Intel
Rebuilding LA
With now over 12,000 structures lost to the wildfires razing parts of Los Angeles, discussions on how rebuilding should take place are well underway. This article makes the case for more fire-resilient approaches, whereas this article outlines the state level executive order to waive some permitting requirements to expedite rebuilding as quickly as possible. This is a challenging topic.
The Wildfire Urban Interface has been a hot topic here in BC for many years, with many municipalities adopting additional construction requirements for areas deemed to be at risk. Some municipalities that one may not expect to have requirements, such as my home municipality of the District of Saanich, do indeed have bylaws in place. However, for various reasons, these additional requirements are generally not well understood by designers, home builders, and even municipal staff as construction in at-risk areas does not occur regularly. Another challenge is that these additional construction requirements often have not been updated following new research into the behaviour and movement of wildfires which can lead to confusion and construction that is not state-of-the-art.
The National Fire Protection Association in the United States has been actively researching and updating its standards on wildfire protection measures. The most current standard NFPA 1140, "Standard for Wildland Fire Protection" was issued in 2022, and provides approaches for mitigating the risk of wildfire based on past experience and current research. Undoubtedly, there will be lessons learned from the Los Angeles fires that will be incorporated into this standard in time.
NFPA has also released this Blog Post and podcast that discusses some of the frequently asked questions they receive about wildfires.
dezeen.com
Lore
Hawaii Strugges to Adopt New Building Codes
With the LA fires burning, I am reminded of the devastating Maui fires back in 2023.
This article discusses some of the challenges the state is having balancing the demands of owners and builders with the implementation of new requirements that include measures for new risks including solar panels, batteries, and other energy storage systems.
The International Code Council has a 3-year cycle for the International Building Code that is adopted by most jurisdictions throughout the United States, which personally, I think is much too short. Our cycle is about 5-years, and this is enough of a challenge for owners, designers, architects, and engineers. It always feels like you are finally getting a handle on the new code, when it is replaced by a newer one.
What do you think about this issue? Is our code cycle of about 5-years too short, or too long? Send me your thoughts.
bdcnetwork.com
Goodbye Refigerants, Hello Magnets?
With the push for high-efficiency mechanical systems to reduce operational energy consumption, alternative technologies are being developed. This article discusses a new heat pump technology that does not use the traditional refrigerant fluid compression/decompression cycle but uses instead the magnetic properties of materials to move heat. Eliminating a refrigerant fluid that can have a negative environmental impact is arguably a good thing. We do however already have environmentally safe refrigerants such as CO2 or Ammonia, and this system will not reduce or eliminate penetrations for piping through fire separations in the building.
What do you think about this possible approach? Send me your comments.
scitechdaily.com
Wisdom
Spatial for Garage Servicing multiple Dwellings
With all residential lots in BC now permitted up to four dwelling units, stand-alone shared storage garage buildings are an option we are seeing more of in designs. However, with small lots, in some unit configurations, the spatial requirements of the shared storage garage can be onerous as the Building Code does not provide relaxations for all buildings in the same way it does for single-family dwellings, side-by-side duplexes, and row houses.
This appeal confirms that in the configuration shown in this diagram, the requirements of Subsection 9.10.14. must be applied to a shared storage garage, even when the storage garage of each dwelling is separated.
gov.bc.ca
About
Happy New Year!
2025 is now upon us. How time does fly. I will date myself a bit, but I still recall fairly clearly the hubbub of New Year 2000! It seems somehow unreasonable that that was 25 years ago!
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday break and was able to spend time with their loved ones and recharge a little to tackle the coming year. I had a nice break, and even got out skiing with my kids just after New Years. I will also say that I very much enjoy the days now getting longer even if the nights are getting colder here in Victoria, though it has been very mild this winter so far.
All the best, and see you on the next issue!
Noncompliant Brian