Public space (park, square, courtyard) - an outdoor space where users can take a pleasant break in the vicinity of the building. For example, an office building may have an outdoor area where you can sit and have lunch. These spaces must be large enough so that, according to a reasonable estimate, a significant proportion of the building's users can use them during lunch times and breaks.
Recreation or Sports facilities - facilities where users can go for exercise and relaxation in the vicinity of the building. For example, a sports hall, gymnasium, swimming pool, gym, play area at schools, yoga room, meditation room.
The following are representative examples of outdoor spaces:
-A private garden
-A communal garden or courtyard, providing a pleasant and secluded environment large enough for all occupants of designated dwellings to share and designed in a way that makes it clear that the space is only to be used by occupants of designated dwellings
-Balconies
-Terraces (roof or other)
-Patios.
These are to be set at a level which is compliant with the following:
-For private space: 1.5m² per bedroom
-For semi-private space, i.e. shared access by all dwelling occupants: 1.0m² per bedroom.
(ref: BREEAM International New Construction 2021 V6.0, criteria TRA 02, HEA 08)
The outdoor space must be physically accessible, available in the vicinity (within a walking distance of 500 meters) of the vehicle and be one or more of the following:
-social area: a pedestrian-oriented paving or landscape area that accommodate outdoor social activities
-recreational area: a recreation-oriented paving or landscape area that encourage physical activity;
-diverse green space: a landscape area with two or more types of vegetation that provide opportunities for year-round visual interest;
-garden: a garden space dedicated to community gardens or urban food production; or
-habitat area: preserved or created habitat which includes elements of human interaction.
At least 25% of the required outdoor open space must be vegetated space planted with two or more types of vegetation or have overhead vegetated canopy.
Extensive or intensive vegetated roofs that are physically accessible can be used toward the minimum vegetation requirement, and qualifying roof-based physically accessible paving areas can be used toward credit compliance.
Wetlands or naturally designed ponds may count as open space if the side slope gradients average 1:4 (vertical: horizontal) or less and are vegetated. (ref: LEED BD+C New Construction, Sustainable Sites, Open Space)