Tomorrow at CCAB: Making Some Choices on Smaller Spaces

Posted by on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 · Leave a Comment 

Tomorrow at the latest meeting of the Construction Code Advisory Board (CCAB) we are closing in on making some decisions about whether to loosen some of the restrictions on small apartments. I’ve already gone over the details of the issues in a previous post. But what it comes down to is that as unit sizes get down toward the minimum 220SF mandated by the City, it gets more difficult to program those units AND meet the building code requirement of having a 150SF “living room.” I’m proposing to the CCAB that we abolish all but the age old 70SF requirement for a room which has long been in code. That would mean that only 70SF in a unit would have to be what I’m starting to call “open space,” that is unprogrammed  space with nothing in it or on it (i.e. refrigerator, closet, stove etc). This would be the best outcome.

As expected, David Neiman has been a star, producing good visuals to help the Committee get down to the basic issue: we leave things the same, create some percentage based allocation from non “living room” space to the required 150SF of living space, or get rid of the 150SF requirement all together. Here are six different options Neiman put together with the hatched areas being the areas that don’t count toward the 150SF requirement.

Here’s the text of my recommendation and my attempt at a amendment to the rule. From e-mail.

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Hello Jenifer,

I’m still trying to get some technical support and review but in the interest of keeping things moving see the attached. I’m not sure this is the write place or way to do it, but what I am after is the simplest requirement we discussed: a 220sf unit with a minimum of 70sf in “living room.” That would get rid of the 120sf and the 150sf all together and allow flexibility to meet all other programming requirements.
Roger–

SECTION 1208

INTERIOR SPACE DIMENSIONS

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1208.2 Minimum ceiling heights. Occupiable spaces, habitable spaces and corridors shall have a ceiling height of not less than 7 feet 6 inches (2286 mm). Bathrooms, toilet rooms, kitchens, storage rooms and laundry rooms shall have a ceiling height of not less than 7 feet (2134 mm).

   Exceptions:

  1. In one- and two-family dwellings, beams or girders spaced not less than 4 feet (1219 mm) on center shall be permitted to project not more than 6 inches (152 mm) below the required ceiling height.
  2. If any room in a building has a sloped ceiling, the prescribed ceiling height for the room is required in one-half the area thereof. Any portion of the room measuring less than 5 feet (1524 mm) from the finished floor to the ceiling shall not be included in any computation of the minimum area thereof.
  3. The height of mezzanines and spaces below mezzanines shall be in accordance with Section 505((.1)).
  4. Corridors contained within a dwelling unit or sleeping unit in Group R occupancy shall have a ceiling height of not less than 7 feet (2134 mm).
  5. Ceiling height in the means of egress shall comply with Section 1003.2.

Notwithstanding the exceptions to Section 1208.2, protruding objects in circulation routes in spaces required to be accessible shall comply with Chapter 11 and ANSI A117.1 Section 307.

1208.2.1 Furred ceiling. Any room with a furred ceiling shall be required to have the minimum ceiling height in two-thirds of the area thereof, but in no case shall the height of the furred ceiling be less than 7 feet (2134 mm).

1208.3 Room area. Every dwelling unit shall have no fewer than one room that shall have not less than 120 square feet (13.9 m2) of net floor area. Other habitable rooms shall have living space a net floor area of not less than 70 square feet (6.5 m2).

Exception: Kitchens are not required to be of a minimum floor area.

1208.4 Efficiency dwelling units. An efficiency ((living)) dwelling unit shall conform to the requirements of the code except as modified herein:

  1. The unit shall have a living room of not less than 220 square feet (20.4 m2) of floor area. An additional 100 square feet (9.3 m2) of floor area shall be provided for each occupant of such unit in excess of two.

Interpretation I1208.4: The required square footage shall not include built-in equipment that extends from floor to ceiling such as wardrobes, cabinets, kitchen units or fixtures.

  1. The unit shall be provided with a separate closet.
  2. The unit shall be provided with a kitchen sink, cooking appliance and refrigeration facilities, each having a clear working space of not less than 30 inches (762 mm) in front. Light and ventilation conforming to this code shall be provided.
  3. The unit shall be provided with a separate bathroom containing a water closet, lavatory and bathtub or shower.

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