I'm a full time geologist who builds houses for re-sale. Over the last ten years I’ve built six houses, some of which I sell new and some of which I live in for a year or so and then sell. I’ve heard that there is going to be a new BC building code soon and I’d really appreciate it if you could give me a “heads-up” on some of the bigger changes coming our way in the new year.

Part 4

Throughout the last three articles we discussed a few of the more significant Code changes that will affect building design and construction for the next five or more years to come. Authors of the British Columbia Building Code establish what industry recognizes as a minimum set of requirements for the health and safety of people who purchase, rent and live in these buildings. Just to play the devil’s advocate, let’s imagine a few possible design scenarios based on some new and existing minimum Code standards for health and safety in residential dwellings.

We can begin our imaginary design with a low budget residential housing project. This could be a multi-unit residential complex, a condo or several free standing single family buildings. Since a designer is no longer required to ensure minimum room sizes, let’s work with a floor area of about 64 square feet (the size of a small bedroom) since this is the approximate minimum floor area required for a self-contained camper trailer.

Because our imaginary suite by definition is self-contained, we should have a small bathroom, kitchen and bedroom (combination room) with no laundry facilities (not Code required anymore). Interestingly, if we read the small print in the Code, we could reduce costs further by omitting all the electrical wiring, (lights etc.), the bathroom fixtures and the kitchen sink if there are no electrical or no piped water services available. To save significant costs, there will be no windows in this box (they are also no longer Code required). We can meet the natural ventilation requirements with a small roof vent and an exterior door. However, we can eliminate the bathroom door because it’s also not required anymore. This will save the cost of installing a small custom-fitted door on the postage stamp bathroom. As well, ceiling heights in this windowless box will only have to be 6 foot-10˝ inches so the open roof vent will come in handy for a little additional head room.

Of course this imaginary residence is a simplistic tongue-in-cheek scenario and one that I hope no designer would consider sufficient for the health and well being of any human or animal. It is simply interesting to note that it appears that Code authors may not always consider the full ramifications of these types of combinations of minimum Code standards. However, an apocalyptic view may be that they do understand the import of these changes. Could this be evidence of a “brave new world” to come?  As well, it is of interest to note that the new Code is significantly less accessible to the public because it is now an expensive document to purchase. Copies of the Code were readily accessible to builders and the public when a copy cost $85. However, the cost to purchase a 2006 Code is approximately $350 per copy. Hopefully, local libraries will own at least one copy for our edification.

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This article was written by Steven Cannon, a Registered Building Official and partner in Lynch Building Inspection Services Ltd. of Nelson, British Columbia. It originally appeared in The Nelson Express.

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