scope:

Building Projects Covered (§ 2.1)1

Standard 189.1 provides minimum sustainability requirements for new buildings and their systems, additions to (new portions of) existing buildings and their systems, and new systems and equipment in existing buildings.

The requirements of Standard 189.1 address the building project's site sustainability, water use efficiency, energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality (IEQ), and the building's impact on the atmosphere, materials, and resources.

Building Projects not Covered (§ 2.2)

Standard 189.1 excludes low-rise residential buildings, defined aS

a. single-family houses,

b. multifamily structures of three stories or fewer above grade, or

c. manufactured houses (mobile homes and modular).

Residential occupancies in a mixed-use facility or a multifamily structure four stories or more above grade are not excluded unless so stated in a particular requirement of Standard 189.1.

Standard 189.1 also does not apply to buildings that do not use electricity, fossil fuel, and water. To illustrate this exclusion, if a building does not use water but does use electricity, the building is included in the scope of Standard 189.1.

Building Project Site Boundary Identification

The building project site boundary is identified as thesite that is contained in a single submittal for a construction permit or the boundary of a contiguous property under single ownership or effective control.

For building projects that are submitted with multiple permit applications, are broken down into multiple phases, or are a smaller part of a larger contiguous property, the limit of work2 can be used to identify a single site boundary for the building project.

In other words, if a building project has multiple permits but is under a single building project, then the site limit of work can be used to identify the building project site boundary. Note that a building project with a plumbing permit, for example, must comply with the water-related requirements of Standard 189.1.

Public roads, bridges, utilities, and other public works infrastructure projects are excluded from Standard 189.1.Such public infrastructure should also be excluded from the building project site boundary. However, elements such as private roads or private on-site wastewater treatment facilities that are included in a building project are included in the building project site boundary.

Below are three situations that may arise in determining thebuilding project site boundary:

a. New building projects with a site

b. Additions to existing building projects with a site

c. Existing buildings or additions to existing building projects with no site

In the first two situations, the building project site boundary is the building project site or the site limit of work. In existing buildings or additions to existing buildings with no site, site requirements do not apply. For example, an interior fit-out is under construction but the building project does not include any landscaping or other site improvements. In this case, site requirements of Standard 189.1 do not apply to the building project.

Safety, Health, or Environmental Requirements (§ 2.3)

Standard 189.1 shall not be used to circumvent any safety, health, or environmental requirements of local building codes. If abuilding project's local jurisdiction has more stringent requirements than Standard 189.1, the more stringent requirements apply, which do not prevent the application of the requirements of Standard 189.1.

If there is a conflict between the requirements of Standard 189.1 and safety, health, or environmental codes, the local code requirements should apply. Alternatively, the project team can ask for interpretations from the local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ).

1. Definitions that can be found in Standard 189.1 are italicized throughout the User's Manual.

2. The limit of work is the boundary used to identify the limit of site disturbance for construction activities and also delineates the boundary within which the stormwater pollutionprevention control measures are implemented for a building project.

Purpose

Standard 189.1 provides minimum requirements forhigh-performance green buildings and building systems, addressing siting, design, construction and plans for operation. It applies to all buildings except low-rise residential buildings (low-rise means three habitable floors or less). TheStandard is written in building code language and is intended for adoption by international, national, state/province, and local code jurisdictions. The Standard specifies reasonable design, construction and operational practices and technologies that minimize water, energy and materials consumption without sacrificing either the comfort or productivity of the occupants.

The Standard strives to balance these issues along with environmental, resource and community concerns, and the need for current and future developments. The Standard is broad in scope and the requirements are appropriate for a wide range of building types, climate zones, and for a variety ofsite conditions. When designing a specific building on a specific site for a specific climate, design issues will undoubtedly have to be addressed that go beyond those considered in developing the Standard.