Re: Howe school
From: Wayne Tyson (landrestcox.net)
Date: Wed, 25 May 2011 12:32:03 -0700 (PDT)
Fred, I don't know about limiting distance, but it might be worth looking into sprinkling it. Yeah, that adds to the cost, but maybe only marginally and it should lower the insurance; might even affect the limiting distance requirement. Check the condition of all utilities and get maintenance records and research permitting history.

As a practical matter, any multi-unit structure should be sprinkled whether or not the building code requires it. We just had a fire is such a structure a couple of days ago; the fire started in a first-floor unit and quickly burned up to the fourth floor like a roman candle. The upper floor collapsed first. Once you have a convection event like that, the fire behavior goes "blast-furnace," generating "abnormally" higher temperatures, increasing the radiant heat tremendously and thus drastically speeding up ignition and fire progression, as pre-heating occurs at a greater distance.

You might look into automatic gas shutoff devices, and keep trees a respectable distance from utility lines, especially gas.

The list goes on . . .

Good luck!

WT


----- Original Message ----- From: "James Kacki" <jimkacki [at] mymts.net> To: "Fred H Olson" <fholson [at] cohousing.org>; "Cohousing-L" <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 9:41 AM
Subject: [C-L]_ Howe school



Hi Fred,
Re feasibility comments requested
I'm an architect in Manitoba.  The only feasibility comment I can
make based on the photo is this:
Make sure the people wanting to renovate it as cohousing check with
the local Permit officials regarding the "limiting distance"
calculations in the Building Code before going too far.  I'm going by
the Canadian code, but I'm sure the U.S. Codes would have similar
requirements.  The "limiting distance" requirements are to prevent
the spread of fire between buildings or between different parts of
the same building, through windows and other openings.  The Howe
school is 'U' shaped, meaning windows on the inside face of the 'U'
are facing each other.
The "limiting distance" calculations limit the amount of unprotected
openings (e.g. windows) based on the distance apart of exterior walls
and angle between exterior walls.  So not only the walls facing each
other, but even walls at 90 degrees to each other (eg the base of the
'U' and the wings of the 'U') can have limits placed on the amount of
glass allowed.
It's a pain in the butt, but is a factor to be checked in the
feasibility of turning this building into cohousing.
All the best, -glad the tornado missed you!
James
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