PageArchitectural/Hammurabi Archives - Page 4 of 15

International Building Code § 303.4: Places of Religious Worship

Occupancy classification is a first principle in all International Code Council consensus products. Chapels and churches associated with educational institutions are grouped with all other “Places of Religious Worship” in Section 303.4 Assembly Group A-3. You may find the text of this section in the current 2024 edition in the link below:

2024 International Building Code | Section 303 | Assembly Group A

For the next few weeks we will sort through issues appearing in the transcript below:

2025 Group B Committee Action Agenda (2630 Pages)

Recent incidents in the tragic city of Minneapolis inspire revisiting the standards of care listed below:

Targeted Violence and Active Shooters: Incidents like mass shootings have increased, with 54% of attacks on U.S. houses of worship involving armed assaults, often motivated by religious or racial hatred (67% of cases). Comprehensive emergency plans and training are critical.

Vandalism and Arson: These are common, with over 400 attacks on U.S. churches since 2020, including property damage and desecration. Surveillance cameras and regular security audits can deter such acts.

Theft: Donation boxes, religious artifacts, and personal belongings are frequent targets. Access control and monitoring valuables reduce risks.

Cybersecurity Threats: Houses of worship are vulnerable to hacking, ransomware, and data breaches, especially as they rely on digital platforms. Implementing cybersecurity best practices is essential.

Internal Threats: Risks from disgruntled employees or volunteers, including theft or fraud, necessitate thorough background checks and clear protocols for handling sensitive information.

Proactive measures like risk assessments, security teams, and collaboration with law enforcement can mitigate these threats while maintaining a welcoming environment

Paint

Painting the Eiffel Tower

In any industry painting (and decorating) operations play a crucial role in facility management by enhancing the overall appearance, protecting surfaces, and maintaining a healthy and conducive environment. In the education industry we find these operations in both the business and academic units; often co-mingled with sign-making shops.

Aesthetics and Branding: Fresh coats of paint revitalize the appearance of walls, ceilings, doors, and other surfaces, creating a clean and inviting environment. Painting can also be used strategically to incorporate branding elements, such as company colors or logos, to reinforce brand identity throughout campus. Bright, vibrant colors can stimulate creativity and engagement, while well-chosen color schemes can create a sense of calm and focus.
Surface Protection: Color coatings are a protective barrier for surfaces, shielding them from environmental factors like moisture, sunlight, dust, and regular wear and tear. It helps prevent structural damage, corrosion, and deterioration, extending the lifespan of various components in the facility, including walls, floors, metal structures, and equipment.
Maintenance and Preservation: Regular painting operations are part of preventive maintenance programs in facility management. By addressing minor issues like peeling, cracks, or stains on surfaces, painting helps maintain a well-maintained and professional appearance. It prevents further damage and the need for costlier repairs in the future. Using environmentally conscious paints contributes to sustainable practices and healthier indoor air quality.
Functional Differentiation: Painted color variations are utilized to differentiate various spaces within a facility. By using different colors, patterns, or textures, specific areas can be designated for different purposes, such as work zones, storage areas, or recreational spaces. This assists with wayfinding and enhances overall functionality.

Today at 15:00 UTC we review best practice literature for large-scale painting operations — an exploration different than the one undertaken during our Fine Art and Signs, Signs, Signs colloquia — with attention to worker and chemical safety. Among these considerations:

Falls from Heights: When painting large structures such as buildings or bridges, workers often need to work at elevated heights using ladders, scaffolding, or aerial lifts. Falls from heights are a significant hazard, and proper fall protection systems, such as guardrails, harnesses, and safety nets, should be in place to prevent accidents. Large-scale painting operations may require workers to access or work on structures that have structural weaknesses, corroded surfaces, or unstable platforms.
Inhalation of Hazardous Substances: Paints, coatings, solvents, and other chemicals used in large-scale painting operations can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other harmful substances. Prolonged exposure to these chemicals, particularly in poorly ventilated areas, can lead to respiratory problems, dizziness, skin irritation, or other health issues. Proper personal protective equipment (PPE) like respirators, gloves, and protective clothing should be provided and used to minimize exposure risks.
Skin and Eye Irritation: Contact with paint, solvents, or other chemicals can cause skin irritation, dermatitis, or allergic reactions. Splashes or spills can also result in eye injuries. Workers should wear appropriate protective clothing, such as gloves, coveralls, and safety goggles, to protect their skin and eyes from direct contact with hazardous substances.
Fire and Explosion Risks: Some paints and solvents are flammable or combustible, posing fire and explosion risks, especially in enclosed spaces or areas with inadequate ventilation. Strict adherence to fire safety measures, including proper storage and handling of flammable materials, use of spark-proof tools, and implementing effective fire prevention protocols, is crucial.
Weather Conditions: Outdoor large-scale painting operations are often subject to weather conditions, such as extreme temperatures, high winds, or rain. Adverse weather conditions can pose risks to workers’ safety and affect the quality of paint application. Adequate weather monitoring and planning, along with appropriate safety measures and protective equipment, are necessary to mitigate these hazards.

Open to everyone. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

ASTM’s color and appearance committee (E12) has approved a new standard that will be useful in calculating the colors of objects. The new standard (E3415) expands on color calculations described in ASTM’s standard on CIE colorimetric systems (E308). https://t.co/7F97dcFkVe pic.twitter.com/zcAp6DT1tg

— ASTM International (@ASTMIntl) October 15, 2024

Relevant standards:

Chemistry

ASTM D-series titles

EN 1504-2: Products and systems that are graffiti-resistant

ISO 12944: Paints and varnishes

Application and Fire Safety

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers: Self-Operating Paint Bot

National Fire Protection Association

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

logical pic.twitter.com/V0UoqMMXdB

— Enez Özen (@Enezator) August 24, 2024

ASTM’s color and appearance committee (E12) has approved a new standard that will be useful in calculating the colors of objects. The new standard (E3415) expands on color calculations described in ASTM’s standard on CIE colorimetric systems (E308). https://t.co/7F97dcFkVe pic.twitter.com/5GCfEgP4TI

— ASTM International (@ASTMIntl) September 30, 2024

Color Calculation Standard E3415

New Standard Will Aid in Color Calculation of Objects

ASTM Committee E12 on Color and Appearance

According to ASTM member Hugh Fairman, legacy standard E308 gathered data and pre-calculated weight sets for doing what is called “tristimulus integration,” which determines the actual color of a measured spectral reflectance or spectral power curve. While this standard is still useful in certain cases, a need has grown for the more updated practice described in E3415 to respond to interest in how illumination is perceived on painted surfaces.

Standards Michigan: ASTM International

A RAL number is part of a standardized color matching system developed by the RAL Deutsches Institut für Gütesicherung und Kennzeichnung (German Institute for Quality Assurance and Certification) used primarily in Europe. It is widely used for defining colors for paint, coatings, and plastics.

General Conditions of the Construction Contract

International Code Council: Current Code Development Cycle 2024-2026

International Building Code: Chapter 1 Scope and Administration

There are five key components needed to address in each construction contract as a protection against litigation in an industry that is rich in possibilities.

Scope of the project. …
Total cost and payment requirements. …
Project timeline. …
Lien law protection. …
Dispute resolution.

Today at the usual hour we examine a few representative contracts:

List of all current AIA Contract Documents

University of Michigan Standard General Conditions

Wayne State University Supplementary Conditions of Construction

Princeton University: General Terms & Conditions for Construction Contracts

Universities Wisconsin: General Conditions of the Contract for Construction

The cost of compliance with general conditions in a typical construction project can vary widely depending on factors like project size, complexity, location, and specific requirements. General conditions refer to the indirect costs that support the project—things like project management, temporary facilities, safety measures, and administrative expenses—not the direct costs of labor, materials, or equipment tied to physical construction.

In percentage terms, general conditions typically account for 5% to 15% of the total project cost, with most projects falling in the 5% to 10% range for standard residential or commercial builds. Smaller projects might see percentages closer to or exceeding 10% because fixed costs (like a site trailer or a project manager’s time) don’t scale down as much as direct costs. Larger, more complex projects—like industrial or infrastructure work—might trend toward the lower end (5% or less) since direct costs dominate, diluting the relative impact of general conditions. For example, a $300,000 residential project might allocate $15,000 to $30,000 (5% to 10%) for general conditions, while a $10 million commercial project could see $500,000 or less (5%) if efficiencies kick in.

Methods of Building Measurement

Global Consistency in Presenting Construction & Life Cycle Costs

Higher Education Estates Management Report 2023

Modular Classrooms

Planning, Design & Construction Team

Architecture and Aesthetic Education

How Blockchain Will Change Construction

Carnegie Classifications

Design Age Institute

Kindergarten

International Building Code: Group A Model Building Codes: 2024/2025/2026 Development Cycle

“One Hundred Children Playing in the Spring” | Su Hanchen 蘇漢臣

Safety and sustainability for any facility begins with an understanding of who shall occupy the built environment and how. University settings, with mixed-use phenomenon arising spontaneously and temporarily, often present challenges. Educational communities are a convergent settings for families; day care facilities among them. First principles regarding occupancy classifications for day care facilities appear in Section 308 of the International Building Code, Institutional Group I; linked below:

Section 308 | International Building Code

The ICC Institutional Group I-4 classification includes buildings and structures occupied by more than five persons of any age who received custodial care for fewer than 24 hours per day by persons other than parents or guardian, relatives by blood, marriage or adoption, and in a place other than the home of the person cared far. This group includes both adult and child day care.

We maintain focus on child day care. Many educational communities operate child day care enterprises for both academic study and/or as auxiliary (university employee benefit) enterprises.

Princeton University Child Care Center

Each of the International Code Council code development groups fetch back to a shared understanding of the nature of the facility; character of its occupants and prospective usage patterns.

The Group B developmental cycle ended in December 2019. The 2021 revision of the International Building code is in production now, though likely slowed down because of the pandemic. Ahead of the formal, market release of the Group B tranche of titles, you can sample the safety concepts in play during this revision with an examination of the documents linked below:

2019 GROUP B PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE I-CODES ALBUQUERQUE COMMITTEE ACTION HEARINGS

2019 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ACTION HEARINGS ON THE 2018 EDITIONS OF THE GROUP B INTERNATIONAL CODES

Search on the terms “day care” and “daycare” to get a sample of the prevailing concepts; use of such facilities as storm shelters, for example.

“The Country School” | Winslow Homer

We encourage our safety and sustainability colleagues to participate directly in the ICC Code Development process. We slice horizontally through the disciplinary silos (“incumbent verticals”) created by hundreds of consensus product developers every week and we can say, upon considerable authority that the ICC consensus product development environment is one of the best in the world. Privately developed standards (for use by public agencies) is a far better way to discover and promulgate leading practice than originating technical specifics from legislative bodies. CLICK HERE to get started. Contact Kimberly Paarlberg (kpaarlberg@iccsafe.org) for more information.

There are competitor consensus products in this space — Chapter 18 Day-Care Occupancies in NFPA 5000 Building Construction and Safety Code, for example; a title we maintain the standing agenda of our Model Building Code teleconferences. It is developed from a different pool of expertise under a different due process regime. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.

Issue: [18-166]

Category: Architectural, Healthcare Facilities, Facility Asset Management

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Richard Robben

Several names for this occupancy class:

Nursery
Crèche
Playgroup
Montessori
Preschool
Kindergarten
Childcare
Toddler group
Daycare
Early learning center

A Study of Children’s Password Practices

Gallery: School Bond Referenda

In terms of total spend, the US elementary and secondary school industry is about twice the size of the higher education industry according to IBISWorld. About $100 billion is in play every year for both (which we cover during our Ædificare colloquia); with higher education spending only half of what elementary and secondary school systems spend on facilities.

Note that some districts are including construction for faculty housing.

Our focus remains on applying global standard to create educational settlements that are safer, simpler, lower-cost and longer-lasting — not on the hurly-burly of local school bond elections. We recommend consulting the coverage in American School & University for more detailed and more timely information.

Architect students building a playground

Om SIS

Sweden

Building Environment Design

I don’t build in order to have clients.

I have clients in order to build.

— Ayn Rand

Google Data Center

“Détruire est facile ; construire est difficile.”

— Victor Hugo

The highest level of standardization for the building interiors on the emergent #SmartCampus originates in ISO TC 205 — Building Environment Design. This committee is charged with standards setting in the design of new buildings and retrofit of existing buildings for acceptable indoor environment and practicable energy conservation and efficiency. Building environment design addresses the technical building systems and related architectural aspects, and includes the related design processes, design methods, design outcomes, and design-phase building commissioning. Indoor environment includes air quality, and thermal, acoustic, and visual factors. The business plan is linked below:

STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLAN ISO/TC 205

Some of the key ideas in the scope of this project are listed below:

– the design of energy-efficient buildings
– building control systems design
– indoor air quality
– indoor thermal environment
– indoor acoustical environment
– indoor visual environment
– radiant heating and cooling systems
– heating and cooling systems
– building commissioning planning
– moisture in buildings

We see many of the foregoing ideas in the catalog of ASHRAE International — ANSI’s US Technical Advisory Group Administrator in this project, as well as a number of others (CLICK HERE). There are 31 Participating member and 28 Observing member nations.

Generally speaking, ISO consensus products are performance standards and contrast sharply with prescriptive standards in the energy-related domains in the United States. Prescriptive standards are easy to enforce but difficult to write. Performance standards are easy to write but difficult to enforce.

Facility managers that oversee building automation units in education communities in the United States are encouraged to participate in the development of ISO 205 by communicating directly with Brian Cox at ASHRAE (bcox@ashrae.org). We keep all ISO standards on the standing agenda of our periodic Global and AEdificare standards colloquia. We also maintain this committee’s catalog on the standing agenda of our Mechanical colloquium. See our CALENDAR for the next online meetings; open to everyone.

university of wisconsin eu claire twitter people snow best interior 1919 721

Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine interior health facebook cover 1921 721

EPpu-vzX4AAu3J6 university of washington students interior media tech 1923 721

EQiyUQrWAAo2Fha northhampton high schools students interior pennsylvania 1921 720

northern arizona university twitter interior people 1925 721

Issue: [10-30]

Category: International, Mechanical, Energy, Facility Asset Management

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Richard Robben, Larry Spielvogel

More

Bygningsinformasjonsmodellering

Stata Center

Financials and Endowment 2024: Investments returned 8.9 percent 2024; endowment $24.6 billion

Named after its major donor — co-founder of Analog Devices — this Frank Gehry designed holds the top spot for highest absolute cost per square foot of any US university research — just shy of $500 million in today’s dollars.

The project replaced a “temporary” structure from World War II known for fostering innovation, particularly through the MIT Radiation Laboratory. The new center was intended to continue this legacy by housing the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), the Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems (LIDS), and the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy, while promoting interdisciplinary collaboration through its innovative design.

Bird’s-eye view of campus from the Stata Center. #aroundMIT pic.twitter.com/so7euTqtX5

— Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (@MIT) May 23, 2017

The donations were driven by MIT’s goal to consolidate its computer science, electrical engineering, and artificial intelligence departments into a state-of-the-art facility to encourage the exchange of ideas and technology. The project, completed in 2004, faced challenges, including cost overruns and a subsequent lawsuit against Gehry and contractor Skanska USA for alleged design and construction flaws, such as leaks and drainage issues. This lawsuit was amicably resolved in 2010. Despite these issues, the Stata Center remains a landmark of MIT’s campus, celebrated for its bold architecture and role in fostering innovation.

Inside MIT CSAIL’s Stata Center. pic.twitter.com/XSvA9CgSdy

— MIT CSAIL (@MIT_CSAIL) April 11, 2024

Other major contributors:

Bill Gates, who donated $20 million through the William H. Gates Foundation, resulting in one of the center’s towers being named the Gates Tower.
Alexander W. Dreyfoos Jr. (MIT class of 1954), who gave $15 million, leading to the naming of the Dreyfoos Tower.
Morris Chang of TSMC and Charles Thomas “E.B.” Pritchard Hintze (an MIT graduate associated with JD Edwards, now Oracle), who also provided significant funds.
Steven Kirsch, founder of Infoseek, who contributed $2.5 million specifically for the construction of the center’s auditorium.

Indoor Air Quality Design Tools for Schools

About Portable Classrooms

From a school district’s perspective, the two advantages of portable classrooms are low initial cost and short time between specification and occupancy. They are intended to provide flexibility to school districts, enabling quick response to demographic changes and providing the ability to be moved from one school to another as demographics change. In reality, portable classrooms are seldom moved and become permanent fixtures of the school.

Creating a Healthy School Environment

Category Archives: Architectural/Hammurabi