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LEED v2009
Healthcare
Sustainable Sites
Connection to the natural world - places of respite

LEED CREDIT

Healthcare-v2009 SSc9.1: Connection to the natural world - places of respite 1 point

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Credit language

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© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Provide patient and visitor accessible outdoor places of respite equal to 5% of the net usable program area1 of the building or project. Provide additional dedicated outdoor place(s) of respite for staff equal to 2% of the net usable program area of the building or project. Qualifying areas must meet the following requirements:

  • Accessible from within the building or located within 200 feet of a building entrance or access point.
  • Located where no medical intervention or direct medical care is delivered.
  • Open to fresh air, the sky and the natural elements, including seasonal weather.
  • Provide options for shade or indirect sun at a minimum of one seating space per 200 square feet of garden area with one wheelchair space per five seating spaces. Examples of qualifying shade structures include trellises and tree-shaded wheelchair accessible seating areas.
  • Non-smoking areas in compliance with IEQ Prerequisite 2, Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control.
In addition, qualifying areas must comply with the following:
  • Interior atria, greenhouses, solaria or conditioned spaces may be used to meet up to 30% of the required area, if 90% of each qualifying space’s square footage achieves a direct line of sight to unobstructed views of nature. If views of nature are exterior to the space, calculate lines of sight between 30 inches and 90 inches above the finish floor.
  • Horticulture therapy and other specific clinical or special-use gardens (i.e. a cancer healing garden) unavailable to all building occupants may be used to meet up to 50% of the required area.
  • Universal-access natural trails with places to pause that are available to visitors, staff and/or patients may be used to meet up to 30% of the required area, provided trail access is available within 200 feet of a building entrance.
  • Provide options for shade or indirect sun at a minimum of one seating space/ 200 square feet of garden area with one wheelchair space per five seating spaces. Examples of qualifying shade structures include trellises and tree-shaded wheelchair accessible seating areas.
  • Exterior places of respite shall comply with the 2010 FGI Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities (Section 1.2-6.3: Design Considerations and Requirements). Existing exterior places of respite on the hospital campus may be used to comply with this credit, provided that the location of the existing spaces meets the credit requirements.
1 For the purposes of this credit, “net usable program area” shall be defined as the sum of all interior areas available to house a building’s functions; areas for building equipment, vertical circulation, and structure are excluded. See ANSI/BOMA Z65.1Ð2010, Office Buildings: Standard Methods of Measurement (http://www.boma.org).
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Addenda

4/1/2013Updated: 2/14/2015
Rating System Correction
Description of change:
"Delete footnote text: “For the purposes of this credit, ""net usable program area"" shall be defined as the sum of all interior areas in the project available to house the project's program. Areas housing building equipment, vertical circulation and structure shall be excluded.”

Replace with: “For the purposes of this credit, ""net usable program area"" shall be defined as the sum of all interior areas available to house a building's functions; areas for building equipment, vertical circulation, and structure are excluded. See ANSI/BOMA Z65.1Ð2010, Office Buildings: Standard Methods of Measurement (http://www.boma.org).”"
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
2/2/2011Updated: 2/14/2015
Rating System Correction
Description of change:
In the last bullet of the page, revise the referenced FGI Guideline section to read:Section 1.2-6.3: Design Considerations and Requirements
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
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USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Provide patient and visitor accessible outdoor places of respite equal to 5% of the net usable program area1 of the building or project. Provide additional dedicated outdoor place(s) of respite for staff equal to 2% of the net usable program area of the building or project. Qualifying areas must meet the following requirements:

  • Accessible from within the building or located within 200 feet of a building entrance or access point.
  • Located where no medical intervention or direct medical care is delivered.
  • Open to fresh air, the sky and the natural elements, including seasonal weather.
  • Provide options for shade or indirect sun at a minimum of one seating space per 200 square feet of garden area with one wheelchair space per five seating spaces. Examples of qualifying shade structures include trellises and tree-shaded wheelchair accessible seating areas.
  • Non-smoking areas in compliance with IEQ Prerequisite 2, Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control.
In addition, qualifying areas must comply with the following:
  • Interior atria, greenhouses, solaria or conditioned spaces may be used to meet up to 30% of the required area, if 90% of each qualifying space’s square footage achieves a direct line of sight to unobstructed views of nature. If views of nature are exterior to the space, calculate lines of sight between 30 inches and 90 inches above the finish floor.
  • Horticulture therapy and other specific clinical or special-use gardens (i.e. a cancer healing garden) unavailable to all building occupants may be used to meet up to 50% of the required area.
  • Universal-access natural trails with places to pause that are available to visitors, staff and/or patients may be used to meet up to 30% of the required area, provided trail access is available within 200 feet of a building entrance.
  • Provide options for shade or indirect sun at a minimum of one seating space/ 200 square feet of garden area with one wheelchair space per five seating spaces. Examples of qualifying shade structures include trellises and tree-shaded wheelchair accessible seating areas.
  • Exterior places of respite shall comply with the 2010 FGI Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities (Section 1.2-6.3: Design Considerations and Requirements). Existing exterior places of respite on the hospital campus may be used to comply with this credit, provided that the location of the existing spaces meets the credit requirements.
1 For the purposes of this credit, “net usable program area” shall be defined as the sum of all interior areas available to house a building’s functions; areas for building equipment, vertical circulation, and structure are excluded. See ANSI/BOMA Z65.1Ð2010, Office Buildings: Standard Methods of Measurement (http://www.boma.org).
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