Schematic Design

Determine the numbers and types of occupants in the building. The water use calculation is based on occupant use and the number of full-time equivalent (

Keeping classrooms smaller than 20,000 ft³ allows you to follow the easier Case 1 compliance path, this will eliminate the need to run RT calculations.

Establish goals for water use reduction and include these goals in the Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR) for EAp1: Fundamental Commissioning. Consider aiming higher than a 20% reduction.

A good acoustic design takes into consideration classroom and building orientation, size and shape of the classroom, adjacent spaces, wall construction, materials selection (doors, windows, wall covers, ceiling, and floor), placement of the mechanical system, and duct design.

Estimate the project’s baseline water needs and determine the baseline water use budget for indoor water use. This helps determine where the most effective water-saving technologies can be applied.

Meeting the requirements for Enhanced Acoustical Performance is a step up from the prerequisite. For the credit, project teams are required to have a Background Noise Level of 40dBA, whereas the prerequisite only requires 45dBA.

The owner and design team should set preliminary acoustical performance goals and add them to the Owner Project Requirements (OPR) for EAp1: Fundamental Commissioning and EAc3: Enhanced Commissioning. When setting these goals, consider both this prerequisite and IEQc9: Enhanced Acoustical Performance.

Meet with the acoustics consultant (if applicable) and project team, including architect, mechanical engineer, electrical engineer, contractor and owner to cover programmatic uses, acoustics goals, mechanical design, typical wall assemblies, and any other related issues. This meeting should result in a clear path forward, including decisions about which LEED compliance paths will be followed and what strategies will be used to meet the requirements.

Window-to-wall ratios may be fixed if your project is pursuing a prescriptive compliance path for EAp2: Minimum Energy Performance and EAc1: Optimize Energy Performance. These fixed ratios will impact access to views and glazing areas. Check the ASHRAE Advanced Energy Design Guide and the Advanced Buildings Core Performance Guide for required window-to-wall ratios. If a building envelope window-to-wall ratio is over 40% there will be a penalty in the energy model for EAc1. The same is true if skylight-to-roof ratio is more than 5%.

When considering office space layout and workstations, consider partitions and moveable furniture that are equal to or less than 42 inches high on all sides or incorporate transparent surfaces in upper sections to allow access to views while seated.