LEED Categories

Catego es
Category # 1

There are Four key issues help define how a project’s

location affects the sustainability of the project over its lifetime:

1- Transportation
2 Site Selection
2-
3- Site design and management; and
4 Stormwater management
4-
Category # 1

Deals With:
a- Reducing pollution associated with construction activities
b- Selecting sites appropriate for development
c- Protecting environmentally sensitive areas and restoring
damagedg habitats
d- Encouraging alternative modes of transportation
e- Respecting the natural water hydrology of site
ff- Reducing the effects of heat islands
 Sustainable Sites
Yes ? No Certified 26-32 points Silver 33-38 points Gold 39-51 points Platinum 52-69 points
8 4 2 Sustainable Sites 14 Points

Y Prereq 1 Construction Activity Pollution Prevention

1 Credit 1 Site Selection
1 Credit 2 Development Density & Community Connectivity
1 C dit 3
Credit Brownfield Redevelopment
1 Credit 4.1 Alternative Transportation, Public Transportation Access
1 Credit 4.2 Alternative Transportation, Bicycle Storage & Changing Rooms
1 Credit 4.3 Alternative Transportation, Low-Emitting and Fuel-Efficient Vehicles
1 Credit 4.4 Alt
Alternative
ti Transportation,
T t ti P ki C
Parking Capacity
it
1 Credit 5.1 Site Development, Protect or Restore Habitat
1 Credit 5.2 Site Development, Maximize Open Space
1 Credit 6.1 Stormwater Design, Quantity Control
1 Credit 6.2 Stormwater Design, Quality Control
1 Credit 7.1 Heat Island Effect, Non-Roof
1 Credit 7.2 Heat Island Effect, Roof
1 Credit 8 Light Pollution Reduction
 Sustainable Sites SSp-1
p Construction Activityy Pollution Prevention
Intent:
Reduce pollution from construction activities by controlling soil 
erosion waterway sedimentation and air born dust generation
erosion, waterway sedimentation and air born dust generation

Requirements:
Create and implement an Erosion and Sedimentation Control 
(ESC) Plan for all construction activities associated with the 
project. 
Strategies:
Stabilization (prevent erosion)
– Temporary or permanent seeding
– Mulching
Structural Control (retain sediment after 
Structural Control (retain sediment after
erosion)
– Earth dike  ‐Silt fence  ‐Sediment trap
p
– Sediment Basin
Useful Definitions
Brownfield
Previously used or developed land that may be contaminated 
with hazardous waste or pollution

Community connectivity
The amount of connection between a site and the surrounding 
communityy
Useful Definitions
Development density
The total square footage of all buildings within particular area 
(e.g. square feet per acre)

Footcandle
A measure of the amount of illumination falling on a surface. 
A f h f ill i i f lli f
Minimizing the number of footcandles of site lighting helps 
reduce light pollution and dark skies and animals
reduce light pollution and dark skies and animals .
Useful Definitions
Imperiousness
The resistant of a material to penetration by a liquid.

Solar reflectance index (SRI)

A measure of how well a 
material rejects solar heat 
(0 100)
(0 –
Useful Definitions
Street grid density
An indicator of neighborhood density 
( calculated as the number of centerline mile 
per square mile)
il )

Vehicle miles traveled (vmt)

A measure of transportation demand that 
A measure of transportation demand that
estimates the travel miles associated with 
a project
p j
 1- Transportation
According to the U.S. Energy 
According to the U S Energy Architecture 2030
Information Administration, 
transportation accounted for 32% 
of total U.S greenhouse gas 
emissions in 2007

The 2030 Challenge

Credit: architecture2030.org

– The fossil fuel reduction standard for all new buildings shall be increased to:
60% in 2010 70% in 2015 80% in 2020 90% in 2025
Carbon neutral in 2030 (using no fossil fuel GHG-emitting energy to operate)
 1- Transportation
The drivers of transportation impacts:
1- Location
Determines the number and 
frequency of trips
frequency of trips
2- Vehicle Technology
Types of energy needed to 
Types of energy needed to
convey people and goods to 
and from site

3- Vehicle Fuel
Its environmental impact

4- Human behavior
Combine all of these elements in 
daily mobility choices
daily mobility choices
1- Transportation
Strategies to address transportation:
1- Locate near mass transit
Select a project site in an area served by an 
existing transportation network
existing transportation network

2- Limit Parking
This will raise the interest in alternative transportation options
3- Encourage carpooling
Designate preferred spaces for carpool vehicles in the parking area

4- Promote alternative-fuel vehicle

Provide a convenient refueling program for building occupants
id i f li f b ildi
Electrical cars, cars powered by hydrogen, ethanol, natural gas, or 
biofuel

Green score of 40 or more from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy
 1- Transportation
Strategies to address transportation:
5- Offer incentives
Nothing speaks louder than cash, reward 
employees or shoppers who arrive by bike
employees or shoppers who arrive by bike. 

6- Support alternative transportation.

Help organize building occupants so they know their options for 
commuting. Provide bulletin board with carpool groups and bus 
schedules

Others
Compressed work week
4/10 – 9/80       work 10 hours/day and take 1 day off
Telecommuting= virtual team= hoteling
Where employees have no assigned office space , they come to office 
as needed
 2- Site Selection
Intent:
• Avoid development of inappropriate sites and reduce the 
p pp p
environmental impact from the location of a building on a site.
• Conserve existing natural areas and restore damaged areas 
to provide habitat and promote biodiversity. 

Concept
A sustainable site is one that is
located within or near existing
development , getting use of the
existing infrastructure and provide
basic services to building
occupants
2 Site Selection
2- 10 Basic Services within ½ 
mile
Strategies : Radius

1. Bank
1- Increase density 2.
3.
Place of Worship
Convenience Grocery
4. Daycare
Consider building up instead of out
Consider building up instead of out 5. Cleaners
6. Fire Station
7. Beauty
8. Hardware
22- Choose redevelopment 9
9. Laundry
10. Library
Old buildings are often well located, with access to existing  11. Medical/Dental
services and public transportation (reuse is one of the main  12. Senior Care
3
13. Park
a
3R concepts) 14. Pharmacy
Smart Location and Brownfield 15. Post Office
16. Restaurant
17. School
3 Protect Habitat
3- 18. Supermarket
19. Theater
Leave undeveloped areas with critical habitats undamaged and  20. Community Center
undeveloped. Even within a site, consider which portions of it  21. Fitness Center
22
22. Museum
might be best left as open space and focus density in the areas 
where it makes sense.
3- Site Design and Management
3
Concept
Sustainable site Design and Management involves the selection of
native and/ or adaptive plantings, water-efficient irrigation systems,
minimal hardscape,
p and optimal
p exterior lighting
g g design. g

Strategies :
11- Build small
Small buildings require less resources than large buildings
2- Minimize hardscape
Consider using materials that allow water to flow 
through them, or use the least amount of hardscape.
3 Minimize water usage
3-
Use plants that grow naturally, adds to people’s sense of 
place and cut down the amount of water needed to 
keep the landscape looking good.
3 Site Design and Management
3-
Strategies :
4- Use reflective materials
Heat Island effect is caused by 
the absorption of heat by 
hardscapes, such as dark, 
nonreflective pavement and 
b ildi
buildings, and its radiation to 
di di i
surrounding areas

5- Develop a sustainable management plan

The plan should address the application of 
chemical and the cleaning of hardscape
g p and 
building exterior, and it should include an 
integrated pest management program
3 Site Design and Management
3-
Strategies :
6- Reduce Light pollution
Make sure that buildings are lit minimally at night and that this lighting is directed 
downward rather than up into the sky.

Does not trespass onto 
adjacent properties
4- Stormwater Management
4
Concept
Increased urbanization and development lead to more hardscapes and
impervious surfaces. These, in turn, increase stormwater runoff which can
accelerate erosion, therebyy carrying
y g pparticulates and chemicals into nearbyy
water bodies, this can reduce water quality, aquatic life ( which often
provide local water supplies)
4 Stormwater Management
4-
Strategies :
1- Minimize Impervious areas
Think of ways to get stormwater to stay on your site rather than directing it away.  
Green roofs and pervious pavers are good ways to get water to infiltrate a site.
4 Stormwater Management
4-
Strategies :
2- Control Stormwater
Another way to improve the quality of water leaving your site is to slow it down.  
Rain Gardens and Bioswales are simply technical terms for landscape features that 
are designed to capture and slow down water leaving the site ( plants essentially 
clean the water from pollutants)
4 Stormwater Management
4-
Strategies :
3- Harvest rainwater
In some jurisdictions, the water collected can be used in building systems, such as 
toilets or irrigation.