Is there another way to count the FAR of retail in multi-storey building with residential above?

We have a project where 95% of the neighbourhood (In Canada, sorry for the "u") is residential. However, we do have a ground floor retail component (10,000 sqft) inside a five-storey residential building. When we calculate the FAR of the retail component it is 0.7 as it is roughly 70% of the plot. However, this doesn't consider the fact that there is a residential component on top of it. When we do our final calculation of compactness, this drops us from 4 points to 3.99 points, which drops us to 3 points. I don't think that is the intent of the credit.

Is it okay to have more than one independent commissioning agent on a project? I have seen a situation where one commissioning agent is hired by the design builder and another hired by the owner on the same project. What sre the risks of this and should it even be done at all?

I am working on a project that has one ventilation system and each of the 6 floors are less than 25,000SF. Going by the reference guide there are three options for number of units needed to be tested: 

1. 3 units – Based on the first “Calculations for Testing” on page 446. Total SF/25,000 – 59,291/25,000 = 2.37
2. 6 units – Based on “Option 4 Air Testing – Step 1” point 3 on page 445. One test per floor if the floor plates are 25,000 or smaller
3. 9 units – Based on “Option 4 Air Testing – Step 2” point 1 on page 446. For identical units test 1 in 7 i.e. 3 1BR, 3 2Br, 1 2BR + Den, 2 3BR.

Does anyone know which we are supposed to use?

Hello! 

I am doing a substitution of the Renewable Energy (Green Power) credit to version 4.1 for a Commercial Interior project. 
I used TABLE 2. CBECS building energy intensity to determine the total energy consumption because I am using the prescriptive path for the minimum energy performance.

Is not clear for me if I should only use the annual electric energy for the Green-e energy and the non-electric energy for the carbon offsets as in the guide 4.1 is not really specified. 

Thank you for your help!

Ana 

Hello

Do you know models of bathroom faucets with a 0.5 gm flow that is WaterSense certified or certified aerators that can get the same flow?

Thank you,

We have been asked by the CaGBC to provide a management plan addressing how pollution and eutrophication of waterways would be minimized through operational changes. As required in the LEED letter template, and LEED Canada Reference Guide for Green Building Design and Construction 2009, Implementation section, please provide a management plan outlining measures to minimize pollution and eutrophication of waterways from excess nutrient pollutants such as nitrogen and phosphorus, often found in cleaning agents and fertilizers. Is there a template available?

Hi all,

I'm working on an academic facility with a multi-faith space within it that will occassionally be used for Indigenous smudging ceremonies (burning of herbs and grasses, including tobacco sometimes). Does anyone have any experience with this and the ETS prerequisite? 

Would there be an exception based on the frequency and non-nicotine containing smoke, or would we have to treat the space as a "designated smoking area" or similar to a residential suite with smoke seals to avoid cross-contamination? Any precedents from other similar uses such as incense burning?

Thanks in advance.

The following credit language introduced in LEED v4.1 leaves me with some questions regarding Declare labels:

Any compliant reports above with third-party verification that includes the verification of content inventory are worth 1.5 products for credit achievement calculations.

My understanding is the process for Declare labels does not include certification, it is simply a declaration made by the manufacturer.  However Declare labels (as described in the credit) are a specific compliance option within the credit.

Do products with the correct Declare labels count for 1.5 points in LEED v4.1? 

Hello,

We are using LEED V4 BD+C, and we achived a credit listed within the LEED Homes Design and Construction; specifically the EA Credit: Active Solar-Ready Design.

Can we use this credit towards the BD+C rating system, or get a point in some way for having this credit within out project?

I did notice there was a similar Innovation Credit: Renewable energy - distributed generation. This is an active credit, correct? I noticed it was not active as a Pilot Credit.

Thank you!

Hi all,

The guide says that at least 75% of all insulation, by cost or surface area, meets the VOC emissions evaluation. Logically, if I decide to calculate my insulation by surface area, I must not consider the thickness. So hypothetically speaking, if I have a wall with three different insulation boards of 1" (total of 3") and I have an other wall with one insulation board of 3"... then does my second wall with 3" insulation only count for 25%?

Whereas by density/volume/performance, it would've counted for 50% and the other three panels for 16.666% each...

I just want to be sure I do my estimation right.

Thank you