Samuel W.

Shaw Middle School

In-Depth LEED Case Study

Group2 Architecture Interior Design

September 2014

The Samuel W. Shaw Middle School (SWS known in construction as the Shawnessy/Somerset Middle
School) 6,406m middle school for 550 grade 5-9 students, operated by the Calgary Board of Education.
The school is located in the South-West Calgary neighbourhood of Shawnessy, on a 1.92 hectare site.
1,427m of space is available in modular, relocatable classrooms (which are not included as part of the
LEED submittal).
The intent of this case study is to inform the design of other buildings based on the successes of this
project. This in-depth technical document will provide other designers with insight into the LEED
process. For ease of use, this document is broken down by targeted LEED prerequisites and credits.
LEED Project Workflow
Adapting the LEED system to established project workflows can be challenging. In order to simplify and
expedite the process, there are two suggested phases of LEED documentation: design and construction.
Design phase credits may be documented before construction is complete. They generally rely on
adherence to the contract documents or can be documented independently of the buildings
construction. Examples include specifying air handling units that are free of CFC-based refrigerants and
public transportation options. By completing design credit documentation before the construction
phase, the LEED project team is able to allocate time and resources to credits when their completion is
most crucial. Documenting design credits early in the project can save money associated with late
changes and replacements.
The construction phase credits rely on the methods or results of building construction. Many
construction credits are documented through tracking materials entering or leaving the site, largely the

responsibility of the contractor. In the case of this project, approximately 2/5 of the credits could have
been documented before the construction of the school was completed.

Phase

Responsibilty
LEED Consultant
2

Architect

Mechanical Engineer
Design

39%

4
14

61%

Energy Engineer
CxA

Construction
6
2 2
1

Electrical Engineer
Contractor
Owner

Although the LEED system emphasises teamwork and synergies, allocating individual responsibility is key
to meeting project goals. A lack of commitment to the LEED goals from any one consultant can
jeopardize the projects overall targets. The Responsibility graph above shows the number of credits
pursued on this project, per party. Descriptions of their roles and workflows are as follows:
- LEED Consultant: The LEED Consultant coordinates with subconsultants, contractors and
owners. They ensure credits are being correctly documented at the appropriate stage of the
design and construction phases, while clarifying issues regarding LEED compliance and credit
intent.
- Architect: The architect designs the space and specifies envelope components. All of the credits
the architect is responsible for may be documented before construction is complete, as long as
the construction documents are followed.
- Mechanical Engineer: Like the architect, the mechanical credits are design-based, and may be
documented before the project is completed.
- Electrical Engineer: There are relatively few credits the electrical engineer is responsible for, all
of which may be completed in the design phase.
- Energy Engineer: The function of the energy engineer is to inform the design in ways to reduce
energy consumption, and to provide an energy model of as-built conditions. This work may be
completed in the design phase but should be updated to reflect any mid-construction changes.
- Commissioning Authority (CxA): The commissioning authoritys work begins in the design phase
by writing the commissioning plan which will be completed in the construction phase, once
there are building systems to commission.
- Contractor: At the beginning of the construction phase, following the award of the construction
contract, the contractor will produce several LEED plans (ESC, IAQ, construction waste
management). The bulk of the contractors credit documentation will occur at the end of the
construction phase, once theyve completed all material tracking.

Owner: The owner must be very involved during the design phase. They will produce the
owners project requirements (OPR) document which the commissioning authority will use to
ensure the design fulfills the owners needs. School board input is required in several policybased credits green cleaning and green education for instance so the earlier these
discussions can be initiated, the better.

Sustainable Sites
Prerequisite 1: Construction Activity Pollution Prevention
Required
Responsibility: Contractor
Phase: Construction
Before its construction, the SWS site was an empty lot that had been graded when the surrounding area
was initially developed. As part of the City of Calgarys Development Site Servicing Plan (DSSP) process,
the ESC consultant produced an ESC plan drawing as part of the tender documents that contractors
would be bidding on. This plan was then reviewed by the LEED consultant. The intent was to reduce
pollution from construction activities by controlling soil erosion, waterway sedimentation and airborne
dust generation. Site access was limited to two entrances with a gravel pad at each to eliminate
sediment being tracked offsite. In order to protect the surrounding stormwater infrastructure from
sedimentation, catch basins were covered with filter fabric, and a silt fence was installed along the
perimeter of the construction site. Temporary seeding helped to mitigate dust erosion of exposed
subsurface and material stockpiles, and sod was installed over topsoil as soon as possible in the
construction schedule.
Documentation: Per the specifications, the ESC consultant provided weekly inspection logs and photos.
Any deviations from the ESC plan were noted and corrective action was taken immediately.
Resources: City of Calgary Guidelines for Erosion and Sediment Control.

Temporary seeding of stockpiles helped to minimise wind erosion.

Credit 1: Site Selection

1 Point
Responsibility: LEED Consultant
Phase: Design
As this site was previously graded, zoned for school/public use, and located in a built-up, residential
neighbourhood, it was safe to infer that it would not meet any of the 7 prohibited criteria listed in the
LEED Reference Guide. As a precaution, the land titles provided in the environmental site assessment
(ESA) were checked to ensure no prohibited criteria were met.
Credit 4.1: Alternative Transportation Public Transportation Access
1 Point
Responsibility: LEED Consultant
Phase: Design
This project is located on the corner of two main roads in a residential community, and is within 50-75m
walking distance of stops along 3 bus routes.
Documentation: Provide a sketch/map showing the walking distance from the projects main entrance
to bus stops, list which routes stop at those stops, and the number of rides per stop per day.
Resources: Calgary Transit provides scheduled arrival times per route. These can be used to quickly
count the number of transit rides at a particular stop per day. It is important to save copies of these
schedules and routes as backup for any calculations.
Credit 4.2: Alternative Transportation Bicycle Storage & Changing Rooms
1 Point
Responsibility: LEED Consultant
Phase: Design
To encourage students to ride their bicycles to SWS, over 100 bicycle racks were provided. Staffs have
been given access to interior storage rooms and a dedicated shower/change room if cycling to work.
Documentation: Provide a sketch that notes the path of travel from the building entrances to any
bicycle storage, whether covered or exposed.
Credit 4.4: Alternative Transportation Parking Capacity
1 Point
Responsibility: LEED Consultant & School Staff
Phase: Design
Per credit requirements, parking capacity meets, but does not exceed the minimum local zoning
requirements. 5 dedicated carpooling stalls are located closest to the parking lot entrance, while the
staff-run carpooling plan lists the following requirements:
- In order to participate in the carpool, the following criteria must be met:
- A carpool must consist of at least 2 participants residing more than 2.4 km from the school.
- Participants are employees at the school.
- Participants must share a ride on a regular basis (at least 2 days a week).
- Participants must live along a reasonable commuting path.
- Carpoolers must register together. Each person in the carpool must be listed on the Carpool
Application (Appendix A) and submit to the school office.
Abuse of the program results in suspension (first offence) or cancellation (second offense) of carpooling
privileges.

Credit 5.2: Reduced Site Disturbance Development Footprint

1 Point
Responsibility: Owner
Phase: Design
This credit is easily achieved by most school projects, as the property they occupy usually contains a
sports field. That was the case with SWS, so the owner was able to sign a declaration that an amount of
open space adjacent to the project and equal to its footprint would not be developed.
Credit 8: Light Pollution Reduction
1 Point
Responsibility: Electrical Engineer
Phase: Design
It was important for this site to not contribute unnecessarily to the night-sky light pollution that is quite
apparent in nighttime photos of Calgary. As such, the electrical engineer minimised the amount of
fixtures onsite, the area those lights lit, and the intensity of those lights (just enough to provide a safe
atmosphere for the school, parking lot, and adjacent open space). Interior lights in common area are
controlled via occupancy sensors, so overall lighting at night is minimised.
Documentation: A site plan showing footcandle (or lux) levels at the property line and beyond shows
compliance with IESNA light levels.
Resources: Illuminating Engineering Society of North America: www.iesna.org

Water Efficiency
Credit 1: Water Efficient Landscaping
2 Points
Responsibility: Architect
Phase: Design
An owners project requirement was to limit the amount of water used for irrigation on school
properties. To accommodate this, the architect selected shrub and tree species known for their native
characteristics, drought tolerant nature and/or Chinook hardiness. Turf grassed areas were minimised,
and a seed mix that has the ability to lie dormant in drought conditions was used wherever possible. The
combination of these measures permitted no permanent irrigation system to be installed.
Credit 3: Water Use Reduction
2 Points
Responsibility: Mechanical Engineer
Phase: Design
The owners project requirement of minimising water use was carried through to the interior of the
building, as shown in the flow and flush fixture selection. While waterless urinals were not deemed
appropriate for a school setting, the 0.5 LPF urinals installed onsite use a fraction of the water of typical
urinals. Low-flow lavatories were also specified throughout the school. The sinks in the classrooms have
a 5.7 LPM flow rate, which is a compromise between water efficiency and functionality e.g. a 1.3 LPM
faucet in a home economics classroom would make filling pots with water inconvenient.

Energy & Atmosphere

Prerequisite 1: Fundamental Building Systems Commissioning
Responsibility: Commissioning Authority

Required
Phase: Construction

The fundamental commissioning authority for this project was engaged by the project owner, and
ensured that the owners design intent was followed throughout the construction documents. The CxAs
thorough review of the construction documents noted that the specified air system motors did not meet
the owners energy use requirements, so the plans were amended before the project was tendered,
saving time and money.
Prerequisite 2: Minimum Energy Performance
Required
Credit 1: Optimize Energy Performance
6 Points
Responsibility: Energy Engineer
Phase: Design
With energy efficiency being a driving factor in the projects design, the energy engineer pushed for
enhancements to the building envelope, efficiencies in the mechanical system, building lighting design
and power densities, and process energy consumption. During fit-up, the school board purchased
Energy STAR compliant office and computer equipment. This resulted in a 48% savings in energy usage
compared to the Model National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings 1997 (MNECB) reference building.
The project was also able to successfully meet the requirements of NRCans ecoENERGY Validation of
New Building Designs program.
Resources: Best practice measures regarding assemblies, among other building issues, can be found
online at www.buildingscience.com

A well-insulated building envelope helps to reduce energy demand.

Prerequisite 3: Fundamental Refrigerant Management

Required
Responsibility: Mechanical Engineer
Phase: Design
The HVAC market has been driven by a need for air handling units and HVAC systems with CFC-free
refrigerants. This prerequisite was easily met by specifying compliant HVAC equipment, and has become
a standard building practice. Additionally, no halons were used in the fire suppression equipment.

Credit 3: Best Practice Commissioning

1 Credit
Responsibility: Commissioning Authority
Phase: Construction
In addition to reviewing the contract documents for adherence to the Owners Project Requirements,
the commissioning authority also completed reviews of shop drawings submitted by the contractor. This
was critical in catching an error that specified a non-LEED compliant refrigerant (R-22 instead of R-134a)
in the Dx cooling system tied to the air handling units on the shop drawings. Had this not been caught,
the project would be ineligible for LEED certification, as EAp3 Fundamental Refrigerant would not have
been met.

Materials & Resources

Prerequisite 1: Storage & Collection of Recyclables
Required
Responsibility: Architect & Owner
Phase: Design
In 2008, the school board set a target to reduce 50% of its waste sent to the landfill by 2012. SWS
contributed to this aggressive target by offering full recycling services starting from its opening date. The
students and staff have access to paper and cardboard collection bins in each classroom, while glass,
plastics, metals and beverage containers are collected in common areas around the school. Two
dedicated rolling bins accommodate all of the schools recycling needs, and are picked up by the school
boards waste contractor for delivery to the recycling facility. As an instructional tool, a commercial
composting program was initiated at the school, and allows the students and staff to divert food waste,
paper towels, paper plates, and napkins from the landfill.
Credit 2: Construction Waste Management
1 Point
Responsibility: Contractor
Phase: Construction
The contractor submitted a construction waste management (CWM) plan to the LEED consultant after
tender was awarded. It outlined the contractors obligation of hitting the 75% waste diversion target for
2 LEED points by diverting the following construction waste items from the landfill: cardboard,
concrete/asphalt/masonry debris, drywall, metals (including rebar, brass, chrome, aluminum, copper,
metal stud scrap, screws, and nails), paper, and wood. It also outlined the contractors plan for sorting
waste created by construction crews i.e. beverage containers. 268.6 metric tonnes of construction
waste was able to be diverted from landfill, while 109.66 metric tonnes were landfilled, equating to 71%
of waste being diverted. This fell just shy of the targeted 75% diversion rate.
Documentation: Keep records (such as waybills/receipts/letters) showing the weight, destination, enduse of all materials diverted from landfill.
Resources: The Recycling Council of Alberta has inventoried all recycling facilities and their capacity to
recycle certain building materials (http://callcentre.emergeknowledge.com/). Ensure future projects
have reasonable hauling distances to recycling facilities.

Clean wood was separated from other recyclables and construction waste.

Credit 4: Recycled Content

2 Points
Responsibility: Contractor
Phase: Construction
Many building products use recycled content in their manufacture as a standard practice, or as a cost
savings over virgin material. These products comprise some of the more expensive and extensively-used
materials in a school concrete, gravel, rebar, structural steel, steel cladding, and even some fit-out
items such as lockers and door hardware. As 23.07% of the projects construction material cost came
from recycled content, SWS was eligible for an innovation in design credit for exemplary performance
for achieving over 22.5% (7.5% for MRc4.1 + 15% for MRc4.2).
Documentation: Select specific products that are known to have high recycled content. Collect material
information sheets for every product brought on site and verify their correctness as soon as possible.
Creating a material master list that automatically tabulates recycled content, regional content, VOC
content, along with all associated costs is an effective measure to ensure all products purchased are
accounted for. If this list is updated as material information sheets are provided, it is easy to track the
progress of the credits. Number the line items and keep all backup (cut sheets, manufacturer literature,
signed attestations, etc.) readily available. This will help prevent loss of credit points during
audits/review, as tracking down date-specific product documentation after-the-fact can be timeconsuming.

Structural components such as steel and concrete may contain large amounts of recycled and regional content.

Credit 5: Regional Materials

2 Points
Responsibility: Contractor
Phase: Construction
Several manufacturing facilities and extraction sites for major building components are located in or
near Calgary. As with MRc4 Recycled Content above, these items were some of the more expensive
building and site components: concrete (slabs and piles), gravel used for backfill, rebar, asphalt paving,
gypsum board, maple gymnasium flooring, and aluminum window framing. 28.21% of the projects
construction material cost came from products and materials extracted and manufactured in the Calgary
area. This was just shy of achieving the innovation in design credit requirement of 30% for exemplary
performance.
Documentation: It is important to be aware of materials that are extracted and manufactured locally,
and to include them in the project design and specifications. Similar to MRc4 above, it is critical to
double check the reported travel distances for all materials, as one miscalculation could compromise the
achievement of this credit. A common mistake encountered was that subtrades were unclear on how to
account for composite materials containing material outside of the regional limit. The can be addressed
by counting only the percentage of regional content (by weight) toward MRc5. The distance between
the manufacturing and project sites can be up to 800km (2400km by rail or ship), and may be measured
as-the-crow-flies (in a straight line).
Resources: To check straight line distances between points on a map, use a tool like this:
http://www.freemaptools.com/how-far-is-it-between.htm

Credit 7: Certified Wood

1 Point
Responsibility: Contractor
Phase: Construction
Wood from FSC-certified forests and retailers was used throughout the school in millwork, sheathing,
doors, the gymnasium sports floor, and rough carpentry. Just over 52% of the projects wood was
sourced in this manner, while the remainder came from other vendors.
Documentation: If pursuing IEQc4.4 Composite Wood and Agrifibre Products, request NAUF (no added
urea-formaldehyde) documentation from the manufacturer at the same time as requesting FSC
information.

Indoor Environmental Quality

Prerequisite 1: Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance
Required
Responsibility: Mechanical Engineer
Phase: Design
The mechanical engineer designed the HVAC system to exceed the minimum requirements of ASHRAE
Standard 62n-2001 Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality. A narrative describing the schools
ventilation zones (core area, administration, CTS wing, and gymnasium) and their minimum
requirements was provided as well.
Prerequisite 2: Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control
Required
Responsibility: Architect & School Board
Phase: Design
Per the existing school board requirements, smoking is prohibited on the entire school site, indoors and
outdoors. This takes care of the requirement to prohibit smoking within 7.5 metres of entries and
operable windows.
Documentation: A letter describing the prohibition of smoking indoors and outdoors was signed by the
school principal was provided to the LEED consultant.
Credit 1: Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Monitoring
1 Point
Responsibility: Mechanical Engineer
Phase: Design
The design of the mechanical systems was based on using multi-zone constant flow air handling units
with CO2 sensors to control the amount of outdoor air provided to the occupied spaces.
Documentation: The project team applied for and received a ruling with CaGBC CIR #101, which allows
the use of supply CO2 monitoring as a method for monitoring CO2 levels in each occupied space with
backup documentation that shows the system meets the intent of the credit.
Credit 3.1: Construction IAQ Management Plan During Construction
1 Point
Responsibility: Contractor
Phase: Construction
An Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) management plan was written by the contractor, and was an expansion of
the recommendations on IAQ control in the specifications. These referenced the Sheet Metal and Air
Conditioning Contractors National Association (SMACNA) IAQ Guidelines for Occupied Buildings Under
Construction. Project examples of the 5 SMACNA IAQ approaches are as follows:

HVAC Protection: All ductwork in this school was

protected against dust contamination by the
contractor.

Source Control: Machinery used within the closed

building envelope was electric powered.
Containers of primer and paint were kept closed
whenever possible.

Pathway Interruption: Areas where fireproofing was being spray applied were
separated from areas with other ongoing work.

Housekeeping: The construction site was kept tidy

and was swept regularly with sweeping compound
to minimise airborne particulate matter.

Scheduling: The walls were primed and painted before porous materials such as ceiling tiles were
installed. Air handling units were not operated during construction.
Credit 4.1: Low-Emitting Materials Adhesives & Sealants
1 Point
Responsibility: Contractor
Phase: Construction
The adhesives and sealants used on this project conform to the VOC content limits of the South Coast
Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule #1168.
Documentation: It is critical to stress the importance of meeting the VOC limits listed in the Reference
Guide/ Rule #1168, so provide a list of the thresholds in the project specifications. A material
information sheet provided in the front-end matter of the specification will provide an area for the
contractor to fill out the VOC category/limit and content of the products.
Resources: Many adhesives and sealants fall under more than one VOC limit category, so a quick check
of the SCAQMD Rule #1168 (http://www.aqmd.gov/rules/reg/reg11/r1168.pdf) will allow the most
accurate and stringent category to be applied.
Credit 4.2: Low-Emitting Materials Paints & Coatings
1 Point
Responsibility: Contractor
Phase: Construction
All of the paint used in SWS contained no VOCs, and while primers and gym floor coatings contained
VOCs, the content was well below the VOC limit prescribed by LEED.
Resources: As a result of market demand, nearly all manufacturers produce low-VOC or VOC-free
interior coatings. The Master Painters Institute has created an index of environmentally friendly paints,
and coatings, which is constantly being updated: http://specifygreen.com/

Low VOC and VOC-free finishes provide a safe indoor environment for students and staff.

Credit 4.3: Low-Emitting Materials, Carpets

1 Point
Responsibility: Contractor
Phase: Construction
Very little carpeting was installed in this project just in the board room on the second floor. This made
it even more critical to specify a CRI Greenlabel Plus compliant carpet.
Documentation: As with all materials, it is important to obtain backup material (cut sheets,
manufacturer literature, signed attestations, etc.) as soon as possible. As products may have short
production runs, it can become difficult to track down date-specific product documentation years later.

Credit 4.4: Low-Emitting Materials Composite Wood & Laminate Adhesives

1 Point
Responsibility: Contractor
Phase: Construction
The two different plywood products used on this project for sheathing and millwork construction were
made without the use of urea formaldehyde. All of the laminate adhesives used throughout the school
fall below the required VOC limits stated in the LEED reference guide.
Documentation: Though the exclusion of urea-formaldehyde as a thermosetting resin is standard
practice in the plywood industry, be sure to request product-specific documentation from the
manufacturer stating the exclusion of this known irritant and carcinogen.
Credit 7.1: Thermal Comfort, Comply with ASHRAE Standard 55-2004
1 Point
Responsibility: Mechanical Engineer
Phase: Design
The 2 of the 3 main zones of this school classroom spaces, and administration spaces have
temperature and humidity controls consistent with ASHRAE Standard 55-2004 requirements. The
gymnasium is outfitted with a temperature control. In the event that a zone falls out of the thermal
comfort design criteria, high and low temperature alarms programmed into the BMS software are
designed to alert the building maintenance staff of a maintenance issue, or the visual display will simply
alert the maintenance staff of a deviation from the desired temperature or humidity setting.
Documentation: As this credit is entirely based on the mechanical system design, the mechanical
engineer can sign off on this credit quite early in the documentation process.

Innovation in Design
Credit 1.1: Sustainability Documentation
1 Point
Responsibility: Owner & LEED Consultant
Phase: Design
The creation of this in-depth case study qualifies as the active education measure required in the LEED
Reference Guide. It is intended to inform the designers of similar buildings in the future of the struggles,
successes and innovations of this project. It is intended to be available on the LEED consultants website
and to be distributed by social media. Additionally a shorter, one-page project overview/brochure
intended for a wide audience who is not necessarily familiar with LEED or the construction industry was
produced. This second document fulfils the CaGBC requirement for a passive educational material, and
was provided to the school for distribution.
Credit 1.2: Green Housekeeping Policy
1 Point
Responsibility: Owner & LEED Consultant
Phase: Design
A green housekeeping policy was written for this project. Produced by the school board and reviewed
for accuracy by the LEED consultant, it is intended to give the maintenance staff information on proper
cleaning procedures and techniques. It is supplemented by a green housekeeping plan produced by the
LEED consultant in conjunction with the schools own maintenance staff, which outlines cleaning goals,
staff training, performance standards, and approved/prohibited products.

Credit 1.3: (Exemplary Performance) WEc3 Water Use Reduction

1 Point
Responsibility: Mechanical Engineer
Phase: Design
Through careful flow and flush fixture selection, the mechanical engineer was able to achieve a 58%
reduction in potable water use over the baseline building case.
Credit 1.4: (Exemplary Performance) MRc4 Recycled Content
1 Point
Responsibility: LEED Consultant
Phase: Design
As noted above in MRc4.1, 23.07% of the projects construction material cost came from recycled
content.
Credit 2: LEED Accredited Professional
1 Point
Responsibility: LEED Consultant
Phase: Design
The inclusion of a LEED Accredited Professional as a principal member of the project team was necessary
to coordinate sustainability efforts between the various subconsultants and the contractor.

Abandoned Credits
Although the following credits were initially pursued, they were abandoned at some point during
project. Where possible, aspects of the credit requirements were incorporated into the final building.
IEQc3.2 Construction IAQ Management Plan: Testing Before Occupancy
An error in the floor area used for the calculation of the flushout duration precluded this credit from
being achieved. While the air handling units were operated at 100% outside air, the length of the
flushout period was incorrect. With occupancy fast approaching, it was not realistic to continue with the
flushout.
IEQc7.2 Thermal Comfort, Monitoring
This credit was abandoned due to the lack of humidity sensors in some of the regularly occupied spaces,
something initially overlooked by the project team.