USGBC LEED-AP-BD+C - LEED AP Building Design + Construction (LEED v5 AP BD+C)

According to theLEED V5Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, diverted construction waste is defined as " materials that are diverted from disposal in landfills or incineration facilities and are instead reused, recycled, composted, or salvaged " 1. Asphalt with aggregate is an example of a material that can be recycled and reused for paving or other applications.Excavated soil and land-clearing debris are excluded from the calculation of the total construction and demolition waste for the MR Credit Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction1. Alternative daily cover is a material that is used to cover the surface of an active landfill at the end of each day to control odors, pests, and litter.It is not considered as diversion because it does not reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills2.References: MR Credit Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction,LEED V5Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction3142

LEED v5 MRc2 explicitly provides points for tracking greenhouse-gas-producing construction activities under the construction-stage life-cycle module A5. The credit focuses on actual fuel and utility usage associated with contractor jobsite operations. One pathway awards a point for tracking all contractor fuel and utility consumption, while the higher pathway extends tracking to contractor and subcontractor jobsite operations. Importantly, LEED does not require the project to prove that construction emissions were reduced in order to earn these tracking points; accurate measurement and carbon accounting are the principal requirements. Therefore, simply developing a reduction plan, as described in Option C, is insufficient. The AGC Playbook may provide useful industry guidance, but adherence to it is not the stated credit requirement. Option B correctly identifies the required operational data that must be documented.

Surrounding density is evaluated within a 0.25 mi. (0.40 km) radius of the project boundary. This relatively close radius measures the immediate development context and determines whether the project is located in a compact area where existing buildings, infrastructure, services, and transportation networks can be used efficiently. Measuring a substantially larger area could include distant development that does not meaningfully affect the project’s walkability, infrastructure efficiency, or immediate land-use pattern. The density calculation generally evaluates qualifying residential and nonresidential development within the specified radius according to the applicable rating-system methodology. Therefore, the quarter-mile measurement area is used to establish whether the project supports compact development and avoids unnecessary expansion into undeveloped land.

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To comply withLEED BD+C Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Credit: Enhanced Indoor Air Quality Strategies, Option 2, a project must implementat least twoof the following enhanced air quality strategies:

Use of an outdoor airflow measurement deviceto monitor andmeasure at least 90% of the outdoor air intake flowto ensure proper ventilation.

Advanced filtration systems(such as CEN Class F7 or MERV 13 filters) for mechanically ventilated buildings.

Carbon dioxide (COâ‚‚) monitoringin densely occupied spaces, with alerts for elevated COâ‚‚ levels.

Entryway systems(such as walk-off mats) at all regularly used building entrances to reduce dirt and contaminants.

Option Dcorrectly identifiesoutdoor airflow measurementas one of theacceptable strategiesunderOption 2.

(Source: Official LEED BD+C Reference Manual)

Automated door systems improve physical accessibility by reducing the strength, reach, and dexterity required to enter or move through a building. They particularly benefit wheelchair users, people using walkers or crutches, occupants carrying equipment, and individuals with limited upper-body mobility. Lactation rooms support health, privacy, and inclusion, but they address a specific occupant need rather than general physical access. Visual contrast assists people with low vision by making doors, floors, walls, controls, and circulation features easier to distinguish, but automated doors more directly remove a physical barrier to entry. The selected systems must provide accessible controls, appropriate opening times, sufficient clear width, safe sensor operation, and continuous accessible routes. This approach supports LEED v5’s quality-of-life emphasis on health, equity, and inclusive occupancy.

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Materials and Resources Credit, Building Product Disclosure and Optimization - Sourcing of Raw Materials, Option 2. Leadership Extraction Practices

Natural rubber flooring is a bio-based material that can contribute to the achievement of Option 2 of the Sourcing of Raw Materials credit, which requires using products that meet at least one of the responsible extraction criteria for at least 25%, by cost, of the total value of permanently installed building products in the project1.By meeting the Sustainable Agriculture Standard (SAN), the natural rubber flooring demonstrates that it has been produced in a way that conserves biodiversity, protects natural resources, and enhances social and economic well-being2. Therefore, the cost of the substituted flooring ($80,000) can be counted towards the credit threshold.

Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction v4 – Pages 263-2641

Sustainable Agriculture Standard | Rainforest Alliance3

Avegetated roofprimarily contributes to theSustainable Sites (SS) Credit: Heat Island Reduction. Green roofs reduce the heat island effect by minimizing roof surface temperatures through vegetation, which absorbs less heat than conventional roofing materials. This helps lower building cooling costs and mitigates urban heat effects. Sensitive Land Protection (B) and Site Assessment (C) are unrelated to roof treatments, while Light Pollution Reduction (D) deals with exterior lighting strategies.

According to the LEED minimum program requirements, the LEED project must include a minimum of 1000 square feet (93 square meters) of gross floor area for the LEED BD+C and LEED O+M rating systems1.

LEED V5: Building Design + Construction Guide

LEED minimum program requirements

A compliant water meter is a device that measures and records the total potable water use of the building and associated grounds. According to theLEED V5Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, a compliant water meter must meet the following requirements1:

•It must be permanently installed and measure the total water use of the building and grounds.

•It must have a remote communication capability or be readable from a location that is accessible to building management.

•It must have a data storage capability of at least 18 months, or be connected to a system that can store data for at least 18 months.

•It must have a resolution of 0.5 gallons (2 liters) or less, or the smallest unit of measure that is appropriate for the expected water use of the building.

Interior paint must always be included in Materials and Resources credits.This is because interior paint is considered as a permanently installed product, which is defined by theLEED V5Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction as " a product that is installed in a project permanently or semi- permanently, such that removal would require demolition or substantial renovation. " 1Permanently installed products must be included in the calculations for the following Materials and Resources credits: Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction, Building Product Disclosure and Optimization - Environmental Product Declarations, Building Product Disclosure and Optimization - Sourcing of Raw Materials, and Building Product Disclosure and Optimization - Material Ingredients.1The other options are not always included in Materials and Resources credits.Faucets (option A) and fire suppression systems (option D) are considered as mechanical, electrical, and plumbing components, which are excluded from the scope of Materials and Resources credits unless they are specifically addressed by the credit requirements.1Furniture (option B) is considered as a non-permanently installed product, whichis optional to include in Materials and Resources credits, except for the Building Product Disclosure and Optimization - Material Ingredients credit, where furniture must be included if it is within the project scope.1References:LEED V5Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, p.5791;LEED V5Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, p.5801;LEED V5Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, p.5811;LEED V5Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, p.5821;LEED V5Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, p.5831