We have a client who lease out three floors in a office building in Hong Kong. They are currently renovating a part of these three floors. Total renovated area is approximately 30% of the total area, rest will be kept as it is, and will remain occupied during renovation. My question is, can only newly renovated area be LEED certified? There won't be any physical boundary between renovated and non renovated areas.
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Matthew Dempsey
Sustainability ConsultantThornton Tomasetti
LEEDuser Expert
3 thumbs up
May 18, 2021 - 4:20 pm
*Edited: Hi. Based on your description, I don't believe that the 30% portion would form a reasonable LEED boundary.
Dave Hubka
Practice Leader - SustainabilityEUA
LEEDuser Expert
530 thumbs up
May 18, 2021 - 3:29 pm
yes you can pursue LEED CI on the scope you described, we do this all the time.
shashank gangil
8 thumbs up
May 19, 2021 - 10:29 pm
Hi David. Just wondering, if suppose only one meeting room, one conference room, partial open office is renovated, how can only this area be LEED Certified? Or are you suggestin,we have to consider the whole office space, irrespective of which areas are renovated or not?
Dave Hubka
Practice Leader - SustainabilityEUA
LEEDuser Expert
530 thumbs up
May 20, 2021 - 7:26 am
in these instances i've drawn the LEED Project Boundary around the construction area and have achieved LEED credits outside this boundary such as plumbing fixtures, recycling storage, bike storage + showes/changing, reduced parking, etc.
The LEED rules are written in such a way that they are 'most' applicable to all projects around the globe. From time to time we work with USGBC to navigate projects into a LEED certification.
Assuming that your total renovated area is more than 1,000 square feet and requires multiple trades, I would expect that USGBC would help you navigate a path towards a LEED CI certification.
shashank gangil
8 thumbs up
May 23, 2021 - 11:11 pm
Hi David. Thanks for response. If the client put hoardings to seperate renovated areas from non renovated areas, we can determine the boundary. But after construction is over, these hoardings will be removed and then there wont be any visible boundary between LEED and Non LEED areas. How can we have a reasonable LEED boundary after construction is complete nad space is occupied?
Dave Hubka
Practice Leader - SustainabilityEUA
LEEDuser Expert
530 thumbs up
May 24, 2021 - 7:14 am
On such projects the GBCI has accepted a letter signed by the owner that included this language:
Signage will be installed to mark the distinction between the LEED project and the existing non-LEED building to which it is attached. The signage will include the LEED project name as well as a key plan highlighting the LEED certified project boundary. The signage will be located adjacent to the LEED plaque in perpetuity.
Patrick Murisset
Tishman Speyer14 thumbs up
August 12, 2021 - 4:54 pm
Hi David
Is it possible to certify a Project as described by Shashank containing an expansion of an open office or of a large ballroom, when only a portion of the space (not more than 50 % of the area) remains untouched?
Do you only have to put a clear sign inidcating the limits of the LEED certification?
I`m experiencing a similar case, where a large space is going to be exapnded and then it`s going to be without phisycal barriers.
Can I proceed with the LEED Project and at the end I ask the owner to sign a letter and install the relevant signage?
Dave Hubka
Practice Leader - SustainabilityEUA
LEEDuser Expert
530 thumbs up
August 12, 2021 - 10:17 pm
running through the checklist off the top of my head:
ID+C must be at least 250 square feet, at least two trades of work occur, and 40/60 rule = at least 40% of the space pursuing ID+C certification must undergo construction.
LEED Project Boundary is not required to be a physical wall, but if the owner like to market the certification they will need to follow the guidance from my previous post. OR they could chose to keep the project private, and GBCI may not require them to post the 'LEED boundary map' adjacent to the plaque because you can't shop at the 'LEED store' when you make the project 'private'.
one last item, make you sure you accurately name your LEED project on LEED Online. MPR #2 states:
"The LEED project must accurately communicate the scope of the certifying project in all promotional and descriptive materials and distinguish it from any non-certifying space." This also pertains to the project's name on LEED Online.
Good Luck!
Edgar Arevalo
Associate19 thumbs up
March 7, 2024 - 12:14 am
This is very helpful to read. But just to be clear for the sake of my upcoming project, it is a partial floor fit-out where the client would like that partial space to be LEED certified. The project space is approximately 52% - 60% of the total floor area, but it is well above the minimum floor area for LEED v4 ID+C. Considering it is a partial floor area, is the project still eligible for LEED certification?