Los Angeles reversed course last month on a regulation that had barred skyscrapers from having slanted roofs or spires. Most high-rises in the city have flat-topped roofs due to a decades-old rule meant to boost fire safety by requiring helicopter landing pads atop tall buildings.
The rule was unique among large cities in the U.S., according to city officials. New technology and design techniques have removed the need for such a rule, city officials say.
Architects had decried the old rule, saying it restricted creative building tops and prevented L.A. from having a distinctive skyline.
Under the new rule, builders will be able to construct high-rises that don’t have a helicopter pad on the roof if they include other safety features such as a fire service elevator or another set of exit stairs, automatic sprinklers, and a video surveillance system.
“Anyone who’s been to New York or cities like Shanghai, Hong Kong, and even San Francisco can see how the tops of building can help to define the identity of a city,” former City Councilman Mike Woo told the Los Angeles Times. “But for Los Angeles, for years, we have limited ourselves.”
(http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-skyscraper-flat-top-fire-rule-spires-20140929-story.html)
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Jul 23, 2020
North Carolina will stop relying on FEMA flood mapping
State will identify flood zones on its own.
Codes and Standards | Jul 22, 2020
New version of IAPMO’s Water Demand Calculator is available
Enhanced features include selection between single- and multifamily buildings.
Codes and Standards | Jul 22, 2020
Mobile app calculates sound transmission for wood-framed assemblies
American Wood Council tool for floor-ceiling assemblies.
Codes and Standards | Jul 22, 2020
Architecture billings remain in negative territory, begin to stabilize
Fewer architecture firms report declining billings this month.
Codes and Standards | Jul 20, 2020
N.Y. construction firm to pay $1.5 million to settle sexual harassment claim
Managers said to demand sex for pay and OT opportunities.
Codes and Standards | Jul 16, 2020
Tips to make optimal use of salvaged materials
Integrated teams, staging warehouse, and looking early and often, among recommendations.
Codes and Standards | Jul 15, 2020
Georgia gives the go-ahead for tall mass timber construction
Standards review scheduled to be completed by July 2021.
Codes and Standards | Jul 15, 2020
Softwood-lumber duties boost expenses amid COVID-19 outbreak
Little hope this year for resolution of trade dispute with Canada.
Codes and Standards | Jul 14, 2020
Metal Construction Assn. releases three EPD updates
Pertain to Metal Composite Materials, Insulated Metal Panels, and Roll Formed Aluminum and Steel Cladding.
Codes and Standards | Jul 13, 2020
5 must reads for the AEC industry today: July 13, 2020
4 technologies for improving building sanitation and tech's ever-evolving impact on the multifamily space.
