LEED Rating System Selection Q&A

Todd, CI is a D&C rating system, that stays with the building/space.

EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. requires recertification every 2 to 5 years regardless of change in ownership.

Nowfal, this may be suitable for a LEED-CS certification. See the rating system selection guidance document at the top of the page for more info.

Phillip, this sounds to me like a LEED-NC project. It's not residential, and it's not Healthcare, so there really aren't other options. It seems similar to a hotel, which is generally considered commercial for LEED purposes.

Michelle, I think you have a good understanding of the situation. You could certify the additional alone as a v2.2 project, but boundary issues might be tricky. If you switched to LEED 2009 you would most likely have to certify the whole building.

Patty, what is the SF of each cabin, and in sum? Do the 5 cabins represent the entirety of the LEED project?

There are two LEED Retail systems—NC and CI. So you basically have a choice between CS, NC, and CI. But if you are representing the developer, your only option is CS.

Rohit, I would focus on certifying the individual stations. If desired, the rail line, or some portion of it, could be included in the LEED project boundary, but it would be the station getting certified, not the track or the system as a whole.

Timothy, it sounds like a commercial project to me, and thus NC. Residential spaces without in-unit kitchens are generally considered commercial, and those spaces probably well outnumber the apartments. However, this is not cut-and-dry and if you really wanted to use Homes, I think you could make that case. In my opinion the only advantage one way or another would be the experience of the project team, and capitalizing on that. But as a more typical commercial space, I think it would be less of a headache to use a commercial rating system.

Lolita, contact GBCI on their website and explain the situation—they will help you.

I am assuming that you are doing a major renovation for these buildings and you are pursuing LEED 2009 BD&C. In this case, you follow the LEED Application Guide for Multiple Buildings and On-Campus Building Projects (AGMBC). You will need to follow both the initial guide published in October 2010 and the Appendix A published in October of 2011. You will first need register the projects as a "Block". Each building should be registered individually within the block. In addition, you will need to register a project entitled "Master Site". This is a separate LEED ID # that identifies the campus level information relating to each of the buildings. The "Master Site" will not receive a certification. The Appendix A outlines the methodology for showing credits both at the Master Site level and individual building level.

Thanks Melanie. These buildings are currently shell conditions. We were looking at LEED CI v4 as the rating system. That appeared to be the most well matched of the rating systems. We looked at the requirement for % of building square footage dedicated to learning space and the project doesn't meet the minimum to qualify for LEED Schools, from our initial review. When we initially register the project do you know if we are required to register each specific building, and then identify as a group ( block). What is the benefit of a Multiple Building approach? Thanks all for any help..

Dave, the type of remodeling you're talking about is most likely going to fit under LEED-CI. LEED-EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. is more about whole-building operations and maintenance practices. Depending on the size of the building, the owner could elect to certify the whole thing under EBOM, or the suites under CI, or do EBOM down the road.

Thanks Tristan. Each office suite is 2500 square feet (more or less). Having worked on several ground up projects, this is a first for strictly TI work. Should be interesting. Thanks again.

Looks more appropriate for MB application as they are clearly separated envelopes. You still benefit by sharing group/campus level submittals, especially if sharing energy.

Jay, a LEED-NC certification is basically meant to be attached to a single, whole building. For more on that, see MPR3.

You could potentially streamline your effort by referring to the AGMBC (Google it to find out what I mean), but USGBC hasn't quite come out with the AGMBC Part II tools that would realize this potential, although I expect them within a few months.

I think you could make a good case for all three programs. EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. has a lot of policies and plans that would be enacted by your client and not you. Are they progressive with sustainable healthcare operations? If not, I wouldn't recommend EBOM to you. If they are, it could be a way to verify their operational standards and since the project is more than 5% of the floor area, it would likely earn a lot of those credits.

Given that the project is renovating 10% of the total building, I would use CI first. You may want to score the project in either program quickly to see what issues you may have in either program. I think the GBCI will let you use either.

Thank you for your response Susan. I have a follow-up question: Under the Minimum Program Requirements for New Construction, Healthcare:
LEED projects must include the new, ground-up design and construction, or major renovation, of at least one commercial, institutional, or high-rise residential building in its entirety. Given that our project is only 10% of the building, wouldn't considering the building in its entirety prohibit us from achieving several of the available credits. I am just looking for a credible argument on why Healthcare and EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. are not practical for my project. Thanks for your help.

I think that it depends on the orginal building and what you could work out with the GBCI. Hospitals are often aggregated buildings with an original building plus additions over time. Is this the case with this existing hospital? You could subdivide the hospital into its constituent buildings and see if your project is a larger percentage within its building. This may make the case to go HC stronger.

Is there a strong driver on the client end? What do they like about it? You may be able to incorporate elements of what they want to accent in their building program in the CI program. Find their passion and play to that with a good game plan on getting the project certified no matter which program you ultimately choose. You may need to do a little research on the USGBC site and show them similar CI certified projects that are also healthcare. Bonus points if you can show them what their competition already did.

Two years after substantial project completion for B+C LEED certification, standart review, according to LEED Certification Policy Manual.

"Standard Review: Combined Design and Construction Review
Application for Standard ReviewWithin two (2) years of substantial project completion the Project Administrator shall submit, via LEED Online, a complete application for Standard Review."

See Posts below.

Razan, as long as you meet the occupancy requirements (see MPRs) you can register under LEED-EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems.. Dealing with the CS space is going to be credit-specific to some extent—I'd suggest posting specific questions under those credits.

Hi Courtney, there is no prohibition on greenhouses specifically. But maybe you could tell us more about why you have any doubts.

I think there is a time limit written somewhere about submitting a project after occupancy. But a couple days is well under that limit, if it's out there. If you can document it, you can still submit it under a D&C system. But check that you can document prereqs like EAp1, SSp1, EAp2, etc.

You have 2 years post substantial completion of project to submit for review, refer to latest LEED Certification Policy Manual.

Khaled, I would widen your options to LEED-NC, LEED for Homes, LEED for Homes Mid-Rise, EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. or no LEED at all.

However, depending on the design and construction practices that have taken place and been documented it may be too late to apply for NC or Homes.

Theoretically EBOM might apply, but it is not well suited to primarily residential settings. If you haven't already, I'd recommend reading up on LEED-EBOM certification for background, including reviewing our LEED-EBOM "stress test".

If it is too late for NC, and EBOM does not apply, you might not be able to LEED certify until a LEED rating system is developed that is applicable.

Thanks Tristan,
I checked the downloadable document on USGBC for EB and it has the following p. xvi "LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance was designed to certify the sustainability of ongoing operations of existing commercial and institutional buildings. All such buildings, as defined by standard building codes, are eligible for certification under LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance and include offices, retail and service establishments, institutional buildings (libraries, schools, museums, churches, etc.),hotels, and residential buildings of 4 or more habitable stories." and also checked the project data base under multi-unit residence and there is a number of certified EB residential buildings even international. thoughts?? or Should I email GBCI for this? Thanks

Khaled, yes, as I said EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. can apply but it's not well suited. I'd recommend reviewing the EBOM requirements at the links I noted above so that you know what you're getting into.

I have the same doubt with an almost constructed office building that the owner wants now to certify under LEED CS. Should we certify the building under LEED CS (each floor is for renting) or it is better to do it under LEED EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems.?. What are the most frequent problem we could face if we try LEED CS ?

Why do you say that perhaps it is to late for trying LEED NC in Khaled project? Is there any date time after o before construction to apply for NC (or CS) certification?

Oscar, technically it is not too late, but LEED is meant to be used to inform design and construction, not just to keep score at the end. Your design might not have what it takes to earn enough credits, and practices might not be up to snuff in terms of prerequisites like EAp1, EAp2, or SSp1. I'd suggest reviewing our LEED-CS certification guidance for more.

Thanks Tristan, I would check it. I know that getting a score at the end is not only the point of LEED certification but I think it is a start to get clients aware of sustainability and begin with LEED Certification of buildings, and then do it better in O&M, CI or in the following design and construction building projects.

Loic, I would keep the CS scope. A tenant could pursue CI, as you suggest. If the developer takes on the fit-out work and it becomes more or less part of the same scope of work as the CS project, then it may make sense to include that work in the same LEED-CS certification, although I'm not sure that's an ideal solution.

Courtney, the rating system selection guide points to LEED-NC as being right for this building as it is greater than 6 floors. That doesn't meet the test of common sense, though.

I would contact GBCI through their website and get their opinion before making a commitment.

Thank you. I became confused because the document reads very weird - what really threw me off was that "single-family" and "multifamily" were specifically mentioned so I figured floors might be irrelevant in the single family case. thanks.

Courtney, on second look, I think you're clearly good to go with LEED for Homes for this project. The table says that the number of stories is "N/A" with regards to rating system selection for single-family homes.

Bethany, I think dorms have typicaly fallen under LEED-NC, as a commercial, not a residential, building type, for reasons that you point out.

Yes, you can!

Kathy,

Your project reads like a MOB to me but it is licensed. This puts you in a gray area in my mind too. My gut would agree with you on the NC program but I recommend you get clarification on the program call with the GBCI.

Most of the HC pre-reqs are easy to do. You likely would not miss anything if you switched from NC to HC mid design. While there are less SS credits, there are more EA credits with a 'bonus' point starting at 18% in EAc1 that the other programs don't do. (This 'bonus' point phases out at 26%.)

Susan

Thanks so much Susan. Do you know if I need to register as one system and then pay to ask the question? Then am I able to change from HC to NC when I get my answer? I'm not sure if we can ask GCBI such questions before being registered.

I think the one-day design charrette (ID prereq) will be expensive to hold if not required. A wonderful excuse to truly get everyone to bring ideas to the table, but expensive since it's unexpected.

Thanks again!

Kathy, I believe you can now ask LEED Interpretations without registering a LEED project.

I just created an overview class on LEED for Healthcare and spent time digesting the Rating System Selection Guidance. I interpreted that LEED-HC is only required for licensed or federal inpatient care, outpatient care, or long-term care facilities with 60% of more of the building square footage dedicated to healthcare use. This is what the asterisk in the Healthcare Applications Table is pointing out. See the Healthcare Applications Table in the Rating System Selection Guidance -
https://new.usgbc.org/leed/certification/guidance/step-2#table-2. You may have to click the link on the page to get the table to open).

Use by other medically-related buildings including assisted living is optional.

Emil,

Assuming your facility is in the same country as your company location in your user id, what does Sweden do for these types of facilities? I think you have to understand that to evaluate it against the US system of licensing to determine if you must. But assuming that you do not have to, are there advantages to HC for you? What system would you use otherwise? There are enough differences between NC v3 and HCv3 to give me pause and I would try and use NC if I reasonably could.

Martin, this would have been a great CI project—but a year after completion is almost certainly too late.

Thus you'd be looking at EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems., except that EBOM is intended for whole buildings, so you'd probably need to bring the other half on board.

Tristan/Anybody - do you know of an EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. project that delineate the lEED boundary such that it covered only a part of a whole building, albeit a signficant area, and approved for LEED registration?

I think you should do a pre-assessment focusing on whether the prerequisites can be fulfilled, and whether you have enough documentation to prove it. I've seen some projects that earned certification although they started to gather documentation after completion - however some modifications might be needed to get an acceptable score.

Steve, I don't know about an example of this. If it were to work, you would have to be able to justify the project boundary under MPR3 requirements.

Keep in mind that EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. does include allowances for nonparticipating tenants, but 50% nonparticipating might be too difficult.

Marcio, since this question is really about interpreting the EAp2 requirements, and not rating system selection (LEED-NC includes renovations), please post your question to that forum.

Hi Tristan,

Actually I just mentioned EAp2 as an example. The core question is really whether the project is considered New Construction or Major Renovation. This decision will impact many credits.

Thanks!

Marcio, both new construction and major renovations are handled within the same LEED rating system: LEED-NC.

Patricia, LEEDuser doesn't cover LEED-CI v2.0, I didn't have luck searching the USGBC website, but I did have luck with the first result Googling "leed ci 2.0 errata."

Patricia, I have a copy of the 3rd Ed A&E sheet for LEED-CI v2.0. I believe that was the last lot. Please forward me an email address to send...

This link is still up and gets you to all errata for pre-2009 rating systems - http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=2484. I only see one sheet for CI v2.0 - http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=3333. This note is on the page: "Note: The last pre-2009 errata were published in June, 2008; pre-2009 errata are no longer being administered."

Omer, which rating system were you thinking of? We can give some feedback on your thoughts.

Also, are you saying that the shop next door will become connected and all part of the same building?

Tristan,
The project is a renovation of an old gas station. There is mechanic shop and a convenience store within the same building. The client wants to take mechanical shop off the business and use this space as an extension of the existing store. The shell of the building will remain same but the interior walls and HVAC system will change.
I am thinking of LEED NC, but not sure if LEED CI applies to my case because it is not a new construction.

Omer,
Sounds like LEED Retail - try the Rating System Selection Guidance at
http://new.usgbc.org/leed/certification/guidance
and see if it's Retail -NC/ Major Renovation or Retail -CI.

David,

Thanks for the advice. You are right, it is LEED Retail New Construction/Major Renovation.

Thank you,

Gary, this is theoretically possible but it would be tough going. I haven't heard success stories here, but they might be out there. I'd try searching for registered and certified EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. projects on GBIG.org.

Yikes, this is complicated. I think you have to start by determining if the buildings should be certified together or separately, and the answer to that will impact your rating system selection. See MPR3 for guidance on your project boundary.

Thank you for you reply, Tristan.

After a client meeting we decided that due to the complexity of modeling, materials, etc issues it would be easiest to combine the buildings into one certification. We chose CS 2009 because of the commercial/residential breakdown of leasable space. There is about 60% future tenant fit out commercial space and the rest 40% will be a residential tower which the developer had full control over the interior build-out.
However, we're not clear how the residential portion of a CS project is handled? In reading some credits it seems you can exclude those spaces not within the scope of the credit, so for all of the MR and IEQ materials credits, the majority apply to the residential portion and not the tenant spaces? I am just not clear how to handle documention when a specific credit doesn't exactly apply to those spaces.

Also, they planning to have valet parking in the project, do you know how this would effect the alternative parking credit SSc4.3?

Lastly, is anyone aware of any examples of certified CS projects including residential portion? I thought it might help to get some clarity if I had a sample to look at.
Thanks much!

Courtney, mixing CS and residential is relatively challenging, from what I have gathered. I would suggest you post questions on specific credits to those forums. I hope anyone with overall experience will pipe up, and I'll try to ask around as well.

Courtney,
CS and residential projects are an awkward fit, and might be worth trying to avoid. Is this project in the US? One question to ask is whether you can pursue LEED Homes for the residential portion of the building - I hear that LEED H for Mid-rise is being expanded to include high rise projects. Then C&S for the rest of the project would make more sense. Either way, you'll probably need technical input from GBCI on how they advise you to handle this.

Thank you for you reply, Tristan and David. David, yes the project is located in Flushing, NY. LEED-H Midrise is a good thought, but I believe you have to build those projects from the ground up, well at least that is what GBCI said when I called them. Also, its a 2009 project so wouldn't the MPR prevent the building from pursuing two different certifications for the building? The one building that has the residential tower also have commercial spaces.
Hmmm...we have questions in to GBCI so hopefully we hear something soon! If not CS then I assume NC?

Courtney,
I have a project with similar constraints and I’m interested to hear if you got a definitive response from GBCI.

Thanks

Christopher,

Yes we did get some guidance. We actually went through with combining two of the buildings into one certification and in deciding which rating system to use (either CS or NC), USGBC confirmed the following:

"To recap, if less than 60% of the total ‘gross floor area’ (as that term is defined in the Glossary of the Rating System Selection Guidance: http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=10135) of the combined projects (including the retail spaces in the podium) and will be ‘complete’ when the LEED project is submitted for its last phase of certification review, the project would only be eligible for LEED-CS. If 60% or more will be ‘complete’ at that point, LEED-NC would be an option. This is explained more fully in LEED InterpretationLEED Interpretations are official answers to technical inquiries about implementing LEED on a project. They help people understand how their projects can meet LEED requirements and provide clarity on existing options. LEED Interpretations are to be used by any project certifying under an applicable rating system. All project teams are required to adhere to all LEED Interpretations posted before their registration date. This also applies to other addenda. Adherence to rulings posted after a project registers is optional, but strongly encouraged. LEED Interpretations are published in a searchable database at usgbc.org. (LI) 10102 (https://www.usgbc.org/leedinterpretations/LISearch.aspx?liaccessid=10102). Please also note that the parking garage does not count towards the “gross floor area” for LEED purposes.

You confirmed that the two buildings share a common podium of Retail that comprises contiguous gross floor area connecting the two towers to one another. Thus, it is appropriate to define these components as part of ‘one building’ per the guidance on page 22 of the LEED 2009 MPR Supplemental Guidance (http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=10131)."

Was this what you were looking for?

Thanks Courtney,
Looks like my “superstructure” will need to be certified as one building as well but I wish GBCI would allow you to treat these projects like a campus and have multiple certifications. It would make many of the credits easier to document but it would cost tens of thousands more in review fees.

Courtney,
The Supplemental Guide to the MPR has a section that talks about defining super-structures as one building. One of the criteria that must be met is that LEED prereqs can be treated in the same review. I'm not sure how you're conditioning the residential component of your project but I'd suspect it would be difficult to document EAp2 and IEQp1 under the same review as your retail component. In your discussion with USGBC did this issue come up?

Yes, I would select the option based on the majority of area in the building.

It sounds like the owner is doing a tenant improvement/ buildoutThe time at which all habitable buildings on the project are complete and ready for occupancy. of a core and shell building that's already been constructed. Even if it's the owner is going to occupy a majority of the building, if the building is already existing and the project is essentially interior fit-out, then CI makes sense. If there are major changes to the core building HVAC systems or the envelope that might push it into being an NC project. See the MPR Supplemental Guidance Revision 2 , page 19-20. Make sense?

Emmanuel, because the buildings are disimilar in forms and functions, you will have to register separately even under the same mastersite. If it is desired to certified just the office building, you can...just restrict the project boundary to encircle only that building and associated site/landscape. But why would you do that if there is an opportunity to also certify the factory green too?

Steve,
Where (in which document) does USGBC indicate that a site with a building which has different funtions needs to be certified seperatly? If I have a building that is connected and that has systems in common but it consists of an office part and a factory part, can it not be certified as 1 project?
I am quoting for another project as well, which is a logistic center which also consists of a factory space and an office space and I assumed the whole logistics centre could be certified as one building.
The reason why we would not certifiy the factory in the project I was initially inquiring about, is because construction of that building already started and it would be too hard to change design elements and the construction company has not implemented an Erosion Control Plan ... so, too late to start the certification process. On the other hand, the office building is something they want to add to the building (it will be connected to the factory) and since that is still in early design phase, certification is still possible. What is your opinion Steve?

Sorry I meant EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. group projects, sorry to mislead you. For D+C projects indeed the buildings have to be under same contract and built over same time, which here it sounded not the case.Yet I still stand that clusters of very similar buildings are perfect for Group certification.

Again I asked you, as to singularily certifying the one office building (ignore or take out the factory from the LEED project boundary) - why not? Even if there is an inter-connection, so long as it is for circulation (such as a covered walkway) not a substantial physical building connectivity (like sharing the same base), I can't see any reason why not. Just exclude the factory from the LEED project boundary, unless it is integral to the office building site's performance...like sharing energy, water etc.

Refer also to page 22 of the LEED 2009 MPR Supplemental Guidance (http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=10131) about separate buildings.

Stephen, it would be LEED-NC v2009. However, check that you can certify it independently of the West terminal by reviewing the MPR3 requirements.

Melissa, probably not, but review the MPR3 guidance to be sure.

With this level of construction scope you could consider a LEED-EBOM certification.

It sounds like CI makes the most sense for your project. If you imagine that building B was a stand alone project only having rooftop units replaced, that by itself doesn't look like a LEED project, so it makes sense to just certify building A. Make sense?

Maybe... It depends on whether you did any of the erosion and sedimentation control measures during excavation, and if you can show any photos taken during excavation to show them being used. You might want to check the SSp1 forum as well.

It sounds like the client was part of the design team and has had decision making power during the early phases of design, but after the switch, they no longer have decision making power. Is that what's happening?

If the building is being designed and built specifically to meet that client's needs and requirements, and there is a contract between the client and the PPP to provide a building designed to meet LEED requirements, then it sounds like NC may make more sense. Let us know if that describes your situation.

LEED NC is the right choice. I'm very familiar with PP projects and can very much understand why you would want the per-certification. However teh PP company does control in essence the design and construction of every part of the building. The user typically has some influence on the design. Besides I'm guessing the user was the one asking for LEED, so it's in his interest to design with LEED in mind. Correct?
LEED CS really is for projects where the owner of the building can pick the carpet in the spaces and doesn't decide about where to put the walls in the space.

The problem with pursuing NC for four different buildings is doing an energy model that describes the envelope, window areas, occupancy schedule, etc when those are different for each building. Are you renovating four existing buildings? You might consider doing it as one CI project, though you should confirm with the GBCI if they agree that would fit your situation.

Go with Group Project Certification - assuming each building is mixed-use and similar in attribute/design, yes why not go with multiple buildings certification but not necessarily campus style, rather in one group? You can share the MEP design work for submission among all 4 buildings, beside you do have a district/distributed HVAC system. Only caution is that LOv3 at the moment cannot handle group level AGMBC yet, so you still have to register 4 separate projects and set up block in LOv3 then use alt compliance mode for all the shared submittals. Later when USGBC gets their act together with group projects in LOv3, they had publised a promise to refund the difference in fees already paid.

It does sound like LEED NC is more appropriate than LEED Retail. I don't have the reference guide in front of me, but usually in the introduction there is a section that describes what are the kinds of projects that can use that rating system.

Franklin, you could probably go for LEED-EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. now, but that would cover the whole building, so I would not recommend going for LEED-NC later. Just keep your EBOM certification up to date.

CI was designed for situations like what you describe: an interior build out of some of the floors in a core and shell building.

In a multi-tenant office building, you would normally pursue CI for each phase of the interior build out and have each tenant spaceTenant space is the area within the LEED project boundary. For more information on what can and must be in the LEED project boundary see the Minimum Program Requirements (MPRs) and LEED 2009 MPR Supplemental Guidance. Note: tenant space is the same as project space. get its own plaque. If all the space is going to be occupied by one tenant but built out in more than one phase, you could collect all the documentation for each phase and combine them all at the end for one certification.

It would be almost impossible to certify a previously constructed building under Core and Shell – it’s too late for commissioning, tracking construction waste, and documenting the IAQIndoor air quality: The quality and attributes of indoor air affecting the health and comfort building occupants. IAQ encompasses available fresh air, contaminant levels, acoustics and noise levels, lighting quality, and other factors. plan, VOC compliance and all material purchases.

EB O&M is a good option if the building owner wants to address the operational issues and ongoing energy performance of the building. It can be difficult to collect and manage all that data in a multi-tenant building, though, so would take more work. Still, it’s a better reflection of the ongoing environmental performance of the building. We’ve seen older office building pursue LEED EB O&M to stay competitive with newer office buildings that had pursued LEED NC during construction.

You might be on the edge of the "major renovation" criteria that would steer you toward NC or CI. If you go to LEEDOnline v3 and start to register a project, you can step through the rating selection "wizard" and click on any of the "more info" links to get some tables that help evaluate the work scope.

We've only used LEED-H for new low- and mid-rise housing projects, but not a renovation to a residential building. You could contact the LEED Homes provider in your area and see if they see Homes as a viable option.

EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. is usually a better fit for an occupied building that will have small alterations. There used to be a paragraph in the EBOM Reference Guide introduction under "When to Use EB O&M" that set a maximum extent of renovations that could be done under EB – 50% of the building area. That paragraph has since been modified by an addendum to reference the Rating System Selection Policy, so if you are intent on EB you’ll want to review those.

If the owner of the building is going to occupy more than 50% of the building, or if they have "control" over the interior design and construction of more than 50%, then NC is typically required. Under the current version of LEED, once the building is built and certified we aren't required to recertify it if there's a renovation, but you certainly could. CI would probably be the best fit if you are renovating interior space for a new tenant or occupant.

If the media center is a tenant in the building, and they are renting the space, then CS makes more sense.

Hi Nicolas,
you have to certify a building as a whole - if you can demonstrate that the office building is separate: separate HVAC, separate entrance, party walls between office and other areas with limited openings, etc. you may try to certify it separately. You should read the LEED Minimum Program Requirements supplemental guidance carefully to see when can a horizontally or vertically attached building be determined as a separate building.
For the whole building NC seems right.

Adrienn -

We have successfully certified a Core & Shell project similar to the one you describe. The project was a repositioning of an existing office building. The scope included renovation of all common area spaces, bathrooms, new AHUs & BAS, and a small PV array, but no envelope work. Part of the reason this worked was that the building was not that old (originally constructed in 1986) and the existing envelope performance was good enough - when combined with the mechanical, lighting, controls and renewable energy improvements - to satisfy the EA Minimum Energy Performace prerequisite. If the existing envelope performance is poor, you may find it challenging to meet this prerequisite. On another project done several years back (V2.2) the envelope was worse and we could not achieve the prerequisite requirements without replacing the windows and adding insulation.

The other consideration is that the points available in LEED 2009 are heavily weighted in the Energy & Atmosphere section. With inferior envelope performance you may meet the prerequisite but will likely not be able to achieve many (if any) points in EAc1: Optimize Energy Performance. This will necessitate relying heavily on other sections of LEED to achieve enough credits for the desired level of certification.

An energy model will help determine where your project's performance is likely to end up on both these issues.

Many thanks, Ben.Your comment was really helpful.
As you wrote the EAp2 is a big concern of ours, but similar to your situation the building is not that old (1994). An energy modelling will be conducted in case it comes clear that there is a possibility to try CS. We are trying to determine whether it makes sense to invest in a modelling or we will be excluded from CS because of non-eligibility.

Adrienn,

Realistically, you will not be able to tell if the project can qualify until you run an energy model and assess compliance with the minimum energy requirements.

Magnus, You can use LEED for New Construction for the second and third towers, and use the Campus system so that the two towers can share the documentation for the site related credits.

Hi, Susan. I had to brush up on AGMBC with a colleague, and my responses may raise as many questions as they answer, but here goes:

If you devise a Master Site under the AGMBC individual projects within the MS can pursue credits that are achieved by the MS independently. See Page 12 of the AGMBC.

But if by achieving a credit for an individual project you detract from the credit in the MS you must revise the MS through the appeal process. See Page 13 of the AGMBC.

Also, you can add credits to an approved MS if the campus evolves such that it would qualify for those additional credits.

Your MS does not have to encompass the entire college campus. You can have multiple Master Sites. Be thoughtful, however, in the way you lay out LEED Project Boundaries, so that you do not appear to be gerrymandering. A good rule is to consider whether a particular part of a campus affects a particular individual building (I'm thinking of the athletic fields). If the project is not affected, no problem with excluding these fields. The areas selected to be Master Site(s) do not have to cover the entire college campus. If an area, like the sports fields, really has no affect on any of the individual LEED projects, then it does not have to be included in a Master Site.

Finally, and to summarize, you should look at a Master Site approval not as a once-and-done thing. As you achieve LEED certifications for buildings within the MS, keep track of whether you are changing the MS credits such that they cannot be used to support subsequent LEED projects within the same MS.

Sorry for the density, but it is a complex topic.

And thank you to my colleague Eric Anderson for his patience in explaining and re-explaining AGMBC to me.

Malina, LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems.) certifications are the only type of LEED certification where there is a maintenance requirement and method (known as recertification).

For "design and construction" rating systems like LEED-CI, your existing certification is not affected by a new renovation project. It's like a trophy that gets earned, put on a shelf, and slowly fades in significance as the building undergoes changes.

If you want to get a new LEED-CI certification that is relevant to the current project, you'll have to register and apply as a new LEED-CI v2009 project.

Tristan- Our project is registered under LEED NC 2008 and award is anticipated around March 2013. Building handing over to client is planned for around May 2013. When can a project register for LEED EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems.? 3 months following first day of operation? Could we then register the project under LEED EBOM by August 2013? Thank you.

Geraldine, I'm not aware that the registration date for a LEED-EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. project is particularly critical. You'll need 24 months of actual performance to get certified, and you can register anytime before, during, or at the end of that period.

Paola, by using the 60/40 rule, if more than 60% to be occupied by tenants, definitely CS system. But if it is 50/50, your choice whether NC or CS. If below the 40% mark, NC is obvious. And when in the end it is defined as CS, you can pre-certify the project too.

Komal, you can pursue this as LEED-CI.

Muhammad
Same question here in Argentina with same problem: no leed for homes available in this latitudes...can we use new construction? any thoughs?

You can only use LEED-NC for residences of four or more stories.

Joe, if 100 per cent of the space constitutes entire GFA of the building then you may not go for CI certification. You will have to consider whole-building certification - NC, notwithstanding the duration of the project. You see, if 90% of the building is owner occupied and more than 40% of the building facade and/or building systems are under renovation, CI is not an eligible scheme. As for EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems., you might consider the intent of this system, it really is for certifying the operations and maintenance of an existing building, not renovation.

Hi Rosamaria,

I don't believe that there are any clearly defined rules regarding cold dark shells in LEED 2009, but you may have trouble getting such a project certified because, if the HVAC system is not part of your scope then you cannot claim any energy efficiency benefits from it. In your energy model you would have to model it as just meeting the ASHRAE 90.1 baseline. That could make it hard to meet the Energy Optimization prerequisite, and there are many energy and IEQ points that you would not be able to pursue.

Gloria,

I'm a bit confused by your question. Are you saying you have a new building that's going for LEED EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems.? Can you offer some more details?

Thank you for your reply. We would like to have LEED for a existing office buliding. It is the first time for this build for having LEED. Should we use LEED EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. rating system for this case?

Gloria, yes, you should use LEED-EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. for this project.

Melissa, it seems to me that the common sense approach would be to use LEED-CI here. But it's up to GBCI, obviously. I could see an argument for sticking with Schools if it had credits that were more stringent for the protection of children's health, or something like that, but the IEQc4 credits, while stronger in Schools, have an alternate compliance path that basically make them equivalent.

Marni, I just reviewed the LEED Rating System Selection Guidance, and based on the "Additional Applications and Guidance" section, I don't think this would work. Specifically, this project sounds like it would exceed the maximum scope of work expected for CI projects.

I sympathize with your position, but from a big-picture point of view, LEED should push owners and the whole team in a situation like this to make the greenest buildin, as a team. Hopefully it works! Good luck.

Yah, I agree with you entirely, Tristan. I appreciate you taking the time to contemplate this and look into it for me. It seems pretty clear to me that the team approach is the only approach. Cheers! Marni

David, it seems like it would ideally be considered a campus project. I would recommend reading up on the AGMBC. There is multiple buildings guidance for EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. as well as D&C—however, I'm not sure how/if the two systems mix. If you get some insight on this, please post back here so that we can all learn about it.

Roberto, I'm not sure—would need to hear more details. Residential projects are generally not a natural fit with LEED-EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems., and multiple buildings can add more complications.

Albert,

With limited knowledge of the project I would most likely classify it as Core Learning Space: College/University.

David, have you reviewed the rating system selection guidance from USGBC? There are some detailed considerations there that might push you one way or another. Post back if you have questions on those.

Are you doing a complete interior renovation also?
You right about the LEED NC for the first option. As for the second option, you may want to make yourself more familiar with LEED EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems.. It's really a certification of your operations and maintenance of the building. My guess is you are the architect or engineer and the property management is not part of your job on this project. If so, and you also do an interior renovation, you might want to use LEED CI. The only restricting is if 90% of the building is occupied by the owner and you are also renovating more than 40% or the building facade and/or building systems then you can't use LEED CI, you will need to use LEED NC/CS/Retail (BD+C) instead.

I hope that helps answer your question. Good luck. I know from my own experience that a project in Europe can be tricky. Be sure to check out the forum about ACP (Alternative Compliance Path for international projects).

LEED Cs is most appropriate since your have tenants and can't determine what they are doing in their space. LEED Retail would be an option if you do determine the majority of the built-out.

Yes there is a guideline. The LEED rating system selection guideline is the best resource for your questions. http://bit.ly/AiJPxN
Looks like if you aren't doing any renovation to the remaining building you might have to go with LEED EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems..

In regards to your credit question MRc3 and MRc2 are the once impacted by that.

For once, your final stage and that's what you are considering during the LEED certification is the occupied building. You haven't built the building to have it be unoccupied with zero FTEFull-time equivalent (FTE) represents a regular building occupant who spends 8 hours a day (40 hours a week) in the project building. Part-time or overtime occupants have FTE values based on their hours per day divided by 8 (or hours per week divided by 40). Transient Occupants can be reported as either daily totals or as part of the FTE. Residential occupancy should be estimated based on the number and size of units. Core and Shell projects should refer to the default occupancy table in the Reference Guide appendix. All occupant assumptions must be consistent across all credits in all categories. and no ventilation. Your RTU's even if you don't install them now is a mechanical ventilation. Your FTE is the number the building is design for. Use the LEED CS appendix in the reference guide to determine the number. Depending on your credit selection you might also have to have a minimum number of spaces occupied and I'm not sure if there need to be a minimum occupancy overall.
Have you considered using the precertification for LEED CS?

Keelan, this is a good question for our forum on project boundaries. Please post it there, if it's still an issue.

The challenge in this situation is defining who has "control" of the project design and decision making, and thus what scope of the project is included in the "LEED work" getting certified. If a building owner was going to purchase and occupy the existing building and construct the new building for their own use, it would clearly be a NC project. If a building owner was doing the project as a speculative development, and didn't have control of the tenant improvements (TI)/ interior fit-out, it would be a clear case for using Core & Shell (CS). In practice, projects are rarely built only "on spec" and so some or all of the tenants have usually committed to lease agreements before the project starts. Still, the owner's core and shell scope of work is clearly separate from the interior fit-outs, so it's reasonable to certify just the core and shell work and systems using CS. Appendix 2, 3 and 4 of the BD&C Reference Guide are used to define the scope of work getting certified.
With a "build-to-suit" development, it can be less clear, since the building owner is undertaking the project for this one particular tenant, and thus both parties are negotiating what will and won't be included in the project. We've seen cases where this went either way – NC or CS – and largely depends on whether the tenant "wants" their interior improvements to be certified.

If they don't want their TI certified then you could pursue CS as you propose, but you'd need to clearly separate the design and construction work of the core and shell and the TI for LEED documentation. Easier to do on the design side if you have different design teams, as you do, but harder for the single construction manager who is doing both parts of the work: they would need to separately track all the materials costs, VOC compliance, recycled content, distance of manufacture, construction waste, etc. for just the core and shell work scope. In some cases it might be hard to exclude the materials or effort for the TI work, especially with construction waste, or work like ceiling grid that might be done for both core and tenant spaces in one pass. It's certainly possible to get all subs to do separate bids for any materials and work that will be done in both core and tenant spaces if you plan for this ahead of time. Keeping the waste separate will be harder.

If the tenant wants their space to be certified, and know that their interior work is being done to meet LEED requirements for VOCsA volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is a carbon compound that vaporizes (becomes a gas) at normal room temperatures. VOCs contribute to air pollution directly and through atmospheric photochemical reactions (excluding carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, metallic carbides and carbonates, and ammonium carbonate) to produce secondary air pollutants, principally ozone and peroxyacetyl nitrate., etc, you can certainly combine both core & shell and interior work scopes into one LEED NC submission. Easier on the construction management side, but more complicated for the design teams, who will need to collaborate on some of the letter templates for mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems.

Thank you David. I hear you on the challenge of separating and tracking materials and construction debris on site. Sounds like we can go either way - CS or NC. But we're going to have some coordination challenges either way; with the CM and subs if we pursue CS, or between the two design teams if we pursue NC. Since the pursuit of LEED is primarily tenant-driven here, my sense is they may want NC so that their fit-out is included. Appreciate the input.

Steve, you didn't say anything about the construction scope, which is at least half the answer to your question. What is the scope?

Tristan, construction scope is 100 percent building the whole building from the ground up, it is a new base building, nothing there right now just a plot of land. Then after building it, the JV will pay rent to the owner, the developer. Note, it is the JV (the tenant) that wants to register the LEED program not the owner (developer).

Steve, it does sound to me like a CS project. Ideally, though, the parties could coordinate their efforts and it could be certified as a fitted-out LEED-NC project, which would have more meaning and more benefits in terms of green measures.

Agreed. I am trying to convince the developer to be the one to register and register the NC rating system so as to truly benefit from the green initiatives, however I have to debunk the green cost myth. China is not a sophisticated market, life cycle cost assessment is yet to be understood here. Thanks for the commentary.

Adam,
I believe it's 4 stories minimum; see the related comments to Emmanuel right below.

While it's possible for a residential project with 4 stories or more to pursue LEED Core and Shell (CS) it's not very common. The apartments would need to be empty shells with almost no interior walls, plumbing fixtures, finishes, or lighting fixtures.

If the project is a new building with more than 60% of "interior finishes included in the project scope: flooring, ceiling, wall applications, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing (MEP) fixtures" (from LOL v3 Rating System Selection Table 4) than you would follow New Construction (NC); If less than 60%, follow Core and Shell (CS). (MEP fixtures would include heating and cooling units, ventilation fans, light switches, basic light fixtures, toilets, sinks, showers, etc.)

We haven't seen a specific definition for a residential projects for when they should be NC or CS, or how to calculate the % of project scope for interior finishes. Going through the registration process on LEED Online mentioned above, and clicking the links in the Rating System Selection may help explain. Look for Table 3 Core – Interior Guidelines and Table 4 Core and Shell Eligibility, these shows the % of work being done on structure, mechanical systems, finishes, etc.

Most high rise residential projects have been certified under LEED NC, since there are walls separating each apartment, and usually most of the bath and kitchen plumbing fixtures and finishes such as interior doors, ceilings, some lights, etc. are installed by the developer.

Some mid-rise projects with 4-6 stories choose to use LEED-Homes Multi-Family Mid-rise if there is a LEED Homes provider in their geographic region. See: http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=7982

I'm afraid you won't be able to do that. Because LEED CI states clearly, if your building is more than 90% leased or owned by project owner AND new construction or major renovation in 40% or more of the gross floor areaGross floor area (based on ASHRAE definition) is the sum of the floor areas of the spaces within the building, including basements, mezzanine and intermediate‐floored tiers, and penthouses wi th headroom height of 7.5 ft (2.2 meters) or greater. Measurements m ust be taken from the exterior 39 faces of exterior walls OR from the centerline of walls separating buildings, OR (for LEED CI certifying spaces) from the centerline of walls separating spaces. Excludes non‐en closed (or non‐enclosable) roofed‐over areas such as exterior covered walkways, porches, terraces or steps, roof overhangs, and similar features. Excludes air shafts, pipe trenches, and chimneys. Excludes floor area dedicated to the parking and circulation of motor vehicles. ( Note that while excluded features may not be part of the gross floor area, and therefore technically not a part of the LEED project building, they may still be required to be a part of the overall LEED project and subject to MPRs, prerequisites, and credits.) of the building is performed than you need to use a whole building certification system. See also rating system selection guide page 9 or find it here http://bit.ly/yB3ReV page 27

Susann, thanks for the quick response. Then a follow up question: if we pursuit NC for the building then after achieving substantial completion we register for CI on the office interior portion, that is ok right? We'll inherit the automatic 5 pointer for SSc1.

It doesn't matter when you register a project for LEED CI in regards to getting the 5 points for a certified building. It's important that the buildings LEED certification is completed, when you submit the LEED CI project for review.
Also I think your approach should be fine, but I haven't done that so close together and can't say if the GBCI has a problem with it. I can't find a rule prohibiting you from doing so, thought.

Jordan, you need 12 months of performance data for a LEED-EBOmEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. certification, so it's not possible in your situation to pursue that just yet. I would look at LEED-NC if you want to get certified sooner.