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

The Indoor Environmental Quality Credit, Enhanced Indoor Air Quality Strategies aims to establish better quality indoor air for the building occupants that promotes their comfort and well-being1. This credit requires the project team to implement several strategies to reduce the exposure of occupants and HVAC systems to environmental tobacco smoke, airborne contaminants, and chemicals1. One of the strategies is to design and construct all interior partitions to full height (deck-to-deck) or provide a hard-lid ceiling for spaces where hazardous gases or chemicals may be present or used2. This strategy helps prevent the migration of contaminants from one space to another through the plenum3. A copy room is an example of such a space, as it may contain printers, copiers, toners, and solvents that can emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter (PM) into the air4. Therefore, the project team can achieve Indoor Environmental Quality Credit, Enhanced Indoor Air Quality Strategies by providing a hard-lid ceiling for the copy room.

The Acoustic Performance credit under the LEED BD+C: Healthcare rating system addresses the acoustic environment in healthcare spaces. It requires strategies that reduce noise levels, control background noise, and provide sound privacy. The documents that would best inform this decision are:

Airport flyover maps: These can help determine the level of external noise intrusion into the building, which can affect the acoustic environment.

Mechanical plans: These can provide information about the location and type of mechanical equipment, which can be a source of internal noise.

Wall sections: These can provide information about the construction of the walls, including materials and assemblies, which can affect sound transmission between spaces1.

LEED Building Design and Construction: Healthcare has additional appliance and process water requirements in Water Efficiency Prerequisite, Indoor Water Use Reduction

LEED Building Design and Construction: New Construction and LEED Building Design and Construction: Healthcare have the same Water Efficiency credits, except for the Cooling Tower Water Use credit, which is only applicable to the former. However, the Indoor Water Use Reduction prerequisite differs between the two rating systems, as the Healthcare version requires additional calculations for appliance and process water use, such as medical equipment, laundry, and kitchen equipment.

Install an on-site photovoltaic array

Installing an on-site photovoltaic array is a direct method to produce renewable energy on the project site, which can be used to achieve points under the Energy Atmosphere Credit for Renewable Energy Production. Additionally, it contributes to optimizing energy performance by generating clean electricity on-site and reducing the need for energy from non-renewable sources.

Detailed Explanation:

Regional Priority credits address environmental issues specific to a project’s geographic location. These credits encourage project teams to focus on local priorities, such as water conservation in arid regions or stormwater management in flood-prone areas, making sustainability efforts more context-sensitive.

This option requires the project team to exclude public right-of-way areas, such as streets, sidewalks, and alleys, from the calculations of the surrounding existing density1. This option ensures that the density is measured based on the buildable land area, which is the area available for development or construction2.

When using the Integrative Process, the best way for the LEED AP to assess the impact of indoor and outdoor water consumption in a Building Design and Construction project is to perform a preliminary water budget analysis before the completion of schematic design. This analysis should include the following steps1:

Identify the project’s water sources and uses, such as potable water, reclaimed water, rainwater, graywater, blackwater, irrigation, cooling towers, etc.

Estimate the baseline water consumption for each use based on the applicable codes, standards, and benchmarks.

Identify potential water conservation strategies that can reduce the demand or increase the supply of water, such as low-flow fixtures, native landscaping, rainwater harvesting, graywater reuse, etc.

Evaluate the feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and environmental benefits of each strategy using a life-cycle approach.

Select the most appropriate strategies and document how they inform the design decisions and meet the project goals.

Compare the projected water consumption with the baseline and calculate the percentage reduction.

Performing a preliminary water budget analysis before the completion of schematic design allows the LEED AP to identify opportunities for water efficiency and innovation early in the design process. It also helps to optimize the integration of water systems with other building and site systems, such as energy, materials, indoor environmental quality, etc. Moreover, it supports the achievement of other LEED credits related to water efficiency, such as WE Prerequisite 1: Outdoor Water Use Reduction, WE Prerequisite 2: Indoor Water Use Reduction, WE Credit 1: Outdoor Water Use Reduction, WE Credit 2: Indoor Water Use Reduction, WE Credit 3: Cooling Tower Water Use2.

The surrounding residential density is calculated by dividing the total number of dwelling units by the total residential land area. In this case, it would be 780 dwelling units divided by 60% of 130 acres, which equals approximately 13 dwelling units per acre (or 32 dwelling units per hectare).

The nonresidential density, or Floor Area Ratio (FAR), is calculated by dividing the total nonresidential building floor area by the total nonresidential land area. In this case, it would be 1,600,000 ft² divided by 40% of 130 acres, which equals a FAR of approximately 0.47.

These calculations are used when attempting to achieve the Location and Transportation Credit, Surrounding Density and Diverse Uses, under the LEED AP BD+C V4 rating system.

This option requires the project to calculate the contributing value of the fixture by multiplying the cost of the fixture by the percentage of recycled content by weight1. Since the shades are 10% of the overall weight of the fixture and are 50% post-consumer recycled content, the contributing value of the fixture is:

$1,500 x 10% x 50% = $75

To comply with LEED BD+C Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Credit: Enhanced Indoor Air Quality Strategies, Option 2, a project must implement at least two of the following enhanced air quality strategies:

Use of an outdoor airflow measurement device to monitor and measure at least 90% of the outdoor air intake flow to ensure proper ventilation.

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

Carbon dioxide (COâ‚‚) monitoring in 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 D correctly identifies outdoor airflow measurement as one of the acceptable strategies under Option 2.

(Source: Official LEED BD+C Reference Manual)