Getting to Know us Better:
If you have worked with us, you know Bob Lavery and his work around the office. He graduated Pratt in 1965, worked three years with the State Architect’s Office, and then joined the private world designing several interesting buildings. You see his 4 story tower whenever the Olympics or "I Love New York" ads feature the helicopter view of Whiteface Mountain. He came to our office 15 years and 4 months ago. But, other than Bob - who is counting?
Bob is married to a wonderful partner, Helene. They have two cats, Mr. Man and Liz the Lounge Lizard, and they have two human "children." Jennifer, 31, is a fabric designer in Pennsylvania and is currently doing a gut rehab of her home in Wilkes Barre. Mark, 33, works at the University of Oregon in Corvallis. Mark just finished a half Iron Man and was featured in a Coke commercial as an Olympic Torch Bearer.
Bob’s interests beyond design and construction include computers, bicycling, kayaking, and sailing. Travel is always a good topic for conversation, and food, well food, especially hot spicy food, is a passion.
Change Order Certification:
Attached and on our web site at https://www.p12.nysed.gov/facplan/SubInfo.htm, you will find the new SED Change Order Certification. Starting immediately use this certification as a cover sheet for ALL change orders sent to SED. It makes no difference whether the project is ongoing or completed. Beginning September 1, 2002, all change orders received at SED without this form will be returned to the sender.
2002 Energy Conservation Construction Code of New York State
All construction projects submitted for approval on and after July 3, 2002 will have to comply with the 2002 Energy Conservation Construction Code of New York State. There will be no transitional period. The NYS Department of State web site has hyperlinks to free download of both COMcheck, for commercial buildings, and MECcheck, for residential buildings as well as new worksheets and manuals.
Opening Protectives – Fire Rated Doors and Windows:
Please be sure your walls and doors have the proper fire ratings, especially exit corridors, which are always fire-rated. Check the requirements for these opening protectives in NFPA 80, Standard for Fire Doors and Fire Windows. Some of the requirements are: steel frames (not aluminum, no aluminum doors either); labeled hardware (steel hinges, not brass; door locks must be for fire rated doors); the doors must have closers and a door latch (to close them and keep them latched closed in the event of a fire. Thumb turns and key operations are not allowed because they do not latch closed.) Windows are limited in size to 1,296 sq. inches for ¾-hour fire ratings and 100 sq. inches for 1½-hour fire ratings.
Using the International Building Code:
Building Areas and Fire Areas may prove to be the most complicated source of discussion in the new Building Code of New York State, but the concepts should be easy.
The square foot size of the footprint of a building will be determined by the "building area" of the building now, not the fire area. The building area can be increased in size similarly to the methods we currently use, but the formulas provide for a very rigid computation. You will need to provide this computation when you are taking advantage of it, and the computation must be clear. Multiple building areas are treated as if they are separate buildings and separated by firewalls.
The term "fire area" is different in the new building code. Fire area is applied to a compartment technique required in certain instances. The instance most common to educational buildings will be to break fire areas into maximum areas of 20,000 square feet when the entire building is not sprinklered. Other instances requiring fire areas may present themselves in unusual circumstances as specified in the Fire Code of New York State where hazardous situations arise. A 20,000 square foot fire area compartment can only occur in those buildings permitted to have a building area over 20,000 square feet.
Existing fire areas in our present code that currently determine the size of the building will still rule for existing buildings. When constructing additions, the addition must never create a situation where the old fire area becomes non-compliant. The present 2-story Type 2a or 1-story Type 2b building with 40 feet of clear open space around it, will require that same space to be provided around additions in order to remain compliant. The addition will still require anything the new code requires for compliance.
One Copy of Submitted Documents:
Our paper monster gains weight very easily. Please remember that submissions of review drawings, addenda and any correspondence to architects and engineers only require ONE copy. Do not send two copies. Do not follow up faxes with mailed copies. This only costs your client more money, wastes your time making copies, takes up our storage space and leads to confusion, delays, and a fat paper monster. Thank you.
If you would like to have this Update sent directly to you by e-mail, please send your e-mail address to Joe Levy at
jlevy@mail.nysed.gov
Please continue to send in your comments and requests. If you have a subject you would like addressed, feedback on the material you read, input or general comments we are happy to hear from you.