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

Discussing the project goals to help identify the credits and options that the team should attempt is an example of developing the LEED Scorecard.The LEED Scorecard is a tool that shows the potential points that a project can achieve under each credit category of the LEED rating system1.Developing the LEED Scorecard involves selecting the mostappropriate credits and options based on the project’s goals, location, budget, and design2.The scorecard helps the project team track their progress and prioritize their actions throughout the design and construction process1.References:

LEED scorecard | U.S. Green Building Council

LEED V5: Building Design + Construction Guide - U.S. Green Building Council

Providing a vehicular access drive that is less than 16 ft. (5 m) in width is considered an acceptable minor improvement within the wetland buffer for Location and Transportation Credit, Sensitive Land Protection.This credit requires avoiding development on land that meets one or more of the following criteria: prime farmland, floodplains, threatened or endangered species habitat, water bodies, wetlands, or land within 100 feet (30 meters) of these water bodies or wetlands1.However, the credit allows minor improvements within the wetland buffer if they are necessary for the project and have minimal environmental impact2.Examples of minor improvements include trails, boardwalks, stormwater outfalls, and utility crossings2.References:

Credit: Sensitive land protection | U.S. Green Building Council

NC-v4.1 LTc2: Sensitive land protection | LEEDuser

The percentage of diverted waste for Materials and Resources Credit, Construction and Demolition Waste Management is calculated by dividing the total weight of diverted materials by the total weight of waste generated1. Diverted materials are those that are reused, recycled, salvaged, or donated2. In this case, the total weight of diverted materials is:

8 tons (7.3 tonnes) of recycled demolition steel and concrete

6 tons (5.4 tonnes) of used furniture donated to a non-profit organization

1 ton (0.9 tonnes) of removed carpet and ceiling tiles sent back to the manufacturer

40% of 3 tons (2.7 tonnes) of commingled scrap, which is 1.2 tons (1.1 tonnes)

The sum of these weights is 16.2 tons (14.7 tonnes). The total weight of waste generated is 20 tons (18.1 tonnes). Therefore, the percentage of diverted waste is:

(16.2 / 20) x 100 = 81%

However, the credit allows for a 10% adjustment for vegetative waste, which is not considered a building material3. Therefore, the percentage of diverted waste after adjustment is:

(81 - 10) = 71%

The closest answer option to this value is B. 75%.

Construction and Demolition Waste Management

Construction Waste Management

Construction and Demolition Waste Management - Canada Green Building Council

According to the LEED AP BD+C V4 reference guide for Healthcare, places of respite must be outdoors or located in interior spaces with views of nature, and have options for shade or indirect sun for a portion of seating spaces. The other options are either incorrect or not required by the credit. References: LEED AP BD+C V4 reference guide for Healthcare, Places of respite

Infection-risk management is an eligible resilience approach because it addresses how occupied spaces can continue functioning safely during outbreaks or other public-health emergencies. Relevant measures may include suitable filtration, controlled ventilation, isolation capability, cleanable surfaces, adaptable room layouts, and operational procedures that reduce pathogen transmission. Seismic, hurricane, and tornado risks are important hazards, but they are generally addressed through structural design, building codes, envelope protection, and broader climate-resilience planning rather than being categorized as an indoor management mode under this credit. LEED v5 places explicit emphasis on occupant health, resilience, equity, and quality of life. Infection-management planning supports these objectives by improving a building’s capacity to respond to health threats without unnecessarily interrupting essential operations.

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The project must incorporate the specified five biophilic-design principles rather than merely state a general intention to connect people with nature. A compliant biophilic environment should translate the principles into coordinated architectural, interior, landscape, lighting, material, and operational strategies. Examples may include direct contact with vegetation, natural light, airflow variability, views of natural systems, natural forms and materials, sensory diversity, and connections to the project’s ecological and cultural context. Encouraging positive human-nature interaction describes the broad purpose of biophilic design but does not establish measurable implementation. Selecting only whichever principles appear most convenient may also omit required elements. The structured application of all five designated principles provides a comprehensive and documentable occupant-experience strategy supporting health, well-being, and quality of life.

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The metal base, 20% of product by weight, which do not contain heavy metals and is not plated with hexavalent chromium, contributes toward Materials and Resources Credit, Furniture and Medical Furnishings. This is because it meets the criteria of Option 1: Minimal Chemical Content, which requires that all components that constitute at least 5%, by weight, of a furniture or medical furnishing assembly must contain less than 100 ppm of at least four of the five chemical groups listed in the option. The other portions of the product either do not meet the 5% weight threshold (wheels), or contain chemicals that are restricted by Option 1 (fabric, armrests).

LEED V5BD+C Reference Guide, Materials and Resources Category, MRc Furniture and Medical Furnishings, Option 1. Minimal Chemical Content, page 711.

ForLEED BD+C Materials and Resources (MR) Credit: Building Product Disclosure and Optimization – Sourcing of Raw Materials, Option 2, a product contributesbased on its cost and sustainability attributes.

Given thebambooentrance doors areRainforest Alliance certified, and theglass inserts contain 100% pre-consumer recycled content, these materials qualify under theLeadership Extraction Practices.

Thetotal material cost per dooris$200.

Theglass inserts ($150)are 100% pre-consumer recycled and count fully.

Thebamboo ($50)also qualifies due to its sustainability certification.

Sinceonly the glass contributes to the calculation, thetotal value contributingto the credit is$100 per door, or$100.00 total for both doors.

(Source: Official LEED BD+C Reference Manual)

This option requires the project to increase the breathing zone outdoor airflow by at least 20% above the minimum rates required by ASHRAE 62.1-2010. Therefore, the minimum design zone outdoor airflow is 0.120 CFM/ft2 x 1.2 = 0.144 CFM/ft2.

A take-back program most directly supports circular-economy and material-stewardship principles because it gives the manufacturer responsibility for products after their initial useful life. Returned chairs can be inspected, repaired, refurbished, remanufactured, disassembled for component reuse, or processed for material recycling. This reduces disposal, preserves the value of existing materials, and creates an incentive to design products for durability and disassembly. Using virgin materials increases demand for resource extraction and does not establish a closed-loop system. Local sourcing may reduce some transportation impacts, but geographic proximity does not guarantee recycled content, durability, repairability, responsible chemistry, or end-of-life recovery. LEED v5 emphasizes responsible resource use and embodied-impact reduction, both of which are strengthened by extended producer responsibility and product take-back systems.

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