38B-032 Chapter 34 Review - NCMCJuly 15, 2010
To: Louis Hasbrouck, Building Commisioner
From: Peter Lapointe, Architect
RE: Northampton Community Music Center (NCMC)
139 South Street
Northampton, MA 01060
Chapter 34 Review
NCMC is located in a two story brick bearing wall structure with wood framed floors. The gross square footage of the entire building is including the basement level is 11,400 square
feet (3 x 3800). For building code purposes the type of construction is 3B and the Use Group is B. There is no intended change is use. The scope of work is renovation of 3,000 square
feet of building area located entirely on the lower level. The work includes removal of obsolete and/or abandoned utilities and plumbing fixtures, thermal envelope improvements (windows
and building insulation) and creation of four new spaces for programmed activities to include a piano lab, teaching lab, recording studio and small recital space (30 people).
Since there is no change in use, the provisions of 3404 apply to the building renovation. The scope of work does not change the number or capacity of existing exits. The exit enclosures
are being modified to allow new egress doors to be placed in new construction and to separate the exit stair from niches that have been identified for use as storage. Newly constructed
partitions of the stair enclosures will be 1 hour construction. 1 hour rated ceilings will be provided throughout as part of the replacement of existing plaster ceilings even though
rated floors are not required.
All of the provisions of 3404 are being met or were met when the building was originally renovated in 1997 (i.e. Accessibility 3404.18).
The state wide adoption of MGL 148 / 26G affects this building because it is over 7,500 square feet. The Fire Safety Commission’s Automatic Sprinkler Appeals
Board issued an advisory that discusses the application of the law including work that constitutes substantial renovation. The rule of thumb placed this threshold at 33 percent or one
third of the building. In this case, one third of the building would constitute a single floor. The proposed renovations involve 80 percent of the lower level or 27 percent of the
building area. The scope of work does meet the description of the types of work that constitute substantial renovations, but, the building area is less than one third of the entire
gross square footage. Using these guidelines the applicability of 3404.12 as it related to MGL 148 / 26G would not apply to the scope of this project.
Respectfully submitted,
Peter Lapointe