Taylor 28 is a mixed-use project that includes multi-family residential over ground floor retail with underground parking in addition to outdoor plazas and courtyard spaces. The project is located in downtown Seattle, Washington. The project has three above-grade, podium level courtyards that are composed of concrete pavers, raised planting areas, and a small amount of wood decking (ipe). The project has strong design intent focused on minimizing the heat island effect and thus is pursuing and will likely achieve the Sustainable Sites credits for Heat Island Effect for Non-Roof (SSc7.1) and Roof (SSc7.2). We believe the project also satisfies the intent of the Exemplary Performance pathway for Heat Island Effect Non-Roof since 100% of the parking is underground. However, we are confused about how best to demonstrate that accomplishment due to the complexity of our project, contribution of multiple strategies, and imprecise language in the reference guide. Please provide clarification on how to document this credit, given the circumstances described. Even though the roof already satisfies the criteria for SSc7.2 Heat Island Effect, Roof, the roof is reexamined in determining compliance with the Exemplary Performance pathway for SSc7.1 since portions cover the underground parking. As previously mentioned, the project will easily achieve the 50% threshold for SSc7.1, by either or both of the available options. However in order to achieve the SSc7.1 Exemplary Performance threshold of 100%, it seems the project is required to demonstrate that any portion of roof that covers parking has a minimum solar reflectance index (SRI) of 29. We believe that the project satisfies the intent of the credit but is having trouble matching the circumstances of the project to the submittal requirements. As you will read below, only by the strictest definition of the requirements, does the project fail to satisfy the requirements. The following four ways demonstrate both in isolation and in cooperation why our project should be awarded full credit for the Exemplary Performance for SSc7.1: 1. Area-weighted Average SRI - The area-weighted average SRI value for surfaces that are above underground parking is 75, which is composed of the following three elements: a. Roof - White TPO membrane, SRI = 82, Area over parking = 36,483 sf b. Courtyard - Concrete pavers, SRI = 40, Area over parking = 4,742 sf c. Courtyard - Ipe decking, SRI = 27, Area over parking = 1,634 sf The area of vegetation and a corresponding SRI is excluded from the Area-weighted Average SRI. However, it is worth noting that vegetation on the courtyards covers 4,535 sf (9.5%) and further reduces the heat island effect and would increase the average SRI if vegetation could be valued using the SRI metric. The percentage of the total area covering underground parking for each of the four materials is as follows: a. Roof - White TPO membrane, percentage of total roof area: 77% b. Courtyard - Concrete pavers, percentage of total roof area: 10% c. Courtyard - Vegetation, percentage of total roof area: 9.5% d. Courtyard - Ipe decking - percentage of total roof area: 3.5% 2. Shading: The three podium-level courtyards are located one story above street level and are significantly shaded by five levels of residential units that surround them. Due to this, the courtyards are further mitigated from any heat island effect by shading. In fact, using the LEED prescribed shading calculations (qualifying area shaded is the average of areas shaded at 10 a.m., noon, and 3 p.m. on the solstice), even though they only technically apply to the Option 1 compliance path, demonstrates that shade from the building will cover 47 % of the total courtyard area, and 51% of the total wood decking area. This further reduces the influence of the wood decking in contributing to the heat island effect. In addition, tree plantings in the larger courtyard will also contribute to shading of the pavement. 3. The LEED-NC Reference Guide gives an explicit definition of what qualifies a project for the Exemplary Performance Pathway for SSc7.1, "Project may be awarded an innovation point for exemplary performance by demonstrating that.2) 100% of the on-site parking spaces have been located under cover". There is no mention of the requirement that "Any roof used to shade or cover parking must have an SRI of at least 29" as is mentioned in the credit language. Furthermore, the roof in question was not merely put in place as a parking shade, but instead to cover the building, which is already included in SSc7.2 Heat Island Effect, Roof, which this project is already achieving. 4. Amenity Space: The project is sited in a dense urban area, where residential development is part of a strategy to create vibrant neighborhoods. In creating such communities, it is important to provide outdoor amenity spaces for the residents that allow for a respite from the hectic pace of urban life. These courtyards provide simple outdoor gathering spaces comprised of a variety of materials which allow residents to relax in a visually rich outdoor space within the harsher city environment. As a footnote, the Ipe wood decking in question was sent for testing at a laboratory, at a not insignificant cost, to determine its actual SRI value and its impact on the heat island effect. Since new Ipe decking has very different properties than Ipe decking that is a few years old due to the effect of weathering (the brownish wood weathers to a silvery gray over time), a partially-weathered sample was tested. It is our belief that this was the appropriate approach as for most of the life of the building, the weathered Ipe decking will be in place, and only for the first few years would the decking exhibit its as-installed brownish look. Since the sample available for testing was only partially weathered, we believe this further strengthens our argument, as over time the SRI value will slowly increase, likely moving from its tested value of 27 and eventually crossing the threshold of 29. In conclusion, the Taylor 28 project has located 100% of its parking underground to avoid paving even a single black asphalt parking space, is located in a dense urban environment where amenity spaces-especially those with natural wood elements-are limited and essential to community and producing peaceful outdoor spaces, and has multiple strategies in place to respond to the intent of reducing the heat island effect. The wood decking is only slightly under an SRI of 29, comprises only 9.5% of the over-parking roof area, is 51% shaded via LEED shading methodology, and the remaining roof areas and vegetation will also drastically reduce the heat island effect-combining to nearly trivialize the contribution of the Ipe decking to the heat island effect, while providing a great amenity space and natural element in a dense urban environment. For these reasons and everything described above, we believe that this project should be awarded both Heat Island Effect credits as well as an Innovation in Design point for Exemplary Performance for credit SSc7.1.