BackgroundThe Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Automated Train is a LEED NC Version 2.2 registered project and consists of an automated electric train which travels on an open, elevated guideway serving three train stations and one maintenance facility. A Parking Toll Plaza Building and parking Kiosks are also part of the project. The Terminal 4 Station, 44th Street Station, Toll Plaza Building, and Parking Kiosks are enclosed, normally occupied and conditioned buildings. The EEL (East Economy Lot) Station is unenclosed, unconditioned, and not normally occupied (similar to a parking garage where people spend little time passing through the building and there is no full time staff assigned). The MSF (Maintenance Facility) will be enclosed, normally occupied, and conditioned, but will be designed and constructed by another team. The design team has elected to approach certification of the project as a campus in accordance with the "LEED-NC Application Guide for Multiple Buildings and On-Campus Building Projects", dated 10/05.Credit Interpretation RequestThis CIR requests verification that the campus certification approach taken and the LEED Project Boundary defined are appropriate. The automated train project campus will be owned by the PSHIA Airport Authority and operated under a contract to them as a single owner. All of the buildings and infrastructure within the campus will be constructed in approximately the same time frame. The certification option on page 6 of the Guideline "Certifying a group of new buildings as a package where the entire building set will be rated as a package and only one rating received" was identified as the option that best fits this project. Do you concur?The Guideline seems to allow considerable latitude in the definition of the LEED Project Site Boundary as long as it is applied consistently to all credits. The project scope of work includes considerable site development including parking pavement areas and roadways well away from the buildings and guideway. In order to pursue the Non-Roof Heat Island effect credit as mandated by the client, the LEED Project Site Boundary has been defined to include the buildings; immediately adjacent landscaped and pervious pavement areas; and the guideway, but excludes parking pavement and roadway areas which will be part of the construction project. Please verify that the project team has the latitude to define the LEED Project Boundary in this way. Also, please verify that it will be permissible to include the Parking Toll Plaza Building and the Parking Kiosks in the campus with their own project boundaries not contiguous with the campus boundary as shown on the plan.Phase 2 of this project will extend the guideway to other airport terminal buildings with stations similar to that at Terminal 4. While the route of the guideway is known at this time, the design team is reluctant to include this area in the LEED Project Boundary at this time because inclusion of this presently paved area would have a detrimental effect on achieving the Non-Roof Heat Island Effect credit. While it seems obvious that adjustment of the LEED Project Boundary to include the Phase 2 work as a Version 2.2 project will be permissible if the Phase 1 project has not been submitted for certification, will it permitted to add Phase 2 as a Version 2.2 project at a later date, if Phase 1 has already been submitted for certification?
The project team is seeking guidance regarding its selection of a rating system and its approach to defining project boundaries. It would be acceptable for the project team to use an appropriate LEED Rating System to certify each individual building and select project boundaries that reflect the construction limits of each project; however, it would also be acceptable for the project team to utilize the LEED-NC Application Guide for Multiple Buildings and On-Campus Building Projects so that the entire development footprint receives one rating. When referencing the Application Guide, credit requirement alternatives may be used instead of the regular LEED-NC requirements, but are not mandatory as they may not apply in all situations.The LEED project boundary must include the parking pavement and roadways if they are within the scope of the project serving the automated train, train stations, maintenance facility, parking toll plaza building and/or parking kiosks. If a small portion of the parking serves Phase 1, the allotted area should be included in the LEED project boundary. If the parking pavement and roadways do not serve Phase 1, they are not required to be included in the LEED project boundary. As stated, the LEED project boundary must be applied consistently across all credits. For example, if the parking pavement and roadways are excluded, this material must be excluded from all Materials and Resource credit calculations.The LEED project boundary should reflect construction limits and/or property boundaries. If the project scope includes parking pavement areas and roadways then these areas may not be excluded from the project boundaries.Phase 2 may not be added to Phase 1 once Phase 1 has been submitted for certification. There are two options: 1) Submit Phase 1 for certification and, if desired, submit Phase 2 separately or 2) Wait for Phase 2 to submit the entire scope in one certification.Please note that the attached documents that were referenced have not been viewed. Please see the \'CIR and ruling process guidelines\' document located on the CIR web page. It states that no mechanism for submitting cut-sheets, plans, drawings or attachments exists.Update April 15, 2011: Please note that all 2009 projects in multiple building situations must follow the 2010 Application Guide for Multiple Buildings and On-Campus Building Projects, located here: https://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=7987. 2009 project teams should check this document for up to date guidance on all multiple building issues.