LEEDuser expert
Alexis Kurtz
LEED AP, INCE
The Sextant Group
Sr. Consultant
LEEDuser’s viewpoint
Frank advice from LEED experts
LEED is changing all the time, and every project is unique. Even seasoned professionals can miss a critical detail and lose a credit or even a prerequisite at the last minute. Our expert advice guides our LEEDuser Premium members and saves you valuable time.
Credit language
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Intent
Pilot Credit Closed
This pilot credit is closed to new registrations
To provide workspaces and classrooms that promote occupants’ well-being, productivity, and communications through effective acoustic design.
Requirements
For all occupied spaces, meet the following requirements as applicable to the space:
- room noise levels
- sound isolation performance of constructions,
- limiting reverberation time and reverberant noise buildup
- paging, masking and sound reinforcement systems
Room noise levels
Room noise levels from building mechanical systems shall fall within the sound level ranges shown in either the 2011 ASHRAE Handbook, HVAC Applications, Chapter 48, Table 1, or the AHRI Standard 885-2008, Table 15, or local equivalent. Measurements for room sound levels shall be measured using a sound level meter that conforms to ANSI S1.4 for type 1 (precision) or type 2 (general purpose) sound measurement instrumentation, or local equivalent. Comply with design criteria for HVAC noise levels in regularly occupied spaces resulting from the sound transmission paths listed in Table 6 in the ASHRAE 2011 Applications Handbook or AHRI Standard 885-2008, or local equivalent.Sound isolation
In lieu of a building code, meet the following composite Sound Transmission Class (STCC)ratings: See all forum discussions about this credit »What does it cost?
Cost estimates for this credit
On each BD+C v4 credit, LEEDuser offers the wisdom of a team of architects, engineers, cost estimators, and LEED experts with hundreds of LEED projects between then. They analyzed the sustainable design strategies associated with each LEED credit, but also to assign actual costs to those strategies.
Our tab contains overall cost guidance, notes on what “soft costs” to expect, and a strategy-by-strategy breakdown of what to consider and what it might cost, in percentage premiums, actual costs, or both.
This information is also available in a full PDF download in The Cost of LEED v4 report.
Learn more about The Cost of LEED v4 »Frequently asked questions
See all forum discussions about this credit »Documentation toolkit
The motherlode of cheat sheets
LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit is loaded with calculators to help assess credit compliance, tracking spreadsheets for materials, sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions, and examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects for you to check your work against. To get your plaque, start with the right toolkit.
Get the inside scoop
Our editors have written a detailed analysis of nearly every LEED credit, and LEEDuser premium members get full access. We’ll tell you whether the credit is easy to accomplish or better left alone, and we provide insider tips on how to document it successfully.
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Intent
Pilot Credit Closed
This pilot credit is closed to new registrations
To provide workspaces and classrooms that promote occupants’ well-being, productivity, and communications through effective acoustic design.
Requirements
For all occupied spaces, meet the following requirements as applicable to the space:
- room noise levels
- sound isolation performance of constructions,
- limiting reverberation time and reverberant noise buildup
- paging, masking and sound reinforcement systems
Room noise levels
Room noise levels from building mechanical systems shall fall within the sound level ranges shown in either the 2011 ASHRAE Handbook, HVAC Applications, Chapter 48, Table 1, or the AHRI Standard 885-2008, Table 15, or local equivalent. Measurements for room sound levels shall be measured using a sound level meter that conforms to ANSI S1.4 for type 1 (precision) or type 2 (general purpose) sound measurement instrumentation, or local equivalent. Comply with design criteria for HVAC noise levels in regularly occupied spaces resulting from the sound transmission paths listed in Table 6 in the ASHRAE 2011 Applications Handbook or AHRI Standard 885-2008, or local equivalent.Sound isolation
In lieu of a building code, meet the following composite Sound Transmission Class (STCC)ratings:In the end, LEED is all about documentation. LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit, for premium members only, saves you time and helps you avoid mistakes with:
- Calculators to help assess credit compliance.
- Tracking spreadsheets for materials purchases.
- Spreadsheets and forms to give to subs and other team members.
- Guidance documents on arcane LEED issues.
- Sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions.
- Examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects.
LEEDuser expert
Alexis Kurtz
LEED AP, INCE
The Sextant Group
Sr. Consultant
