I'm seeing a lot of comments about conference rooms being considered a regularly occupied space. The work being done in our project building would not see workers spending more than an hour per day per person on average in a conference room. Do i still need to include them?
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TODD REED
Energy Program SpecialistPA DMVA
LEEDuser Expert
889 thumbs up
June 27, 2013 - 8:32 am
Yes,
The regularly occupied space matrix dated April 2013 considers conference rooms that are for meetings as regularly occupied. Conference rooms soley dedicated to just video conferencing can be excluded.
Alicia Wilgus
Interior DesignerHarrison French & Associates
June 27, 2013 - 9:36 am
That stinks, because we designed in several small "huddle rooms" for 15-minute meetings and private phone calls into the areas that have no view, purposefully. These will technically count as conference rooms.
I also see in the LEED book that it says "regularly occupied spaces include office spaces conference rooms and cafeterias", but the discussion thread here determined that "breakrooms" don't count toward spaces with views. We designed ours in an area that does have views and while it is a loungy type space, does not have prepared food for employees to qualify it as a cafeteria. Can i count the breakroom? i know the employees will be more likely to spend "more than one hour per person per day on average" in that space. Especially since the owner plans to use it for meeting spaces during non-lunch hours.
TODD REED
Energy Program SpecialistPA DMVA
LEEDuser Expert
889 thumbs up
June 27, 2013 - 9:49 am
Sounds like these huddle rooms are more like quick break out rooms if they are only large enough for a few, less than five people. Anything larger and it would be hard to argue that these spaces are quick break out rooms and have the potential to hold long meetings.
You can count the break rooms in your calculations. Just because it is not considered regularly occupied and does not have to be included in the calculations does not mean that it can;t. You have gone above what is typically done by specifically providing the occupants the opportunity to relax and enjoy the views of nature, which it the intent. Never makes sense as to why the break room is usually a closet sized area hidden somewhere. It should be what it is labeled as, a break from the task of work, which means being able to view something other than a pin up board with labor laws hung up.