Austin, Texas, adopts AI-driven building permit software

After a successful pilot program, Austin has adopted AI-driven building permit software to speed up the building permitting process.

Calif. governor signs limited extension to hospital seismic retrofit mandate

Some California hospitals will have three additional years to comply with the state’s seismic retrofit mandate, after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill extending the 2030 deadline.

San Francisco unveils guidelines to streamline office-to-residential conversions

The San Francisco Department of Building Inspection announced a series of new building code guidelines clarifying adaptive reuse code provisions and exceptions for converting office-to-residential buildings. Developed in response to the Commercial to Residential Adaptive Reuse program established in July 2023, the guidelines aim to increase the viability of converting underutilized office buildings into housing by reducing regulatory barriers in specific zoning districts downtown.

Codes and Standards

Navigating the intricacies of code compliance and authorities having jurisdiction

The construction of a building entails navigating through a maze of regulations, permits, and codes. Architects are more than mere designers; we are stewards of safety and navigators of code compliance.

Dec 20, 2013

Can energy hogs still be considered efficient buildings? Yes, say engineers at Buro Happold

A new tool from the engineering firm Buro Happold takes into account both energy and economic performance of buildings for a true measure of efficiency.

Dec 11, 2013

NIST recommends tougher standards for tornado resilience

Buildings in tornado-prone areas should be constructed to withstand strong winds just as hurricanes are factored into building codes in coastal areas, says a federal report examining the 2011 killer tornado in Joplin, Mo.

Dec 4, 2013

Changes completed on 2015 IECC provisions

The 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)—the code that serves as the model for states’ codes—has undergone final changes.

Dec 3, 2013

Architects urge government to reform design-build contracting process

Current federal contracting laws are discouraging talented architects from competing for federal contracts, depriving government and, by inference, taxpayers of the best design expertise available, according to AIA testimony presented today on Capitol Hill.

Nov 27, 2013

Vancouver, B.C., bans doorknobs in building code update

The goal of making it easier for people to age in place led to amendments to Vancouver, B.C.’s building code including banning doorknobs in favor of lever handles.

Nov 20, 2013

WDMA receives final approval on code amendments

The Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA) was granted final approval of several amendments it proposed to the 2015 editions of the International Residential Code (IRC), International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), and International Existing Building Code (IEBC).

Nov 14, 2013

ISO, FLASH team up to promote stronger building codes

ISO has joined the national nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) to encourage communities to build disaster-resistant buildings that can withstand hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and other catastrophic events.

Nov 6, 2013

Uneven snow load concern prompts structural study of Minnesota college auditorium roof

The roof of the Memorial Auditorium of Concordia College in Minnesota will undergo a complete structural analysis because it was built to 1946 codes and may not be able to accommodate uneven snow loads.

Nov 6, 2013

Dallas’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2030 advances with second phase of green codes

Dallas stands out as one of the few large cities that is enforcing a green building code, with the city aiming to be carbon neutral by 2030.

Nov 6, 2013

Task force to examine resiliency in the face of climate change

President Barack Obama recently signed an executive order related to climate change and disaster-management efforts during severe weather events and other disasters.