The LEED for Core & Shell reference guide states that credit EQ8.2 "may be eligible for exemplary performance. however, there is no prescribed threshold for determination of exemplary performance." We are proposing a quantitative performance standard for measuring availability of views beyond the standard of EQ8.2. The project under consideration is a 27-story office tower in a downtown location with floor to ceiling glazing and no party walls. The current metric requires a direct line of sight to vision glazing from 90% of the occupied floor, so making an incremental improvement to that metric (i.e. to 95% of the floor) does not in our opinion constitute sufficient improvement for an exemplary credit. We propose that instead exemplary views be measured by improved view quality, specifically: 1. Spaces that have multiple lines of sight to vision glazing in different directions (at least 120 degrees apart) have significantly higher quality views than those without. We propose that an ID credit for exemplary views be granted if, in addition to achieving EQ8.2, 90% of all regularly occupied areas can show separate lines of sight to vision glazing at 120 degree angles to each other. 2. Spaces closer to windows have higher quality views that fill more of the field of vision than spaces that rely on distant windows for minor views to the outside. We propose that an ID credit for exemplary views be granted if, in addition to achieving EQ8.2, 90% of all regularly occupied areas are within three times the window head height of vision glazing. 3. It might also be reasonable to require demonstration of both metrics to ensure that an ID credit is being granted for truly exemplary projects. Do the proposed metric warrant a likely exemplary performance credit?
Exemplary Performance for LEED-CS v2.0 EQc8.2 can be satisfied if at least two of the following four measures are suitably demonstrated. This design provision must also be addressed within Tenant Guidelines. 1. 90% or more of regularly occupied spaces have multiple lines of sight to vision glazing in different directions at least 90 degrees apart. 2. 90% or more of regularly occupied spaces have views that include views of at least two of the following three options: 1) vegetation, 2) human activity or 3) objects at least 70 feet from the exterior of the glazing. 3. 90% or more of regularly occupied spaces have access to unobstructed views located within the distance of 3 times the head height of the vision glazing. 4. 90% or more of regularly occupied spaces have access to views with a view factor of 3 or greater, per the Heschong Mahone Group study, "Windows and Offices; A Study of Office Worker Performance and the Indoor Environment", page 47, for their Primary View (seated at workstation, facing computer screen). See: http://h-m-g.com/downloads/Daylighting/day_registration_form.htm to obtain free access to report download. Submittal Requirements: Please provide: 1) Separate floor plans indicating compliance for the chosen compliance paths. Please be certain to indicate all non-regularly occupied areas (including a narrative describing why they are not considered regularly occupied) and all complying and non-complying regularly occupied areas. 2) Typical sections for all applicable view conditions. 3) A copy of the Tenant Guidelines including a section that addresses how opportunities for views have been addressed in building design. This section must include a sample interior layout illustrating how the views can be maintained after fit-out for the final occupants. Applicable Internationally.