Archinect - News

Miami Beach preservationists sound the alarm over concerning new building safety law

2024-03-26T15:04:00-04:00

The New York Times has picked a side in the fight between Miami Beach historic preservation advocates and developers supporting the recently signed Resiliency and Safe Structures Act, a law those in the former category claim will augment a devastating erasure of the local architecture character over time.

The rift that has for years played out amidst a backdrop that includes the tragedy at Surfside and a spate of new starchitect-designed developments on the nine-mile island has recent salients in the demolished Deauville Beach Hotel and the yet-decided fate of Miami Marine Stadium.

Advocates say the new law is a guise that uses climate change and building safety as its premise to usher in what is, in reality, a slate of insidious and destructive requirements. The Commercial Observer said they also work to "hamstring the powers of municipalities to dictate what can replace demolished structures."

Preliminary NIST report on Surfside condo investigation details key flaws that factored into building's collapse

2024-03-12T14:41:00-04:00

Preliminary details from the ongoing National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) investigation into the deadly 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium building in Florida were shared recently, revealing evidence that supports theories about the precise source of its structural failure and other prevailing factors.

Among other findings, the report released last Thursday details the exact moment of the pool deck's collapse preceding the wider structural failure that killed 98 people. The report also outlines several critical lapses in standard design practices and failures to meet building codes that were present from the time of its construction. The findings could provide some clues for those questioning the soundness of its support columns, foundation, site, and steel reinforcements as well.

“It becomes clear that the design and construction did not meet all the safety standards of its day,” local Commissioner Marianne Meischeid told CNN of her concerns. “...

EskewDumezRipple’s latest job opening highlights the role of contracts and codes in construction

2024-02-01T08:34:00-05:00

Following last week’s look at an opening for a Project Manager at Fluidity Design Consultants, we are using this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series to explore an open role on Archinect Jobs for a Construction Contract Administrator at EskewDumezRipple.

The role, based in New Orleans, calls for an individual with an “intimate knowledge and thorough understanding of AIA Construction Contracts and requirements, applicable codes, schedule monitoring and an understanding of materials, methods, and processes of commercial construction.” Among the responsibilities for the role will be to understand and enforce the contractual obligations of all parties in the construction process, promote and ensure the design intent during the construction process, and ensure that all potentially legal and contractual matters are addressed efficiently and promptly.

Kanye West sued by project manager at Tadao Ando-designed home who was fired for refusing to perform illegal work

2023-09-14T16:13:00-04:00

A project overseer and estate guardian for Ye, previously recognized as Kanye West, claims he was dismissed for declining to eliminate all windows and electricity from Ye's Malibu residence, as per a legal complaint submitted recently in the Los Angeles County Superior Court and reported by NBC.

The legal action points to breaches of several labor standards, encompassing hazardous work environments, unsettled salaries, and unjust retaliatory firing.

The suit stems from a comprehensive overhaul the controversial rapper was attempting at the $57.3 million property, allegedly with the intention of converting Tadao Ando’s 4-bed, 4.5-bath residence into a bunker-type structure that resembles “a bomb shelter from the 1910s.” Photos published in May appear to show nearly all of the home’s glass and interior fit-out has been removed, adding to the contractor’s claims that Ye was pursuing a design devoid of appliances, electrical power, or even light fixtures.

“He continues his pattern of ...

Scientific American opinion piece calls on building codes to ‘save money and lives’

2023-09-06T10:43:00-04:00

Scientific American has published an opinion piece by the publication’s editors, highlighting the role of building codes in saving “money and lives.” Citing the growing number of “multibillion-dollar disasters” striking the United States, the opinion piece makes the argument that buildings built to meet or surpass stricter building codes have demonstrated more resiliency than buildings built before such codes were introduced.

In setting out its case, the piece looks to the model standards set by the International Code Council, which are updated every three years in response to testing of building methods, surveys conducted after disasters, and other research. The editors cite a 2018 Land Economics study that found that houses built after Florida adopted statewide codes based on the ICC’s model say 72% fewer insured losses from wind-related damage, while a separate FEMA/National Institute of Building Sciences report found that for every $1 spent on conforming to the 2018 ICC code, $1...

California becomes first U.S. state to mandate embodied carbon reduction measures

2023-08-08T16:27:00-04:00

California has become the first U.S. state to establish general code standards mandating the reduction of embodied carbon emissions in large commercial and school buildings. The decision, recently announced by the California Building Standards Commission, encompasses commercial buildings exceeding 100,000 square feet and school projects over 50,000 square feet. The regulations will take effect on July 1, 2024.

Embodied carbon represents the greenhouse gas emissions associated with building materials throughout their life cycle. This includes not only the manufacturing and transportation of these materials but also their installation, maintenance, and eventual disposal.

The recent updates were integrated into the 2022 California Green Building Standards Code. They provide three distinct compliance avenues for design experts: Reusing at least 45% of an existing structure; Using materials that adhere to specified emission limits; A performance-based approach employing a Whole Building ...

Economic and political obstacles stand in way of office-to-residential conversion projects

2023-07-25T12:12:00-04:00

These conversions seem like a win-win: turning a plethora of barely used office space into desperately needed urban housing. But converting offices into apartments is easier said than done. And while it's easy to imagine the process behind conversions, like adding in walls and plumbing, it gets complicated.

Various cities across the United States have been turning to office-to-residential conversions as a way to address declining city cores that have yet to reach pre-pandemic levels. As noted by NPR, San Francisco is making way for these conversions by adjusting current building codes and getting rid of extra fees. In Washington D.C., the mayor has proposed an increase in tax breaks for owners of downtown office buildings who convert them to housing.

Previously on Archinect: A new Brookings Institution report extends solutions to America's struggling office-to-residential conversion market

While cities are aiming to provide favorable incentives for conversions, the benefits may still fall short due to the many obstacles in front of ensuring a successful project. On top of some office buildings lacking the physical qualities needed to convert to residential, strict zoning rules, as seen in New York City, already determine which buildings can be transformed into housing. And, rezoning ca...

Biden announces $90 million commitment to upgrade building codes nationwide

2023-07-24T14:36:00-04:00

The Biden Administration has recently announced a new $90 million commitment in the form of competitive awards meant to help states and cities in their myriad attempts at mustering updated building codes into the country's patchwork response to climate change.

The funds are being taken from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and supports 27 projects that are all aimed at increasing the energy efficiency, resiliency, and overall performance of buildings in different parts of the country.

In a statement, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said: “Cutting emissions from buildings across America and ensuring they’re more energy efficient are critical components of President Biden’s plan to tackle the climate crisis and create cleaner and healthier communities. With unprecedented support from the President’s Investing in America agenda, the Department is providing new funding to help cities and states modernize their building codes — lowering energy costs for American famil...

Suspected Long Island serial killer Rex Heuermann was a Manhattan-based architect

2023-07-14T16:03:00-04:00

Rex Heuermann, an architect who had lived most of his life in Nassau County and worked in Manhattan, was taken into custody in connection with at least some of the killings, said an official with knowledge of the case.

The 59-year-old was the owner of a Midtown Manhattan-based consultancy practice that offered “concept-driven designs at multiple scales from educational facilities, residential works, as well as mix use and office design, public works, and master planning,” according to its website. Heuermann usually met his victims in the vicinity using a series of disposable “burner” phones which were later linked by investigators to those used by the women via what the New York Times deemed "sophisticated technology."

Heuermann has pled not guilty. An odd 19-minute interview in which he describes his expertise in building codes and regulations can be viewed below via Bonjour Realty.

LA exempts affordable developments from Site Plan Review process as housing needs grow

2023-07-10T11:40:00-04:00

Mayor Karen Bass on Thursday signed into law an ordinance updating the city's zoning code to exempt all affordable units from the time-consuming Site Plan Review process that often delays final approval of much-needed housing projects. The city's existing building code required all housing developments of more than 49 units to undergo Site Plan Review, which can add months to the completion of a project and increase expenses.

Bass had promised to alleviate the burden on developers as part of her mayoral campaign and has since cut down the city’s end of the approval process and added a new Deputy Mayor of Housing to the administration, though structural problems within the political apparatus still remain.

The city has approved 22 new developments in the calendar year with the aim of aiding a 9% growth in homelessness and an economic situation where nearly a third of all renters are considered "severely cost-burdened” countywide.

California is amending building codes to facilitate adaptive reuse

2023-07-04T11:56:00-04:00

California’s Building Standards Commission has voted to ease barriers to the safe conversion of underused existing commercial buildings. The move has been described by AIA California as “an action that simultaneously addresses the climate emergency and California’s housing crisis.”

The change will amend the California Existing Building Code, and will facilitate three options or “compliance paths” for architects to choose from in adaptive reuse: Prescriptive; Work Area; and Performance. While all three paths satisfy safety requirements, each allows designers different methodologies depending on the particular building challenge. The existing California code only allows the Prescriptive path, however.

Related on Archinect: New California building codes allow for high-rise mass timber buildings. Image: UBC Media Relations/Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Announcing the news, AIA California cited a report from RAND Corporation which found that 2300 underutilized properties across LA County could pr...

San Francisco has over 3,400 concrete buildings at risk of seismic collapse

2023-05-25T17:00:00-04:00

Famous historic sites, low-income apartments and Twitter's headquarters all appear on a previously unpublished draft list of 3,407 concrete buildings in San Francisco that may be at high risk of collapse in a major earthquake, according to a copy of a city government document obtained by NBC News through a public records request.

The city says the list is still a “preliminary draft inventory” of at-risk concrete structures, some of which were built after 2000, according to NBC. Who will actually pay for the mass retrofits still hasn’t been hammered out yet, leaving many to speculate as to its near-term feasibility. Some engineers expect the compliance effort to take decades. Current U.S. Geological Survey predictions state the Bay Area faces a 20% risk of suffering a 7.5 magnitude quake or higher in the next 30 years.

Twitter's potential move out of its historic Market Street headquarters (which is also one of the buildings on the list) is starting to make a lot more sense.

New York City is still slow in meeting its 2030 solar pledge

2023-04-14T17:48:00-04:00

New York City has pledged to reach 1,000 megawatts of solar energy by 2030 — enough energy to power 250,000 homes, according to the Mayor’s Office of Environmental Justice. But state data shows that its current pace of installation will land short of that goal, leaving officials and advocates looking for ways to break down barriers to installation.

As Gothamist reported, 90% of the city’s energy grid is derived from fossil fuels. The effort to counteract this with rooftop photovoltaics is being stymied by the building codes and cost of installation, despite remarkable gains in solar capacity overall.

A proposed new program called Public Solar NYC could offer solutions, along with a slate of regulatory changes. The city’s tax burden is notoriously tough on low-income families, adding to the frustration that the NYC Environmental Justice Alliance's Daniel Chu and others feel as the deadline draws near.

“Most of the power plants in New York City are located within environmental justice communities with overwhelming numbers of affordable housing or NYCHA projects,” he told the blog. “They are currently missing out on the opportunities that other folks in wealthier communities and non-disadvantaged communities can take advantage of. We need to prioritize disadvantaged communities in the process of transitioning out and building t...

ICC's method for updating building codes is revised to ‘foster more in-depth vetting’

2023-03-02T11:25:00-05:00

The International Code Council is to revise its building code development process with changes taking effect in 2024. The new process for reviewing code change proposals will see a three-year rolling cycle encompassing Committee Action Hearings and a joint Public Comment Hearings / Online Governmental Consensus Vote session, with the 2027 I-Codes to be the first edition produced using the pathway.

In the new timeline, Year One will host two Committee Action Hearings for Group A Codes, while Year Two will host two Committee Action Hearings for Group B Codes. In Year Three, joint Public Comment Hearings and an Online Governmental Consensus Vote will be held for both Group A and B Codes.

ICC believes that the addition of the second Committee Actions Hearings in the first two years will allow for a more thorough vetting of code change proposals while allowing proponents more opportunities to build consensus for...

Turkey issues arrest warrants for building designers in the wake of deadly earthquake

2023-02-13T16:42:00-05:00

Arrest warrants have been issued in Turkey in response to the devastating earthquake that killed more than 34,000 people across the shared border with Syria last Monday.

The BBC writes that a total of 113 warrants were issued to individuals within the country, reportedly including architects, engineers, and building contractors, over their supposed role in constructing the more than 25,000 buildings which failed or were damaged during the magnitude 7.8 tremor and subsequent aftershocks.

The country’s Vice President, Fuat Oktay, also announced the establishment of ten special investigative units spread throughout Turkey’s most impacted provinces. The punitive process comes after years of so-called amnesties for contractors that were granted, in some cases, to provide for housing construction in waves and most recently before the 2018 general election.

Previously on Archinect: Devastating 7.8 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes hit Turkey and Syria

In an essay for the Sunday Times, journalis...

2023 could see a rise in green building policies centered on embodied carbon

2023-01-30T20:27:00-05:00

For much of its recent history in mitigating climate change, Denver has concentrated on buildings’ operational energy — the energy needed to run basics like heating, air conditioning, lighting and hot water. That will shift in May, when Denver’s newly adopted green code takes effect, said Christy Collins, green communities specialist with the local government.

Denver’s new green code will make it so a building’s embodied carbon is considered. It will provide minimum requirements for the siting, design, construction, and plans for the operation of projects. Commercial projects in Denver are now required by law to choose around 10% of the green code to follow. According to Smart Cities Dive, similar policies that address embodied carbon alongside the electrification of buildings and other decarbonization efforts are set to grow this year.

Additionally, there has also been a rise in policies designed to foster a circular economy, such as salvaging materials and deconstructing buildings rather than demolishing them. This expansion of green policies can be attributed to the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act, which includes $1 billion in grants to help states deliver new residential and commercial building codes.

LA mandates all new buildings be all-electric in major milestone

2022-12-15T16:42:00-05:00

[The] Los Angeles City Council put an end to the expansion of local natural gas infrastructure on December 7th when they unanimously approved an ordinance requiring that all new buildings within city limits be constructed all-electric. With this vote, Los Angeles became the largest city in the state and the second largest city in the country to mandate a definitive shift away from fossil fuels in new construction.

LA City Hall had previously adopted a similar ordinance for all its municipal buildings in 2020 and passed a ban on gas appliances along with a mandate for emissions-free new constructions at the end of spring. The new building code changes are set to go into effect with the new year. A test run for a fleet of driverless EV taxis is also set to hit the streets soon in what could be a complicated counterbalance to the impact of car culture in the city.

The move now gives 70 California cities some form of an all-electric requirement, prompting speculation that a statewide code update might come in 2025.

'First of its kind' mass timber office extension completed in Washington DC

2022-10-13T13:11:00-04:00

Work has been completed on the 80 M office building in Washington DC. The project, which saw a three-story timber extension added atop an existing seven-story concrete building, is described by the design team as “the first commercial office building in Washington DC to feature a vertical extension constructed using mass timber.”

The 108,000-square-foot addition was designed by architects Hickok Cole with Arup providing mass timber and sustainable building engineering services. Opened in September, the scheme is also the “first high-rise overbuild timber structure in North America” according to the team.

Inside, the extension includes office and amenity spaces with 15-foot-high ceilings and 12-foot-high windows as well as 4,000 square feet of outdoor amenities including a rooftop terrace.

Photo by Ron Blunt for Columbia Property Trust

According to Arup, the scheme’s realization required engagement with “restrictive code requirements” in the United States pertaining to mass timber; ...

Specifying the future of steel construction could be your next job description

2022-10-05T13:37:00-04:00

Following last week’s look at an opening for a Senior Architect at CHECKSET, we are using this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series to explore roles for a Structural Steel Specialist at the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC).

The successful candidate will support the AISC in its mission to write the specifications to which all steel buildings in the U.S. are designed and built, and to produce design standards that advance the quality, economy, and safety of steel bridges. The position, which is available in six different U.S. cities, requires a minimum of three years’ experience in building design and construction, with a preference for technical experience in structural steel fabrication.

Why the role interests us

The importance of effective building codes has been ever-present in our editorial over the past 12 months, whether in relation to the Champlain Towers collapse in Surfside, ...

Building codes saved this Florida town from Hurricane Ian’s ravages

2022-10-03T17:30:00-04:00

Once the storm passed, the sight of Punta Gorda may have surprised some people. While it had typical post-hurricane storm debris, downed trees and several flooded streets, a number of homes and buildings appeared largely intact and many showed only minimal damage to their exteriors. How is it possible that the coastal city wasn’t more devastated by a storm that ranks among the most powerful to ever strike the United States? One major factor, according to some experts, are modern building code

While other southwest Florida communities like Fort Myers were devastated, Punta Gorda, a town of about 20,000, was saved thanks to strident code changes enacted in the wake of 1992’s Hurricane Andrew and Hurricane Charley twelve years later.

“It’s a demonstration that updated building codes really work,” University at Buffalo architecture professor Nicholas Rajkovich told the Post. Stricter structural load continuity, impact-resistant windows, and hurricane shutters are all hallmarks of a so-called “modern” code whose continued absence the AIA warned against earlier in the summer. Florida alone has an estimated $3.7 trillion worth of properties that are susceptible to storm and wind damage, making the need to further adapt lessons offered by the survival of Punta Gorda's Harvard Jolly-restored Charlotte High School imperative in the minds of experts statewide.

Previously on Archinect: The building industry is preventing resiliency efforts in areas increasingly affected by deadly st...

A company that peer reviews drawing sets is hiring regulation-savvy architects

2022-09-21T11:46:00-04:00

Following last week’s look at an open opportunity for a Director of Design Entrepreneurship and Inclusion at Kent State University, we are using this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series to explore a role for a Senior Architect at CHECKSET.

The successful candidate will work with CHECKSET’s team in reviewing drawing sets and specifications sent to the company from their customers, namely developers, architects, and construction managers. The role, which can be performed remotely, requires a minimum of 15 years’ experience in architectural practice and construction, and a strong knowledge of building codes, standards, regulations, and construction administration.

Why the role interests us

The CHECKSET role’s emphasis on a deep knowledge of building codes comes at a time of constant change for regulations concerning U.S. projects. Such changes, or campaigns ...

New California building codes allow for high-rise mass timber buildings

2022-08-08T18:33:00-04:00

California building codes were updated in July to allow for the construction of mass timber buildings up to 18 stories tall. [...] "There's been extensive testing for this application and taking mass timber into taller wood buildings [...] The building codes are very conservative in the U.S. Even though Europe has been using mass timber for many years it's still relatively new in the U.S."

The new California building codes come as mass timber applications in buildings gain momentum across North America. Most notable is the recently-opened Ascent Tower by Korb + Associates Architects in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which was crowned the world’s tallest timber-concrete hybrid building.

Previously on Archinect: CTBUH certifies Ascent as the world's tallest mass timber hybrid building

CBS Sacramento also reported on a new local proposal called the Lot X development, which includes a five-story mass timber office building.

New first-of-its-kind office tower in Melbourne sports an integrated solar façade

2022-06-07T17:55:00-04:00

Australia’s first office tower with a “solar skin” is expected to be built next year in a landmark moment for the construction industry and decarbonisation efforts. The eight-storey building at 550-558 Spencer Street in West Melbourne will cost $40m and has been designed by the architecture firm Kennon on behalf of Dr Bella Freeman.

The first-of-its-kind structure for Australia will be covered by 1,182 solar panels with the equivalent thickness of a conventional glass façade. The cladding is called Skala, developed by German solar energy technology company Avancis. The system utilizes a thin-film PV module that sits atop a network that channels the generated electricity into the building’s power supply. As reported by The Guardian, it has the ability to produce 50 times the energy of an average rooftop photovoltaic array used in residential housing.

When the building is completed, the solar skin will reportedly provide nearly all its energy needs. The addition of extra roof panels will cut almost all ongoing power costs, and after a few years, the site is expected to be carbon-neutral. While involved in projects in Europe, the technology is a first for Australia, given its strict building codes. It is currently undergoing a final round of testing before it can be approved, which would make Skala available to u...

Several groups call for higher building safety standards after Surfside collapse

2021-10-14T16:32:00-04:00

In the wake of the deadly Champlain Towers collapse in Surfside, Florida in June, several groups are calling for improvements to building safety standards. The groups include a statewide association of contractors calling for steps to improve building structural safety, and a task force from Broward Country, Florida who have published a set of policy suggestions for state lawmakers.

As reported by Construction Dive, the Associated Builders and Contractors of Florida has formed a panel of industry experts to examine the Surfside collapse through the lens of build safety, and to monitor upcoming legislative developments. “We know that the ongoing safety and integrity of older buildings will be a topic of discussion during the 2022 legislative session," said the organization’s chair, Gary Griffin. "We want to be a constructive part of any discussion moving forward and be ready and able to offer industry input and feedback in real-time.” The group of engineers, contractors, and consulta...

California to mandate solar panels for new buildings

2021-08-12T13:26:00-04:00

California is set to mandate the inclusion of solar panels and battery storage for new buildings. Following a unanimous vote of approval by the California Energy Commission, the measure is expected to be included in an overall revision of the state’s building code in December of this year, before coming into effect on January 1st, 2023. The move, made as part of the new 2022 California Energy Code, will make California the first state in the U.S. to mandate solar panels and battery storage for new commercial and high-rise residential buildings.

The new measures will apply to a wide range of buildings, including hotels, offices, retail, restaurants, schools, grocery stores, and civic spaces such as theaters, auditoriums, and convention centers. The measures would also require new homes in California to be wired in an accessible way, to enable the future transition of heating and appliances away from natural gas and towards electric sources. Other measures include the encouragement of...

Supreme Court rules that building codes cannot be copyrighted

2020-04-28T17:40:00-04:00

In a split decision with wide-ranging implications, the United States Supreme Court has ruled that states are not allowed to copyright their building codes or the annotations that provide guidance for those regulations.

The New York Times reports that the 5-4 ruling, transcended the typical liberal-conservative split of the court in articulating a broader reading of existing judicial guidance establishing that laws and legislative work cannot be copyrighted.

The decision could help make these codes more widely available for users, including architects, and might help advance the proliferation of design assistance services that use automated processes to plug building codes into Building Information Models and other design review software.

In the decision, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., writing for the majority, states, “If everything short of statutes and opinions were copyrightable, then states would be free to offer a whole range of premium legal works for those who can affo...

American Institute of Architects denounces "misuse" of detention center buildings

2019-07-22T16:41:00-04:00

The American Institute of Architect (AIA) has issued a statement denouncing the inhumane conditions that have been discovered over recent weeks across the country at the detention centers where undocumented immigrants and asylum-seekers are being detained.

The conditions as described by numerous media reports and congressional fact-finding missions to detention facilities make clear that these buildings are not designed to handle the sheer numbers of people in them nor do they sustain the health, safety, and welfare of their occupants, many of whom are women and children. Above all, the misuse of these buildings and the impact on occupants in them are contrary to our values as architects and as Americans.

Pointing to the organization's Code of Ethics, AIA urges that "the built environment promotes and preserves the health, safety, and welfare of every individual, and fosters universal respect for human dignity."

In addition, AIA argues that architects are well-prepared to "promote t...

Chicago's recent change in building codes will heavily impact the city's Building Reuse Initiative

2019-07-08T15:57:00-04:00

The city’s early building code had more of a tear-down mentality where every project had to comply with the new construction code. The rehab code that was introduced in 1983 did recognize that rehab projects had some distinct differences and did not need to fully meet new construction standards.

The city of Chicago is comprised of close to 500,000 buildings. Filled with many historic and influential structures, Chicago is a mecca for architectural historians and enthusiasts. In April, the city adopted a new series of building codes which will allow for better building reuse and preservation solutions.

Aerial view looking northeast along the Chicago River towards Lakeshore Drive. The Merchandise Mart is visible in the lower left corner. Image © Copelin Commercial Photographers. Courtesy of University of Illinois at Chicago. Library. Special Collections and University Archives.

Beth Mattson-Teig of Urban Land explains: "The new Chicago Building Rehabilitation Code, based on the International Existing Building Code, will provide tailored requirements for different scopes of work in existing buildings, replacing the 'one-size-fits-all' approach of the current rehab code with a more flexible framework of requirements that are designed to work for a wide range of projects. For co...

Mass timber and high-tech meet in Sidewalk Labs' vision for Toronto

2019-06-25T18:56:00-04:00

Sidewalk Labs, Snøhetta, Michael Green Architecture, and Heatherwick Studio have unveiled a controversial $1.3 billion plan to reprogram a portion of Toronto's industrial waterfront into a new smart city prototype that envisions a wireless, data-driven, and mass timber-filled future for the city.

Site plan for the Sidewalk Labs Quayside development. Image courtesy of Picture Plane for Heatherwick Studio and Sidewalk Labs

The thorough and graphically-slick plan aims to articulate "a new approach for inclusive growth" by developing a 12-acre site with a mix of mid- and high-rise housing towers, shared pedestrian plazas, and commercial uses. The plan is being submitted for consideration by Waterfront Toronto, a government-funded corporation that is tasked with redeveloping the 1,977-acre Toronto Waterfront. The group selected Sidewalk Labs as a potential developer for a portion of the site in 2017. Since the initial proposal was unveiled, there has been a significant amount of public c...

Building codes prove effective in limiting damage from wildfires in California

2019-04-12T16:08:00-04:00

As the state of California begins preparing for another wildfire season, November's Camp Fire—the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history to date—offers up some important lessons.

A new analysis released by McClatchy looked at property records in order to make sense of the fire's seemingly random paths of destruction. The results found that the year a house was built was a large determiner of whether or not it was likely to burn down.

In 2008, the state updated its fire codes, mandating that newly built housing in wildland-urban interface zones meet strict building codes designed to prevent them from catching on fire. The new codes require homes be built with, among other things, interior sprinklers, fire resistant roofs and sidings, decks and patios made of non-flammable materials, and heat-resistant windows.

Homes built after these codes went into effect have stood a much better chance of going undamaged. According the the McClatchy analysis, 51 percent of...