Our project, registered under LEED NC2.1, is a day care facility serving the staff and students of the nearby University of Texas at Austin Campus. As such, the regular occupants of the classrooms are children of such young age as to be incapable of operating heating or ventilation controls and arguably most are not even aware of the ability to do so. Compliance with credit EQ6.1 would be achieved on this project were it not for the required ventilation and heating controls required because the classrooms are considered multi-occupant spaces. We propose that a more proper classification of these spaces be determined by using the standard perimeter and non-perimeter calculations as only the staff in each room will be capable of adjusting the temperature and airflow controls on behalf of the students regardless of the configuration of such systems. Credit Interpretations for other credits have often allowed the consideration of staff in lieu of building occupants in calculations (ie: for number of bicycles in credit SS4.2) when building users are not in direct control of building systems, and we feel a similar argument can be made here. Is it acceptable to calculate the compliance of EQ6.1 as described above considering the unique circumstance that the very young age of the classroom occupants prevents them from using required controls should they be provided?
Credit EQ6.1 applies specifically to perimeter spaces, which are defined in the LEED Version 2.1 Reference Guide language within this credit. The credit is based on the room area, and not on the number or type of occupants. The only ventilation and heating control requirement is to provide at least one operable window per 200 sqft floor area. To receive Credit EQ6.1 you must provide 1 operable window and 1 lighting control per 200 sqft floor area. Additional multi-occupant ventilation and heating control requirements are part of a separate credit, EQ6.2 and apply to non-perimeter spaces only. For EQ6.2, the spaces in question would qualify as multi-occupant spaces, per the definition in LEED v2.1 Reference Guide. These multi-occupant spaces are required to have control for each space, not for each occupant. For multi-occupant space thermal and ventilation control requirements under credit EQ6.2, refer to LEED v2.1 Reference Guide language for this credit. Applicable Internationally.