BC Building Code changes and discussion: single-egress stairs, Step Code, adaptability, etc.

The Province adopted the British Columbia Building and Fire Codes (BC Codes 2024) to provide people with a greater level of building safety and to make new buildings more sustainable, resilient and accessible.

“As we take historic steps to build more homes for people faster, we are also taking action to make sure homes are safe, accessible and more resilient to climate change,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing. “We have to find ways to innovate and build differently.  Over the next year, the Province will lead a discussion on enabling single-egress stairs in the BC Building Code.”

Key updates to the building code will require all new buildings to:

• provide one living space that is designed not to exceed 26 C;
• have power-operated doors in all building entrances and universal washrooms; and
• have an elevator in all large two- and three-storey apartment buildings.
•  

Additional updates to the building code focus on accessibility, mass-timber construction and radon safety.

https://news.gov.bc....HOUS0167-001923

This paper presents a first attempt to decode the requirement for two exit stairs in the National Building Code of Canada – to document its adverse effect on the design of small apartment buildings, and to compare Canada with other jurisdictions where this is not required. This study has since evolved into a project to thoroughly compare international building codes, study the history of the Canadian requirements and submit a code change request to the national codes board. Underpinning the research is the idea that architects should actively question and contribute to the rules we work with.

https://secondegress...-Wicked-Problem

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 06 December 2023 - 03:45 AM.

Power operated doors apply to SFH too?? 

...have an elevator in all large two- and three-storey apartment buildings...

Elevator. I am literally dead.

Power operated doors apply to SFH too?? 

All in the name of affordability!

Why would racist, SFHs be exempt?

The NDP: making your life better one additional regulation at a time! 

This all seems very sensible to me. The governments are serious about housing affordability and public health. If you can't trust Bonnie Henry then who can you trust? And so forth...

Another "homegrown" solution to the housing crisis.

...I think single-stair solves a very specific problem, which is that most apartment buildings in the United States are architecturally homogeneous and could be made much better looking and much more pleasant to live in, perhaps even on a smaller budget. However, I think this is the only problem single stair will fix, which is to say, it fixes an architectural problem. There is little evidence as far as I can see that the schema will do anything to lower rents...

https://www.thenatio...-codes-housing/

Full disclosure: the substance of this article is mostly socialist diatribe.

More expensive is more affordable. Down with OAK BAY! 

 

We have to find ways to innovate and build differently.

For example, we could build single-stairway residential buildings. You know, like we used to do, before we decided single-stairway residential buildings were unsafe and/or inconvenient.

This is what we call innovation now. Doing the exact same things that our parents and grandparents were doing, before we decided they were insensitive and uncultured morons. They were insensitive and uncultured morons, don't get me wrong. 100%. But the fact remains that much of what they were doing was really great. Thus, our innovations will be about doing the same things they were doing, but in a half-assed, imitative, and insincere fashion, while also believing we're much more cleverly original than they were.

Seriously, we call this "modernizing" the building codes. Remind me, which codes need to be modernized? Oh, right, the modern codes need to be modernized. Because those modern codes just don't work anymore in this modern era. The modern era requires the kinds of codes and standards we had back in 1850 through 1955.

^ Actually we decided that single stairway building was an issue after people started dying in fires because the single stairway was blocked.

 

^ Actually we decided that single stairway building was an issue after people started dying in fires because the single stairway was blocked.

Folks in Europe, Montreal, etc. don't know how lucky they were that they never had people dying in fires. And Seattle, too, since the 1970s.

 

Single-stair designs are common in Europe and in Montreal (Montreal provides a second exit via an external staircase). Seattle has allowed them since 1977.

Come on. Everything goes in this same circular fashion. Everything.

If we really want to believe this narrative then how do we account for one jurisdiction "modernizing" many years or many decades before another jurisdiction?

We say it's because our glorious leaders were incompetent buffoons. That's what we say every day, right? They were incompetent buffoons up until yesterday, but today they're finally doing the right thing. We say that about absolutely everything. Thus, we deserve what we get.

Suffice it to say, it seems a bit egregious to be regressing back to the old codes for egress. Sorry if that comes across as aggressive.

aastra is the Ecclesiastes of VV. "There is nothing new under the sun..."

Oh great - now aastra is going to get a God complex. 

Preach, brother.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to start working on dinner. To every meal, there is a seasoning...

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to start working on dinner. To every meal, there is a seasoning...

With one loaf, one fish and some water to turn into wine, you will be able to feed us all.