Services on campus

Hi Lauren, thank you for seeking out the established guidance regarding services on campuses. My colleagues that specialize in these credits wanted me to pass along the following information on this topic. These settings can present tricky circumstances. LEED Interpretation 2403 (1/8/2009) clarifies the rating system intent that basic services are open to the general public. The intent of this credit is to reward projects that locate themselves in existing built-up areas with existing infrastructure. The goal is that the community basic services can serve a larger population than just the building occupants, as the example services listed in the rating system illustrate. There are very limited occasions where the basic services would not need to be open to the general public. For example, if a project is on a military base where access to the base is limited to only military personnel and base occupants, then it would be permissible to include military-only services as community services as long as such services are open to the base users. Conversely, if a university campus is located in a dense urban area, it would not be appropriate to count services that are only available to university students. These types of private services do not qualify as community infrastructure.

We received the same comment for our project, a dormitory renovation on a university campus. We are NOT in a dense urban area. Half of our circle of the 1/2-mile radius is a redwood forest. I don't believe we can achieve this credit if we cannot count any services available to students and faculty only. College campuses are such an ideal of connected, walkable communities. I can't imagine the USGBC would want to deny a university striving for LEED Silver to not achieve it because a non-student or faculty member can't use the gym or health center. Incredibly disappointing. We used the exact same services for LEED certification on the exact same campus 3 years ago and received the credit without comment.

Hi Kate - Just wondering if you ever achieved this credit, and if so, would you mind sharing how you justified services only open the campus community? Thanks!