The project team would like to exclude laboratory spaces from the list of regularly occupied spaces for the Daylighting and Views calculations. The laboratory spaces are separated from other building areas but efforts have been made to provide exterior views out of the lab spaces by providing fire rated windows around the lab into the surrounding hallways and drive aisle. The laboratory areas will be used solely for research and development purposes and for proprietary reasons & secrecy concerns of the areas, exterior windows have been specifically excluded from these rooms as they will be secure internal rooms being used by a very small percentage of the building occupants.
"The project team is requesting that laboratory spaces be excluded from the requirements for daylight and views (credits IEQc8.1 Daylight and Views: Daylight, IEQc8.2 Daylight and Views, and IEQc2.4: Daylight and Views.) for security reasons and/or due to infrequency of use.
No, the laboratory spaces may not be excluded from daylight and views. It is unacceptable to exclude spaces from the daylight and views calculations due to security reasons. Additionally, based on the information provided, the laboratory spaces may not be excluded for infrequency of use because the spaces are typically occupied for more than one hour per day. The percentage of building occupants using the space is irrelevant. The frequency of use for regularly occupied spaces was further clarified in the definition of a regularly occupied space included in the LEED Reference Guide for Green Building Design and Construction, 2009 Edition addenda dated 11/1/2011 which states that regularly occupied spaces are “areas where one or more individuals normally spend time (more than one hour per person per day on average) seated or standing as they work, study, or perform other focused activities inside a building."" Applicable Internationally."