OBJ 2.3 Flashcards
Fair Housing Act
The Fair Housing Act is a federal law passed as part of the Civil Rights Act in 1968. The Fair Housing Act’s intention is to protect people from discrimination when buying or renting housing. In 1988, discrimination against people with disabilities was added to the act. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administers and enforces the Fair Housing Act.
Universal design
The design of building environments to be usable by all people, with and without disabilities, to the greatest extent possible, without need for adaption or specialized design.
National Register of Historic Places
Operated by the National Park Service, this list is part of a national program to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources. Renovations to buildings placed on this list often require adherence to specialized rules and guidelines.
ICC/ANSI A-117.1
Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities. Developed by the International Code Council, this standard seeks to establish accessibility requirements in a way that, when adopted by a building code, it would be compatible with the code and its enforcement.
IECC
International Energy Conservation Code. A model code developed by the International Code Council thatspecializes in the energy performance of buildings. It addresses the building envelope, HVAC, and electricalsystems to emphasize building performance.
Minimum required clearance in front of an electrical panel
Three feet.
Minimum required width of a stairway that is an accessible means of egress
Forty-eight inches.
Authority having jurisdiction (AHJ)
A term covering a variety of governing organizations that may visit a facility throughout the life span of a building. Commonly used by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), it deals with the organization governing health, life, and safety review of buildings. The AHJ covers, but is not limited to, the agencies responsible for enforcing the implementation of the code and for approving equipment installation, materials in the building, and general installation.
Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties
A series of concepts about maintaining historic properties, including repairing and replacing historic materials, adding additions, or making alterations to the property. Both standards and guidelines apply to the four areas for treatment of historic properties: preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and reconstruction. The standards are regulatory for projects receiving aid through the National Historic Preservation Fund or that are part of the Historic Preservation Tax Incentive program.
Encroachments
Encroachments into an exit that reduce the clear required width are generally not allowed; however, some have exceptions. Door swings, door hardware, standpipes, handrails, water fountains, and furniture are common encroachments. Door swings may encroach a maximum of 7 inches when fully open and not less than half of the required width during its swing. Doors that swing out into corridors are often recessed for this reason. Door hardware must not encroach into the clear width and must be considered when designing exit paths. Flush hardware or swing-clear hinges reduce encroaching. Standpipes are often tucked into the corners of stairway landings, where they will not encroach. Water fountains in corridors are often recessed so as to not encroach. Furniture and other items such as trash cans and vending machines are not allowed to encroach, and careful planning and coordination can prevent furniture and fixture encroachment.
Height and area of buildings are regulated by both _____ and _____ codes.
Zoning and building.
Usable doors
In multi-family residential buildings, usable doors are doors inside a dwelling unit that provide a minimum of 32 inches clear to allow passage by people in wheelchairs.
LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a sustainability standard established by the U.S. Green Building Council. This credit-based system is used to evaluate the environmental performance of a project against a set of criteria and to encourage sustainable design within the market.
USGBC
The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) is a private organization that promotes sustainability in building design, construction, and operation. The USGBC is responsible for the development and improvement of the LEED rating system.
Net-zero building
A building that consumes zero net energy annually. This can be achieved through a combination of energy use reduction and on-site sustainable energy generation.
