Office tower on a shopping center "plinth"

Pedro—You ask a lot, but let’s take first things first. You have either used incorrect terminology or you have calculated your area ratios incorrectly. Your inquiry states that you have considered the “building footprint” of the shopping center when calculating the tower’s percentage of the overall “gross floor area” (GFA). “Building footprint” does not figure into this calculation. Base this percentage on the total GFA of the existing shopping center and the total GFA of the tower: . . . . . . . 100% . × . ( GFA of tower ) ------------------------------------------------------------------- ≥ 20% ( GFA of tower ) + ( GFA of shopping center) Be sure to include the GFA of each floor of the shopping center and the tower and to exclude non‐enclosed, roofed‐over areas, airshafts, pipe trenches, chimneys, parking areas, and areas with ceiling heights less than 2.2 meters (7’-6”). If your result is still less than 20% when calculated this way, it may be permissible to exclude portions of the existing shopping center if they are owned separately, if they are clearly distinguishable, or if they meet any of the other criteria outlined in the MPR. If you choose to exclude portions, your best bet may be to submit an inquiry to USGBC now to verify that your rationale for doing so is sound.