There are a number of changes in the 2013 California Building Codes. This post will shine a small light on a few of the accessibility, energy and occupancy changes which may affect Certified Interior Designers, and may affect changes to the IDEX California exam.
ACCESSIBILITY
As any interior designer knows, there has always been confusion and discrepancies between the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and California’s access code.
I have been reading that for 2013, the CBC has changed its accessibility Chapters 11A and 11B to align itself more with ADA Standards format (2010). This may help somewhat, but California will likely always have it’s own brand of access laws we must be familiar with.
While it is still uncertain if the IDEX California exam will be updated for October 2014 and what those changes to the exam may be, here are just a few 2013 CA code changes that have been identified which could impact CIDs:
CHANGES for Toilets and Lavatories –
* Centerline distance of a toilet next to a wall or partition is now 17″-18” (was 18”).
* Lavatory overlap is no longer permitted.
* An ambulatory stall is now required for every 6 toilet fixtures, including urinals. (Previously, urinals were not included in the min. fixture count).
CHANGES for Handrails –
* Clearance of handrail to wall is now 1-1/2″ minimum. (was 1-1/2″ absolute)
* Diameter of handrail is now 1-1/4″ – 2″ (was 1-1/2″ max.)
* There are more options for gripping surfaces.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
The 2013 California Energy Code went into effect July 1, 2014. It covers both residential and commercial buildings and there were quite a few changes.
A few examples are:
Residential Lighting – Improving and clarifying the mandatory lighting requirements for all residential buildings, including kitchens, bathrooms, dining rooms, utility rooms, garages, hall ways, bedrooms, and outdoor lighting. Require at least one high efficacy luminaire in each bathroom.
Nonresidential indoor lighting
*Advanced multi-level lighting controls (controllable ballasts) increasing from one intermediate level to three intermediate levels or for continuous dimming), to allow precise and non interruptive adjustment of lighting to match the available daylighting, and provide dimming and demand response function throughout the building.
*Requirement of use of occupancy sensors to limit lighting and plug loads
(in various occupancies)
* Hotel/Motel Guest Room Occupancy Controls for HVAC and lighting systems – would require installation of occupancy controls for HVAC equipment, and all lighting fixtures in hotel/motel guest rooms, including plug in lighting.
OCCUPANCY
*Commercial kitchens now have an occupancy per CBC:
A2 – for commercial kitchens associated with restaurants
F1 – for commercial food preparation facilities that are not associated with restaurants.
Again, to be clear, the above are only a few examples of changes in accessibility, energy and occupancy for 2013. Not listed in this post are 2013 changes that have occurred in fire codes, means of egress, and more. This post is to be taken as general information only, and does not mean these changes will (or will not) appear as changes in The IDEX California exam.