LEED v5
Core and Shell
Materials and Resources
Building and Materials Reuse

CS-v5 MRc1: Building and Materials Reuse 1-5 points

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Credit language

USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Intent

To incorporate reused materials into new building design, thereby reducing embodied carbon, keeping materials in circularity, reducing demand for virgin material sourcing, preserving resources and histories, and increasing demand for reused materials.

Requirements

Option 1. Building Reuse (1–5 points)
Maintain the existing building structure, including floor decking, roof decking, and enclosure. Calculate reuse of the existing project area according to Table 1.

Portions of buildings deemed structurally unsound or hazardous are excluded from the credit calculations.

Table 1. Points for reuse of existing building structure and enclosure elements for New Construction projects

Percentage of Existing Structure and Enclosure Reuse by Project Area

Points

20%

1

35%

2

50%

3

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table 2. Points for reuse of existing building structure and enclosure elements for Core and Shell projects

Percent of Existing Structure and Enclosure Reuse by Project Area

Points

10%

1

20%

2

30%

3

40%

4

50%

5

 

AND/OR

Option 2. Materials Reuse (1–2 points)

  • Survey and identify opportunities for materials reuse and/or procurement of reused materials from off-site.
  • Reuse materials by keeping them in place or acquiring them from applicable salvage sources or reuse markets and incorporating the materials into the new project design. Specific targeted materials are valued higher because they have high impacts (embodied carbon or pollution) are hard to recycle and significant amounts of these materials end up in landfill. 
  • For projects with deconstruction or demolition in scope, conduct a salvage assessment prior to deconstruction or demolition activities and identify materials that can be retained on-site or diverted off-site to reuse markets. 
    • Salvaged materials sent for off-site reuse contribute to MRc5: Construction and Demolition Waste Diversion. Materials retained on-site contribute to this credit option.

Calculate the percent reused per material type according to Equation 1.

Points are achieved according to Table 3.

Equation 1. Reuse % per material type
Reuse % per material type = Amount of material type reused / Total amount of material type in New Construction scope 

Table 3. Points for incorporating reused materials

Reuse materials threshold

Points

Reuse at least 15% of 1 targeted material type

OR

Reuse at least 15% of 2 other material types

OR

Reuse an equivalent weighted average of targeted and other material types

1 point

Reuse at least 30% of 1 targeted material type

OR

Reuse at least 15% of 2 targeted material types

OR

Reuse at least 15% of 4 other material types

OR

Reuse an equivalent weighted average of targeted and other material types

2 points

 

Table 4. Reuse material types and correlating units

Material type

Unit

Targeted materials

Carpeting

Surface area

Ceilings

Surface area

Furniture (ancillary and systems)

Pieces, weight, volume, or floor area

Interior walls

Linear or surface area

Other materials

Dimensional lumber

Board foot or linear

Doors

Count 

Casework

Linear

Floor-covering materials (not including carpet)

Surface area

Lighting fixtures

Count 

Plumbing fixtures

Count 

Mechanical equipment

Count 

Door hardware

Count 

Project defined other

Project defined

 

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Credit language

USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Intent

To incorporate reused materials into new building design, thereby reducing embodied carbon, keeping materials in circularity, reducing demand for virgin material sourcing, preserving resources and histories, and increasing demand for reused materials.

Requirements

Option 1. Building Reuse (1–5 points)
Maintain the existing building structure, including floor decking, roof decking, and enclosure. Calculate reuse of the existing project area according to Table 1.

Portions of buildings deemed structurally unsound or hazardous are excluded from the credit calculations.

Table 1. Points for reuse of existing building structure and enclosure elements for New Construction projects

Percentage of Existing Structure and Enclosure Reuse by Project Area

Points

20%

1

35%

2

50%

3

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table 2. Points for reuse of existing building structure and enclosure elements for Core and Shell projects

Percent of Existing Structure and Enclosure Reuse by Project Area

Points

10%

1

20%

2

30%

3

40%

4

50%

5

 

AND/OR

Option 2. Materials Reuse (1–2 points)

  • Survey and identify opportunities for materials reuse and/or procurement of reused materials from off-site.
  • Reuse materials by keeping them in place or acquiring them from applicable salvage sources or reuse markets and incorporating the materials into the new project design. Specific targeted materials are valued higher because they have high impacts (embodied carbon or pollution) are hard to recycle and significant amounts of these materials end up in landfill. 
  • For projects with deconstruction or demolition in scope, conduct a salvage assessment prior to deconstruction or demolition activities and identify materials that can be retained on-site or diverted off-site to reuse markets. 
    • Salvaged materials sent for off-site reuse contribute to MRc5: Construction and Demolition Waste Diversion. Materials retained on-site contribute to this credit option.

Calculate the percent reused per material type according to Equation 1.

Points are achieved according to Table 3.

Equation 1. Reuse % per material type
Reuse % per material type = Amount of material type reused / Total amount of material type in New Construction scope 

Table 3. Points for incorporating reused materials

Reuse materials threshold

Points

Reuse at least 15% of 1 targeted material type

OR

Reuse at least 15% of 2 other material types

OR

Reuse an equivalent weighted average of targeted and other material types

1 point

Reuse at least 30% of 1 targeted material type

OR

Reuse at least 15% of 2 targeted material types

OR

Reuse at least 15% of 4 other material types

OR

Reuse an equivalent weighted average of targeted and other material types

2 points

 

Table 4. Reuse material types and correlating units

Material type

Unit

Targeted materials

Carpeting

Surface area

Ceilings

Surface area

Furniture (ancillary and systems)

Pieces, weight, volume, or floor area

Interior walls

Linear or surface area

Other materials

Dimensional lumber

Board foot or linear

Doors

Count 

Casework

Linear

Floor-covering materials (not including carpet)

Surface area

Lighting fixtures

Count 

Plumbing fixtures

Count 

Mechanical equipment

Count 

Door hardware

Count 

Project defined other

Project defined

 

See all forum discussions about this credit »