityDIALOG
674 thumbs up
December 6, 2012 - 6:03 pm
With respect to Lauren's issue, USGBC doesn't do a terribly good job of even defining "what is healthcare" let alone how to handle a building with multiple rating system program types.
Hernando Miranda
OwnerSoltierra LLC
344 thumbs up
December 6, 2012 - 6:18 pm
Which is why she should be prepared to include some Healthcare requirements as part of a LEED NC project.
I was forced to integrate NC, CS and CI into a NC project. The project happened to be "office-style" Healthcare just like Lauren's, and it included about 5% CS space. The CS part of the project had to include CI tenant requirements even though CI was not a part of the project scope.
That project was not forced to use Healthcare 2009 ventilation requirements because the ventilation requirements for Healthcare was still included in ASHRAE 62.1-2004 at the time or registration. We did follow the ventilation requirements for Healthcare included in the Appendix of ASHRAE 62.1.
What stuck me about the review comments we initially received was the review did not know ASHRAE 62.1-2004 included an appendix for healthcare ventilation. We had to explain them that ASHRAE 62.1 ventilation requirements had indeed been met for a healthcare project.