LDD Audit — Codex (2026-05-17 · 20:19 ET)
This is a house-machine with a basketball soul, and that is much more interesting than a dressed-up barn.
A GC could still price the poetry and quietly build the warehouse version unless the next package locks the boring stuff.
Brand-new audit after reading the current LDD set directly and dispatching three read-only research passes: structure/code/civil, MEP/building science, and program/budget/operations. I did not use prior audits as the finding base. This is not licensed design review.
Score
I score the current LDD set 7.1 / 10. The project is stronger as a design system than it is as a permit/bid package. The LDD set has unusually good intent discipline: PEMB geometry, three-cluster plumbing, zoned HVAC, MUA routing, gym synthesis, and mechanical-core distribution all point in the right direction. The score stays low-7 because too many green or lock-ready decisions are still architectural intent rather than stamped engineering, AHJ acceptance, equipment schedules, or bid alternates.
What Is Strong
- The PEMB bay logic is clean. LDD-01 gives the whole project a legible 120' x 60' frame, four 30' bays, and a spine strategy that every other system can reference.
- The systems thinking is real. Radiant density varies by use, HVAC is split by zone, plumbing is clustered, electrical is distributed, and LDD-30 separates wet utilities, inverter/electrical, and batteries by service logic.
- LDD-29 is a major upgrade. The gym now has a unifying "calm industrial Great Hall" rule instead of seven unrelated feature documents.
- LDD-23 is the right construction mindset. Photo verification, straight routing, no improvisation, and documentation are exactly how a complex custom build avoids future forensic maintenance.
- The MUA route is architecturally clever. The east-louver to wall-chase to mech-room to under-stair register path is the kind of invisible infrastructure move that fits the project.
Top Holes
1. Code Basis And Occupancy Story Are Still Not Written
The LDDs keep assuming a private residential/R-3 frame, but the building includes dwelling, gym, workshop, garage, material lift, inventory movement, batteries, and possible business/storage functions. New Castle County adopted the 2024 IBC + IRC effective January 1, 2026, while Delaware's energy-code baseline was updated in April 2026 to the 2024 IECC / ASHRAE 90.1-2022 with local implementation timing. That makes the code-basis page more urgent, not less. (See Location details — earlier docs incorrectly assumed Sussex County, now corrected.)
Action
Create one controlled Code Basis + AHJ Decision Log covering occupancy, accessory-use treatment, sprinkler determination, garage/workshop separation, kitchen ventilation, electrical, plumbing, energy code, and fire marshal review.2. Civil/Site Logic Is Too Verbal For A Stream-Adjacent Build
LDD-01 says drainage sheds east toward the stream and the building is above the floodplain study line. That may be true, but the current LDD layer is not a civil package. Stormwater, grading, erosion control, access, roof runoff, floodplain boundary, sewer lateral, utility routes, and fire access need a drawn site/civil sheet.
Action
Spin out a short Site + Civil LDD and a first civil sheet before bids. Include FFE, floodplain line, grading arrows, roof runoff collection/discharge, erosion control, driveway/apron, sewer lateral, water, electrical service, and fire access.3. MEP Has Good Routes, But Not Enough Calculations
LDD-07 and LDD-28 now give the kitchen exhaust/MUA concept a better architecture, but the system still needs CFM, slot sizing, proportional interlock, damper/control sequence, grease filtration, service access, and a mockup pass/fail standard. LDD-05 also still needs ASHRAE 62.2 ventilation-rate math, latent humidity strategy, bath/laundry exhaust schedule, and commissioning targets.
Action
Require a stamped MEP Sequence + Commissioning Matrix before rough-in. Include Manual J/S/D, ASHRAE 62.2 ventilation, dehumidification, ERV balancing, MUA/exhaust interlock, bath/laundry exhaust, condensate, and measured commissioning values.4. The 70 SF Mechanical Room Is Still Suspicious
LDD-15 says the mechanical room is 10' x 7'. LDD-30 improves the distribution by removing electrical and batteries from that room, but Zone 1 still wants the heat-pump indoor module, tankless booster, indirect tank, manifold, utility sink, floor drain, and MUA cabinet while preserving a 48" service aisle.
Action
Create a scaled equipment layout using real model dimensions and service clearances. If it does not hold, enlarge the room before structure, slab penetrations, and stair/MUA routing lock.5. Fire/Life Safety And Access Are Fragmented
Egress, rescue openings, garage/workshop separation, material-lift non-passenger status, smoke/CO, emergency lighting, stair/landing details, exterior thresholds, ILS aging-in-place, gym occupant assumptions, and battery safety are scattered. LDD-19 is a door/stair design doc, not a life-safety plan.
Action
Draw a Life Safety + Access Plan over the floor plan. Tag separations, rated doors, smoke/CO devices, exits, rescue openings, stair/landing dimensions, threshold heights, emergency lighting, material-lift restrictions, battery zone, and sprinkler-ready routing.6. The Gym Is Coherent But Collision-Prone
LDD-29 does the right thing by giving the gym one thesis. The next risk is physical coordination: hoop spine loads, retraction clearance, clerestories, clouds, fans, sprinklers, volleyball net geometry, floor sleeves, overlook nets, mini-splits, and acoustic targets all share the same volume.
Action
Produce one gym RCP/elevation/section coordination sheet before bidding gym rough-in. The sheet should show the 16' datum, three N-S bands, hoop parked and play positions, clerestory modules, fans, clouds, sprinklers, nets, lights, mini-splits, and service clearances.7. Bidability Is Still The Main Practical Weakness
The LDDs are good at saying what matters. They are less complete at telling a GC exactly what product, model, finish, clearance, warranty, and alternate to price. This shows up in workshop equipment, interior materials, social counter details, hoop hardware, HVAC equipment, battery/inverter decisions, and gym subsystems.
Action
Build a Bid Alternates + Spec Maturity Matrix. Each identity item gets: base bid, upgrade, deferral path, no-go threshold, owner decision date, and responsible designer/engineer.Score Movement
Research Anchors
- NCC Code · Chapter 6 (Building Code) — adopted IBC/IRC + local amendments
- DNREC energy-code update
- DNREC sediment and stormwater program
- ACCA Manual J overview
- ASHRAE 62.2-2025 overview
- IRC makeup-air public text example
- ENERGY STAR heat-pump water heater installation guidance
- Delaware Fire Prevention Regulations
- Access Board threshold guidance
- Delaware Plumbing Program
- NCAA basketball court diagram
- FIVB beach volleyball rules
Bottom Line
This is a very good design-intent package and a not-yet-hard permit/bid package. The next work should be less about taste and more about proof: AHJ, civil, life-safety, equipment layouts, calculations, specs, and commissioning. That is not glamorous, but it is exactly how this avoids becoming an expensive warehouse with good intentions.