Pre-Design

If the project is designed for a single tenant, you may want to encourage the tenant to pursue LEED-CI certification, and help them in determining which credits are best to pursue. Information and guidance on these credits could be included in the tenant guidelines.

Discuss with your project team what type of tenants the building expects to attract and whether the building will be multi- or single-tenant. Doing so will help you determine your approach to writing the tenant guidelines. 

There will be minimal additional costs for this credit if open space was already planned. If the team was not planning on including open space, or was only planning a limited area, then adjusting the building footprint could result in a cost increase or less buildable square footage.  

Consider creating a project master plan that includes long-term plans for open space, helping you comply with SSc9: Site Master Plan.

Designing a project with ample open space can increase the value of the property and may increase rents, especially in areas that do not generally provide these amenities to building occupants. From a purely economic standpoint, however, buildable square footage typically adds more value than open space. 

Discuss the potential for future build-out, and make sure the areas delineated as open space for credit compliance will not be compromised in the future. Consider creating a project master plan that includes long-term plans for open space, helping you comply with SSc9: Site Master Plan.

Discuss the potential for future build-out and make sure the areas delineated as open space for credit compliance will not be compromised in the future. 

Determine your project goals for vegetated open space and pedestrian-oriented hardscapes. 

The owner will need to sign off on the LEED Online credit form as part of the documentation, stating that the open space is intended to remain open for the life of the building. 

Documentation for this credit is relatively easy and straightforward, and will not take much time. As applicable for the different zoning options, you will need to determine the zoning option for the project site, provide the acreage required by zoning, building footprint, total site area, designed vegetated acreage, and a site drawing delineating the vegetated open space.