Under 10,000 SF Interiors Gut Rehab Project

Follow these overall sustainable strategies if your project involves a major tenant gut rehab for spaces under 10,000 SF. Use a current version of LEED for Commercial Interiors for tenant improvement projects over 10,000 SF. Federal projects should ensure that they are aligned with or meet the Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings. Refer to the Apply Section of SFTool for a representative project case study to discover key practices, benefits, results and checklists.

Need more ideas? Explore the Cost-Effective Upgrades tool to identify potential upgrades and energy conservation measures.

Sustainable Strategies

Getting Started

Get started by defining the key green strategies for the renovation early
Gather a team of creative, dedicated professionals who spur new ideas and ensure a collaborative, integrative design process
Include green strategies, materials, and practices in the construction documents and specifications
If relocating, choose a green building with sustainable site attributes such as mass transit, services and amenities for your workers, and a property management company using green practices
Test-fit space against your green criteria and space optimization
If renovating in place, phase work to minimize potential for cross contamination between occupied and construction areas

Construction

Use Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) environmental and energy guidelines for product and service purchases
Test for hazardous materials and appropriately handle hazardous materials removal
Separate areas of contamination from clean or finished areas of work and provide temporary barriers to limit the construction area impact
Protect materials stored on site from moisture and animal infiltrations by establishing dry, secure storage both inside the building and out
Divert construction waste from landfills and facilitate the recycling of construction waste through the standardization of processes
Implement dust and contaminant control measures, including high-efficiency vacuum filtrations and a high frequency of cleaning and dust removal during construction
Protect all ductwork and HVAC equipment during construction from pollutants and dust infiltration
Ventilate with 100 percent of outside air when temperature and humidity allow, especially when VOC-containing materials are being installed
When construction is complete, replace the filtration media in the HVAC systems with highest appropriate MERV value filters to maintain clean indoor air

Materials Selection

Use materials, finishes, furniture, and furnishings that meet low-emitting requirements by 3rd party certifications
Select materials made with post-consumer and pre-consumer recycled materials including carpet, gypsum board, ceiling tiles, millwork, furniture and furnishings
Use composite wood and agrifiber products containing no added urea-formaldehyde

HVAC

Use Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) environmental and energy guidelines for product and service purchases
Install CO2 sensors in densely populated areas to monitor ventilation rates
Use appropriate zoning and controls to separate HVAC space use and automatically sense and modulate energy use in open and private offices, conference rooms, and common areas
Consider energy reduction through setting greater acceptable temperature ranges in zones not continuously occupied such as corridors
Consider wireless thermostats that can be easily relocated and managed remotely

Lighting and Lighting Controls

Use Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) environmental and energy guidelines for product and service purchases
Use glazing on interior offices and shared spaces to maximize access to daylight and views from all locations and provide privacy with opaque glazing or applied polyester opaque film up to 48" height
Consider lowering the height of the workstation panels to approximately 48" in an open office environment, allowing for views while still providing visual and acoustical privacy
Reduce energy use through passive strategies such as maximizing natural daylighting with lighter colors to reflect light and active strategies such as daylight and occupant responsive sensors
Consider lighting systems that can accommodate office, conference room, and open office arrangements without modification

Occupant Health and Productivity

Increase comfort and worker productivity through noise reduction strategies by using acoustical insulation, sound absorbing materials, sound masking, and locating noisy equipment away from quiet areas
Provide indoor plants to enhance the visual appeal of the space and promote health
Promote exercise with a workout facility and encourage use of the stairs for both health and energy savings

Other

Reduce water use by changing out water fixtures to high-efficiency models
Limit permanent walls to functional areas of the building such as restrooms, storage, or data rooms and placing them to the core of the building; instead, consider movable walls for easy reconfiguration and reduction of construction waste
Plan for modularity with space types that can be interchanged such as private office to open space and to conference room

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