109 Main Code finalNov. 7,2016 Code Review Thomas Douglas Architects Inc.
109 Main Street, 2nd Floor. Northampton, MA
Northampton, MA 413-585-0641
196 Pleasant St.Northampton, MA
1 of 7
CODE REVIEW
109 Main Street, 2nd Floor November 7, 2016
Northampton, MA
Applicable Building Code: MA 780 CMR Eighth Addition
IBC, IEBC International EXISTING Building Code, 2009
ZONING DISTRICT: CB
PROPOSED RENOVATIONS:
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
• Proposed Tenant: Center for Committee for Public Counsel Services.
This use is a lawyer’s office which is a business office use.
• Reconfigure the former B office space for new offices and conference rooms
• New unisex accessible toilet room
• Existing egress to existing stairs linking this tenant space to the Building
lobby and exterior egress to Gothic Street.
• New windows in the West façade. This is the side façade facing the alley
next to the First Church. We have received approval from the CBAC.
• New HVAC systems
• New lighting
• New Fire alarm system to be tied into the existing building-wide system
• New fire separations between adjacent tenants, egress stairs, storage rooms,
where necessary.
• New sprinkler systems are not proposed.
Building Areas
Total Area (square feet)
Lower Level (basement) 9413
1st Floor 9413
2nd Floor Tenant space 5293
2nd Floor Common space 524
Total Building area 24,643
Proposed tenant area (work area) 5293
% Of aggregate area of total building 21%
Nov. 7,2016 Code Review Thomas Douglas Architects Inc.
109 Main Street, 2nd Floor. Northampton, MA
Northampton, MA 413-585-0641
196 Pleasant St.Northampton, MA
2 of 7
Occupant load:
Former tenant: Business use. Occupancy numbers unknown.
Proposed tenant:
Use Area per
occupant
Area Total occupants
allowed
Total
occupants
proposed
Business B 100 gross 5293 52 49
Construction Type
• 3B
Sprinkler System
• No sprinkler systems exist in the building. No new systems are proposed. See
below.
704.4 Fire alarm and detection:
• There is a fire alarm system in the building. The system will be modified as
needed to meet the building codes and additional requirements below.
Use Groups
• This is a former B space. It is above an M Mercantile space and a B business
use.
• There is NO proposed change of use in this tenant space.
• Existing separation of uses within the overall building: This is a concrete and
steel building. The existing exgress stairs have ratings that meet the building
code. They are a minimum of 1 hour rated.
• Proposed separation of uses:
o Table 508.4: Required separation of Occupancies: Separations of B use
from B use: o hours required.
o Table 508.4: Required separation of Occupancies: Separations of B use
from M use: o hours required
According to the IEBC this renovation is being reviewed as:
Work Area Method, Chapter 4
Compliance with Chapter 6- Alterations Level 1- new finishes and fixtures
Chapter 7- Alterations Level 2 - Construction of new walls, toilet rooms, and exits.
Nov. 7,2016 Code Review Thomas Douglas Architects Inc.
109 Main Street, 2nd Floor. Northampton, MA
Northampton, MA 413-585-0641
196 Pleasant St.Northampton, MA
3 of 7
Fire Resistive Required Types of
Construction, Table 601 IBC
Building Element Type 3B
Primary Structural
Frame
0
Bearing walls, Exterior 2
Bearing walls, Interior 1
Nonbearing walls and
partitions, exterior
0
Nonbearing walls and
partitions, interior
0
Floor construction and
secondary members
0
Roof construction and
secondary members
0
704 Fire Protection:
704.2, 912.2.1 Automatic sprinkler systems
Automatic sprinkler systems are NOT required in this project because of the
exceptions in 704.2.2 and MGL 148 26G
The following conditions are present: (IEBC)
The B use area is less than 12,000 square feet
The B occupancy is less than 50 occupants
The Level 2 work area does not exceed 50% of the building floor area.
The Level 2 work area is 5,293 square feet. The total area of the building is
24,643 SF. The work area represents 21% of the total aggregate area of the
building.
MGL 148 26G:
Sprinklers are required if: The overall building area is greater than 7,500 square feet.
• The total building area for this building is greater than 7,500 square feet
(24,646 square feet).
Major alterations are work which is “major” in scope or expenditure, and which
results in changes affecting a substantial portion of the building” as defined in MGL
148 26G
Major alterations or modifications are reasonably considered major in scope when
such work affects 33% or more of the total gross square footage of the building,
calculated in accordance with 26G.
• The reconfigurations in the work area do not rise to the level of “major
alterations” because the work area for this project is less than 33% of the
Nov. 7,2016 Code Review Thomas Douglas Architects Inc.
109 Main Street, 2nd Floor. Northampton, MA
Northampton, MA 413-585-0641
196 Pleasant St.Northampton, MA
4 of 7
total gross square footage of the building and does not result in changes
affecting a substantial portion of the building. See calculations above.
Major alterations or modifications are reasonably considered major in scope or
expenditure when the total cost of the work (excluding costs relating to sprinkler
installation) is equal to or greater than 33% of the assessed value of the subject
building, as of the date of permit application.
• The costs for this project are less than 33% of the assessed value of the
building.
• Assessed valuation from City of Northampton: (building) $1,600,060
• Approximate construction cost: $236,000
• Construction cost as a percentage of assessed value of total building:
14.75%
Level 1-work requirements:
The removal and replacement or the covering of existing materials,
elements, equipment or fixtures using new materials, elements, equipment
or fixtures that serves the same purpose
This Project will have new metal-framed walls and will have new interior finishes
and lighting.
602.1 Interior finishes: All newly installed wall and ceiling finishes shall comply with
the IBC
603 Fire Protection:
Alterations shall be done in a manner that maintains the level of fire protection
provided. This Project will improve the level of fire protection that is currently
provided by installing fire rated enclosures.
604 Means of Egress
Repairs shall be made in a manner that maintains the level of protection provided for
the means of egress.
This project will have 2 means of egress to meet the minimum number of 2 exits.
The existing egress stairs have a 1 hour or more rating.
The first floor egress path that passes by 2 toilet rooms is existing and it is rated as
an egress corridor. The corridor is required to be a Fire Partition. Table 1018.1 and
709 requires a 1 hour rating for the wall.
715.4 requires a 1/3 hour rating for the doors in this corridor. The doors have the
minimum rating and have closers.
The first floor egress path that passes thru an existing glass lobby.
Nov. 7,2016 Code Review Thomas Douglas Architects Inc.
109 Main Street, 2nd Floor. Northampton, MA
Northampton, MA 413-585-0641
196 Pleasant St.Northampton, MA
5 of 7
606 Structural:
Jake Smith Structural engineer will design new steel lintels for the new windows in
the exterior brick wall.
607 Energy Conservation:
See 711 below
Level 2 work requirements:
The reconfiguration of space, the addition or elimination of any door or
window, the reconfiguration or extension of any system, or the installation
of any additional equipment.
This project will new windows on the West facing walls. It is currently a brick wall.
701.3 Compliance
The new exterior door and windows will comply with the code minimum of:
New replacement windows will have a maximum U value of 0.4
New entrance doors will have a maximum U value of 0.8
New electrical equipment must comply with section 708
Length of dead end corridors, comply with 705.6 There are no proposed dead end
corridors.
Minimum ceiling height of newly created habitable and occupied spaces shall be 7
feet.
705 Means of Egress
The proposed tenant space will include 2 means of egress. There are 2 existing
egress stairs.
Table 1016.1, Exit Access Travel Distance
Maximum allowable travel distance for B use, without sprinkler system: 200 feet
Proposed maximum travel distance for this project: 50 feet
Corridor width:
The required corridor widths for this project are not less than 44 inches.
Door Hardware, General
The main exit doors shall have panic hardware.
All other doors in this project will have lever handles.
1008.9.4 Bolt Locks
Manually operated flush bolts or surface bolts are not permitted.
Nov. 7,2016 Code Review Thomas Douglas Architects Inc.
109 Main Street, 2nd Floor. Northampton, MA
Northampton, MA 413-585-0641
196 Pleasant St.Northampton, MA
6 of 7
705.7 Means of Egress lighting
All means of egress shall have compliant exit signs.
705.7 Exit Signs
The tenant space shall have compliant egress lighting
912.6.3 Opening protectives
Openings in exterior walls shall be protected as required by the IBC.
Where openings in the exterior walls are required to be protected because of their
distance from the property line, the sum of the area of such openings shall not exceed
50% of the total area of the wall in each story.
Exceptions to this requirement are:
Exterior opening protectives are not required when the change of occupancy group is to
an equal or lower hazard classification in accordance with table 912.6. This project
continues the same occupancy group and is not a change to the hazard index.
The existing walls are less than 5 feet from the property line. The required rating for
these walls is 2 hours (use group B, Table 602). The existing fire rating on the walls
currently meet the code requirments. The existing walls will not need additional fire
protection.
Proposed openings in exterior walls:
Existing walls: The openings are between 3 to 5 feet from the property line. Opening
protective are not required according to 912.6.3
711 and 607 Energy Conservation:
Level 1 and 2 alterations are permitted without requiring the entire building to
comply with the International Energy Conservation Code. Alterations (new
construction) shall comply with the International Energy Conservation Code.
A building that undergoes Level 2 alterations is required to meet a certain level of
energy compliance.
Where there are reconfigurations of the space or new doors or windows, any such
new element is required to meet the International Energy Conservation Code.
Elements within the building that are not being affected do not heed to be evaluated
and do not nee to comply with the energy provisions. Essentially the entire building
is not required to meet the energy provisions; only a degree of possible improvement
in the energy performance of the building is intended to be achieved by making the
new elements meet the IECC. In certain cases where the reconfiguration of the space
might have resulted in the creation of new spaces the newly created space should be
evaluated as a whole for compliance with the energy provisions even though some of
the element within the space might actually not have been altered. Likewise, in a
case where an existing mechanical system is being extended to other areas or new
ductwork is being installed to reconfigure and reroute the ducts to various spaces, it
Nov. 7,2016 Code Review Thomas Douglas Architects Inc.
109 Main Street, 2nd Floor. Northampton, MA
Northampton, MA 413-585-0641
196 Pleasant St.Northampton, MA
7 of 7
is only required to have the new elements meet the energy provisions and not the
entire system.
Any new replacement windows will have a maximum U value of 0.4
Any new entrance doors will have a maximum U value of 0.8
None of the existing exterior walls or the roof are being altered, so no new
insulation is required.
806 Accessibility
CMR 521
Valuation of Project:
• The costs for this project are less than 30% of the assessed value of the
building.
• Assessed valuation from City of Northampton: (building) $1,765,720
• Approximate construction cost: $100,000
• Construction cost as a percentage of assessed value: 5.6%
3.3.1 b. If the work costs $100,000 or more, then the work being performed is required
to comply with 521 CMR. In addition, an accessible public entrance and an accessible
toilet room shall be provided.
3.3.2 If the work performed, including the exempted work, amounts to 30% or more
of the full and fair cash value of the building, the entire building is required to comply
with 521 CMR.
3.3.3 Alterations by a tenant do not trigger the requirements of 3.3.1B and 3.3.2 for
other tenants.
The existing tenant space does not have accessible toilet rooms. We propose to
add a new unisex accessible toilet room. The urinals in the current men’s room will
be eliminated and that space will be converted into a new accessible toilet room.
The accessible entry will be from the main entrance to the tenant space via an
existing elevator
The proposed tenant space is designed to be fully accessible.
Toilets
Use: Business Total occupants
allowed/proposed
Toilets per
sex
Number of toilets
proposed
Urinals
Women 25
1/20 2
Men 25
1/25 2 0
Unisex
Accessible
1
End of Document