LEED v5 BD+C Rating System_November 2025_clean - Page 167
Extracted Content
Option 4. Sound Environment (1–2 points)
PATH 1. MAPPING ACOUSTIC EXPECTATIONS FOR INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SPACES (1 POINT)
Determine the desired sound environment early in the design process by mapping the acoustic expectations for each primary indoor and outdoor space that is specific to the use of the space and occupant needs. Categories to consider include noise exposure, acoustic comfort and noise sensitivity, acoustic privacy, communication, and soundscape, with the following possible classifications:
-
Noise exposure zones: High risk, medium risk, low risk, or no risk.
-
Acoustic comfort: Loud zone, quiet zone, mixed zone, circulation, sensitive, and no specific expectations.
-
Acoustic privacy: High speech security, confidential speech privacy, normal speech privacy, marginal speech privacy, or no privacy.
-
Communication zones: Excellent, good, marginal, and none or no specific expectations.
-
Soundscape management: Preserve, improve, restore, mitigate, specialize (e.g., for wellness, therapeutic, or agency in equity), or no specific expectations.
Define acoustic criteria and potential design strategies and solutions to meet the acoustic expectations for each space. Categories to consider include internally generated background noise, externally intrusive background noise, electronically generated masking sound, outdoor acoustic environment, airborne sound reverberation, sound insulation, vibration insulation, and impact noise.
OR
PATH 2. ACOUSTIC CRITERIA FOR INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SPACES (2 POINTS)
Through calculations, modeling, and/or measurements, demonstrate that the mapping exercise completed in Path 1 informed design strategies and solutions to meet acoustic criteria for at least 75% of the occupied spaces and all classrooms and other core learning spaces.
AND/OR
Option 5. Lighting Environment (1–6 points)
PATH 1. SOLAR GLARE (1 POINT)
Provide manual or automatic (with manual override) glare-control devices in all regularly occupied spaces that will receive direct or reflected sun penetration. Spaces designed intentionally for direct sunlight may be excluded.
U.S. Green Building Council LEED v5 Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, November 2025 Edition 160