Noncompliant Brian

Intel

Housing Design Catalogue

The Canadian Federal Government has also been busy suggesting ways to help reduce the cost of housing throughout the country, and earlier this month, the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) release a new Housing Design Catalogue.

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada has provided their input on the new catalogue and urges the federal government to adopt a collaborative, adaptable, and excellence-driven approach.

Safety Standards Appeal Board

Some days I feel like an old dog that doesn't get to learn any new tricks. However, there are days when something I didn't know comes along, such as the fact that the BC Government also has appeal processes for the other standards that are enforced in the Province through the Safety Standards Act and the associated Regulations. Elevator installations, electrical installations, and natural gas installations are all examples that have standards that Technical Safety BC or the local jurisdiction enforces.

Sometimes, as with interpretations of the Building Code, there are disagreements on these other installation standards, and there is a process to appeal the authorities decision when this becomes a problem during a project. A search of the decisions indicates that not many appeals are launched, however, with the last elevating device appeal being in 2017.

Lore

Wooden Interiors

Wood has been a part of our building nomenclature since seemingly before recorded history, however, it has also been part of many of our major catastrophes due to its combustible nature. Despite the risks associated with wood in our buildings, we do seem to love the texture and colours that wood provides. This restaurant in Los Angeles is a great example of wood finishes.

In large buildings required to be of noncombustible construction, the Building Code restricts wood finishes to minimize the risk of fire spread and severity. Wood finishes are particularly restricted on ceilings where a maximum of 10% of a ceiling area is permitted to have a wood finish with a thickness not exceeding 25 mm. Walls are also restricted to a maximum thickness of 25 mm, although the area is not restricted.

Recently, a client constructing a restaurant on the ground level of a building required to be of noncombustible construction proposed a wood wall finish as part of the aesthetic design. However, the wood finish thickness was up to 35 mm, exceeding the permitted 25 mm thickness.

To meet the aesthetic vision for the project, we proposed an Alternative Solution that permitted the increased thickness of wood finishes installed on the wall to the proposed thickness of 35 mm, and took advantage of the limited area that the wood finish was proposed for. This outcome has been a great win for the client as they have been able to maintain their design vision, while still meeting the restrictive fire and life safety requirements of the Building Code.

Cat Friendly Interiors

Are you a cat lover? I will admit I am more fond of cats than I am of dogs, and our cat seems to have an affinity for me as her favourite human over the rest of the family - I think this bugs my daughter as she is hands-down the biggest animal lover in the house.

While there is no real Building Code discussion to be had for this Deezen article on Cat Friendly Interiors, I do find it a positive inspiration to design for the others we share our world with given our current world of geopolitical turmoil.

About

For those of us with kids, I hope your spring break has been great and the little and big monsters haven't driven you too crazy with them being home! My kids could have used some more activities...

Thank you for reading today, and all the best as we launch into April!

Until the next issue, Brian