Section 4: LEED-Related Soft Costs
Multiple Credit/LEED Process Tasks
LEED administration fees of the expert
consultant approach are not required).
While a LEED rating ultimately comprised of a
LEED strategies can be seamlessly
collection of individual credits, many LEED-
incorporated into the design and construction
specific tasks are tied to multiple, rather than
process.
individual, LEED measures. For instance, creating
There is good potential for the development
project specifications that include LEED criteria is
of integrated, cost-effective design solutions.
typically considered one discrete task, even though
Less time is needed to educate members of the
it covers many of the LEED credits being pursued.
design team about LEED.
The extent and content of the LEED specification
language will vary depending on the individual
The potential disadvantages include the following:
LEED credits that are targeted, but the task itself is
The multiple responsibilities of the design
still considered one task. These types of multiple
team (e.g., budget, deadlines, overall design
credit tasks ultimately define what may be called a
coordination) can result in a loss of focus on
"LEED Process."
LEED issues.
Fewer (or less detailed) LEED deliverables
In general, the LEED process starts with the team's
may be developed for the client to track
initial assessment of the LEED credits that will be
progress during the design stages.
pursued for the project. Once a number of credits
have been targeted, the design team (in either the
The design team may not be up-to-date on
Expert Consultant or Experienced
changes/updates in the LEED system.
Design/Construction Team approach) tends to
As indicated above, both approaches have
assess and develop the entire collection of LEED
advantages and disadvantages. This study does not
measures concurrently with the development of the
attempt to promote one approach over the other,
overall project. Many LEED process tasks are
but rather acknowledges that either option might be
therefore defined relative to a specific design phase.
used in current and future GSA projects. Because
of this, the two approaches are used to define two
For the purposes of this study, a majority of the
separate sets of soft cost estimates, thereby
LEED-related tasks have been categorized as
providing a range of expected soft cost impacts.
Multiple Credit/LEED Process items rather than as
Credit-Specific tasks. This is particularly relevant
It is also understood that variations to the above
for the Expert Consultant scenarios, because the
two approaches will likely occur (e.g., an expert
consultants often structure their fees based on
consultant assists the design team only in the early
LEED Process deliverables, rather than on
design stages, or a specialized consultant is used
individual credits (the consultants often do not
only for daylighting analysis). Variations of this
know the specific LEED credits that will be
type, however, were not tracked in the study. It is
selected for projects prior to developing their fee
generally assumed that the additional soft costs of
proposals).
these variations will fall somewhere within the
range of the two sets of estimates that were
The specific LEED Process tasks identified for the
developed.
study are as follows:
LEED Tasks: Multiple Credit / "LEED Process"
Facilitation of a LEED Charrette or LEED
Tasks vs. Credit-Specific Tasks
Feasibility Review (Concept Design Phase)
Development and coordination of LEED
The interviews revealed that there are two distinct
action items with the entire design team
ways to define LEED-based tasks: 1) tasks that
(Design Development [DD] and Construction
apply to multiple LEED credits and to an overall
Documents [CD] Phases)
"LEED Process"; and 2) tasks that are specific to
Materials and systems research for LEED
an individual LEED credit. The distinction between
credits (DD and CD Phases)
the two has important implications in defining the
LEED calculations for Site, Water, Material,
soft cost estimates.
and IEQ Credits (DD and CD Phases)
GSA LEED COST STUDY
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