Comments on: Sustainable Sites 5.2 – Site Development – Maximize Open Space

By: BILAL

BILAL — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 21:27:11 +0000

how you could develop site plan to perform quantity conrtol for stormwater , perform quality control for stormwater runoff and minimize light trespass on adjacent properties?????

By: BILAL

BILAL — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 21:25:33 +0000

how you could develop site plan to maximize open space? please helppppp

By: Khalid

Khalid — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 01:58:36 +0000

I have a question about the 25% of opening space.. Is there any local or international standard that tells us about how much the opening space should be in the campus or even how much opening space should be for ever m2 for buildings … am trying to study a campus area so i need to know how much opening space or percentage should be there for every m2 of buildings ?? thx

By: july

july — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:12:20 +0000

The answer for Greenair is C not D or E. I enven do not know why and I just saw the very similar one in a practice eaxm.

By: Jon

Jon — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 18:04:46 +0000

This is as much an in-practice question as an exam question:
SS5.1 is pretty clear in the definition of “Native or Adapted” vegetation. Basically that means lawn does not count (as most species are not native and are planted as a monoculture). 5.2 just states “vegetated open space” with no definition of what qualifies except “vegetated” and “pervious”. “Native or adapted” shows up in the definitions, but not in the credit language. Anyone know if lawn qualifies here?

By: Erin

Erin — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:24:01 +0000

Julia,

“I’m wondering if you could clarify something for me regarding SS credit 5.2. The requirements states that “open space should exceed local code by 25%” Does the 25% measurement include or exclude the building footprint?”

I believe that the 25% will EXCLUDE the building footprint, as open space (if not clearly defined in the local zoning code) is defined by LEED as the property area minus the development area (note that the development area is greater than the building footprint).

By: Cory

Cory — Thu, 28 May 2009 01:41:56 +0000

Jonathan,

if there is a 70% max lot coverage, does that mean there is a 30% min. open space requirement?

By: Cory

Cory — Thu, 28 May 2009 01:38:42 +0000

can you explain the difference in logic between options 2 and 3 for SSc5.2? That is, why does the open space area = the building footprint area when there is no zoning, but it is >= 20% of the project site when there is zoning but no open space requirement, and not vice versa?

By: jonathan

jonathan — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:41:48 +0000

i have a question regarding a mixed use, residential and school. it has a lot coverage of 70% max and FAR of 6.5…which option would i be able to use in this situation?

By: mamz

mamz — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 01:13:38 +0000

achir-
in option 3, project site refers to the total project site and thus includes the building footprint.

By: archir

archir — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:52:03 +0000

Option 3: “… provide vegetated open space equal to 20% of the project’s site area.”
does the “Project’s site area” include building footprint?
(in C5.1 the reference guide said excluding the building footprint)

By: Reenu

Reenu — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 02:41:02 +0000

Julia:

Open space does not include the building footprint.

Reenu

By: Baloch

Baloch — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 02:27:21 +0000

Thanks Reenu! I think that might be the only reason.

By: Reenu

Reenu — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 01:47:57 +0000

oh I got it…wow!! a good catch though!!:)
It says that “Active systems ONLY”. Since this criteria is applicable to mixed ventilated systems. Therefore D is NOT a correct answer and the ans is B. Guys correct me if I am wrong.

By: Reenu

Reenu — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 01:41:39 +0000

Baloch:

It is very confusing!! In the manual it firstly indicates this requirement for mechanical systems and then later in the chapter it adds the same requirement for mixed -mode ventilation (mechanical + natural)…Its very confusing indeed.

By: Baloch

Baloch — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 22:59:34 +0000

EQ Credit 2, Increased Ventilation, requires 30% increased ventilation above the
minimum required rates for which ventilation system(s)? (Choose one)
A) ___ Any ventilation system
B) ___ Passive systems using some mechanical ventilation
C) ___ Naturally ventilated systems
D) ___ Active systems only

The answer guide says the amnswer is B but in the manual this threshold is for the Mecahnically ventilated systems that means Active systems so therefore the answer should be D. Am I missing something here?

By: Julia

Julia — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:21:32 +0000

Hi Pat,
I just purchased your study guide and audio files and they have helped a lot. I’m wondering if you could clarify something for me regarding SS credit 5.2. The requirements states that “open space should exceed local code by 25%” Does the 25% measurement include or exclude the building footprint?

By: Nikhil

Nikhil — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 14:39:44 +0000

Hi Pat,
Great Site. Very informative & helpful. Just one suggestion; Can you have a thread or topic on all the calculations required SS4.2,WE3.1, MR etc.? Thanks.

By: Sabreena

Sabreena — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 07:40:14 +0000

Hi Pat
your site is a wonderful resource for preparing for the LEED exam.

Also please can you indicate what are the resources to study, only to pass the test, coz the number of references is kind of intimidating…esp. with the deadline for the v2.2 just around the corner.

Thanks
Sabreena

By: Wes

Wes — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:46:50 +0000

Met Fan,
Rise over run (vertical over horizontal). the greater the run, second number, the less the slope. 1:5 would be less than 1:4, not 1:3.

By: Met Fan

Met Fan — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 05:07:27 +0000

I am not familiar with the concept of side slope gradient. Is there a place that pictures it? What is an example of less than 1:4? 1:3?

By: steve

steve — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 01:25:33 +0000

I would argue that we could reasonably exclude all options with SSc5.2 as we aren’t given any zoning requirements or ordinances specifying open space requirements.
It doesnt say if the site is a green field or previously developed so you will assume 1 or the other. Since no info was given on limiting site disturbance, you might assume its a previously developed site- in which you have protected more than 75% of the site- qualifying it for ID credit.
My answer is E
Does anybody have the correct answer?

By: Pat

Pat — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:58:21 +0000

Well, immediately you can assume that the question is either answer D or E. This is because they are the only ones that have the ID credit, which would be used for the conservation area.

From there then you know it’s either one or the other (SSc5.1 or SSc5.2), not both. So which one fits the best?

I would say the best answer is D.

I may be wrong in my initial assessment about the conservation area, but you can see that if you look at the exemplary performance options for each, the one for SSc5.2 fits as well.

Hope this helps!

The reason I didn’t choose E is because I can assume that we’re building on a greenfield, based on the information in the question (trying to minimize impact & the conservation area). Based on the requirements of SSc5.1 in a greenfield, we have to be at certain distances of disturbance with various items, such as roadways, constructed areas etc. Since we are not given any of this information, answer E isn’t so good.

Answer D is good because we are a really high open space to building footprint ratio, and can assume that no matter what the codes are, we definitely be exceeding the requirements.

By: greenair

greenair — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 17:38:06 +0000

Pat can u help me with question?
Thanks again

A biomedical research facility will be constructed on a 300-acre site in the Florida panhandle, but as part of an effort to minimize the impact of the project, the building, access roads, parking, and other developed aspects of the site will be limited to approximately 12 acres. The rest of the site has been set aside as a conservation area. For which of the following points would this project be eligible? (Choose 1.)

a. SSc5.1: Site Development, Protect or Restore Habitat
b. SSc5.2: Site Development, Maximize Open Space
c. SSc5.1: Site Development, Protect or Restore Habitat; SSc5.2: Site Development: Maximize Open Space
d. SSc5.2: Site Development, Maximize Open Space; IDc1.1: Innovation & Design Process
e. SSc5.1: Site Development, Protect or Restore Habitat; IDc1.1: Innovation & Design Process

By: Gary Burger

Gary Burger — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:22:31 +0000

That makes sense.

Gary

By: a different Melissa

a different Melissa — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 20:28:48 +0000

It’s not very well worded, but I think they mean that you MUST provide vegetated open space 25% greater than the local zoning requirement, and that one of the ways you might do this is by reducing the development footprint. The actual open space requirement is clear.

By: Gary Burger

Gary Burger — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:26:55 +0000

Another question about 5.2:

In the first case, in the Ref. Guide 2.2 there is an “and/or.” This would imply that you can get this piont merely by reducing the development footprint, but what is the standard LEED uses to measure this reduction against? How do you know you’ve reduced the development footprint enough to earn the point?

Thanks,

Gary

By: Gary Burger

Gary Burger — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:42:22 +0000

How does LEED distinguish between Construction Submittal and Design Submittal? I get confused when I look at the Reference Guide v 2.2 descriptions of what to submit for SS credit 5.1 and credit 5.2. They look almost identical. Does the exam ask questions about submittal? If so, what are they like?

Thanks,

Gary

By: Pat

Pat — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:39:16 +0000

Hi Shanu,

Which practice exams are you taking? If you are referencing the greenexamprep.com ones, just keep doing those over and over again and it will help you. Those tests are super hard, harder than the actual test, in my opinion, so If you can just keep doing better each time, no matter what your percentage is now, that’s an improvement.

Just to give you a gauge, when I first took those exams, my average percentage on each of the four given tests were about 45-50%.

If you are speaking of another practice test, i.e. the PPI2Pass or colorado study guide practice tests, I would recommend making sure you get above 85% on those before you take the exam. I rescheduled my exam once, knowing that going in there with little confidence would not be beneficial to my test taking abilities.

Its really up to you and how comfortable you feel. Good luck Shanu.

By: shanu

shanu — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 18:07:42 +0000

Pat,
My exam is on coming sat. 7th June. Anything new I should know of?
I am not doing very good in my practice exam. Should I reschedule it?
I am very confused.
Thanks!