Multiple School Additions and Determining LEED Boundary

Stephen Sgro

Senior Architect

PS&S Architecture & Engineering, PC

LEEDuser Basic Member

1 thumbs up

Project location :

United States

March 19, 2018

We are currently working on a school project that includes four additions to be constructed over several phases. The school would like to seek LEED certification for one of the four additions. The first floor of this addition will serve as the new cafeteria. The second and third floors are classroom spaces. The 3-story addition is oriented perpendicular to two existing, 2-story wings. The existing wings will be the connection points at either end of the addition (basically forming a U-shape). The first and second floor corridors of the existing wings will tie into the corridors of the addition, essentially continuing the circulation. There will be double doors at each of the two existing wing connecting points.

Question #1: Is a LEED boundary that includes only one of the four additions acceptable? If so, what other elements do we need to be concerned with besides separate metering to make sure we are compliant with MPR2?

Thank you for your help in advance.

Stephen Sgro, AIA LEED AP BD+C

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Paula Melton

Editorial Director

BuildingGreen, Inc.

LEEDuser Expert

159 thumbs up

Thu, 03/22/2018 - 19:09

Stephen, have you already been through this part of the MPR language? It looks to me like the addition may be able to be a LEED project as long as it has separate mechanicals and energy meters, but it might be worth contacting USGBC to discuss special circumstances, as recommended below.

Buildings that are physically connected by programmable space are considered one building for LEED purposes unless they are physically distinct and have distinct identities as separate buildings or if they are a newly constructed addition. If separated, the projects should also have separate air distribution systems and water and energy meters (including thermal energy meters).
Buildings that have no physical connection or are physically connected only by circulation, parking, or mechanical/storage rooms are considered separate buildings and individual projects for LEED purposes, with the following exceptions:
- Primary and secondary school projects, hospitals (general medical and surgical), hotels, resorts, and resort properties, as defined by ENERGY STAR building rating purposes, may include more than one physically distinct building in a single LEED project. For new construction projects, each building in the application must be less than 25,000 sq. ft. Please contact USGBC if with any questions.
- For other cases such as buildings that have programmatic dependency (spaces – not personnel – within the building cannot function independently without the other building) or architectural cohesiveness (the building was designed to appear as one building), project teams are encouraged to contact USGBC to discuss their project prior to proceeding.

Stephen Sgro

Senior Architect

PS&S Architecture & Engineering, PC

LEEDuser Basic Member

1 thumbs up

Mon, 03/26/2018 - 21:29

Thank you Paula. We did in fact review the MPR language but didn't find that it resolved our question. To further clarify, if we have a project that includes several additions, would we be required to include all of them in our boundary or can we seek certification on one of them? We understand that any addition would require separate metering / mechanical. In our case, there would be a central plant so utilities would cross the LEED boundary but we would meter separately.