LEED Objectives in GSA Projects
Appropriate strategies and benefits will
typically require review on a project-specific
basis.
GSA's LEED requirement can be seen as an
extension of the agency's previous sustainability
4) Additional LEED credits with moderate-to-
initiatives, and as part of GSA's overall efforts to
high first costs, or that involve significant
continually improve building quality and
design challenges, should be evaluated based
performance. As such, it is important that design
on the value they add to a project weighed
teams consider LEED as a means to achieve
against their first cost implications. Life cycle
better, more sustainable buildings, rather than as an
cost analyses or similar detailed investigations
isolated goal in itself. Project teams should assume
should be performed for measures under
that the following goals and objectives apply to all
serious consideration. Credit synergies and
GSA projects:
integrated design approaches should be used to
maximize the value of the measures pursued,
1) LEED measures should be selected to
while minimizing their first cost premiums.
reinforce or support the programmatic,
functional, and operational requirements of a
5) Project teams should not pursue credits simply
project. These basic building requirements
to achieve a LEED rating. Credits and
should not be compromised by LEED
combinations of credits should be selected
considerations.
based on the benefits they provide, as well as
their contribution to an integrated design
2) Previously established GSA sustainability
solution.
requirements (e.g., energy-efficiency targets,
use of recycled-content materials) should be
Project teams should be able to justify their
achieved and integrated with the
approach to LEED, including the specific credits
corresponding LEED prerequisites or credits.
pursued and the overall rating level obtained, based
on these general parameters in conjunction with
3) LEED credits that can be achieved with
the project program, site conditions, and budget. It
relative ease at a "no-cost" or "low-cost" level
is the purpose of this Applications Guide to assist
should typically be pursued, to the extent that
project teams in developing such an approach.
such measures provide meaningful benefits to
the building occupants and operators, the
Structure and Scope of the
GSA, the community, or the environment.
Applications Guide
Meaningful benefits may include (but are not
limited to) the following:
The Applications Guide is divided into two main
Reduced operational utility costs (energy,
sections. Section 1 summarizes the results of the
water, sewer)
GSA LEED Cost Study using a color-coded table
Reduced operational maintenance costs
that identifies the categorized cost impacts of each
LEED prerequisite and credit. The cost
Increased useful life of building systems or
categorization is based on the two building models
equipment
examined in the Cost Study, a new mid-rise Federal
Increased property value
Courthouse (five stories, 262,000 GSF) and a mid-
rise Federal Office Building modernization (nine
Increased user satisfaction (potentially
stories, 306,600 GSF). The table also includes two
resulting in increased productivity, reduced
"projected" cost impact columns for each
absenteeism)
prerequisite and credit, which identify the general
Community improvement
cost expectations to achieve the points in most
Support of local industry/economy
GSA office/institutional projects (for new
construction and modernizations). The table is
Reduced global environmental impacts
intended as an initial "roadmap" of potential credit
Enhanced agency profile
costs, and includes comments on key cost impact
Accelerated market transformation for
variables that apply to a number of the LEED
"green" products and practices
credits.
GSA LEED APPLICATIONS GUIDE
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