Transforming a building lobby to be more appealing to tenants and visitors could change the space’s environment in unexpected ways. Window condensation could become a problem if proper planning is ignored. (Learn more about the condensation issues.)
Changes to New York City’s Construction Code, Local Law 126 of 2021, were adopted in October 2021 and go into effect on November 7, 2022.
The new regulations contain major updates and smaller changes designed to increase safety and sustainability in construction. ESD Studio Leader Francisco L. Padilla says the new codes include the latest building materials, technologies, and strategies aligned to the 2015 International Construction Codes.
Padilla says changes are both big and small. For example, he says “Mechanical Code Chapter 5 will now include exception language for electrical appliances requiring Type I hoods if minimum performances for grease control is met and certified by an approved testing agency.”
According to Padilla, we tend to think of “grease hoods” appearing only in kitchen environments above cooktops, deep fryers, griddles, grills, woks, and the like. However, in other buildout categories, these or similar appliances implemented outside of a kitchen could trigger the need for a Type I hood under the current codes. This new exemption provides some project relief coordinated to appliances used. Padilla recalls a project that included a “warming pantry” that required extensive discussion regarding the need for a Type I hood.
New York’s Department of Buildings (DOB) says “the code revisions are the first holistic update to the entire set of NYC Administrative, Plumbing, Building, Mechanical, and Fuel Gas Codes since 2014.” Code enhancements also aim to better enable emergency response, fire safety, elevator safety, accessibility, as well as building system construction and inspection, resiliency, and sustainability.
Francisco L. Padilla is a key member of our New York team and works diligently to share the latest industry information and trends as part of ESD’s mission: Improving Society Through the Built Environment.
Contact ESD’s experts for more information on how ESD can help with building automation, energy efficiency, and other carbon reduction planning.
