*Zoning & Building Use

Question 1

What is occupancy classification?

Answer 1

the formal designation of the primary purpose of the building

Question 2

Define assembly group A

Answer 2

For the gathering of persons for purposes such as civil, social, or religious functions; recreation, food or drink consumption or awaiting transportation

Question 3

Define Business group B

Answer 3

for office, professional, or service-type transactions, including storage of record or accounts

A building on tenant space used for less than an occupant load of less than 50 people shall be classified as group b or 750sf

Outpatient Clinic example: if it is a space you can get up and walk out of, it is classifies as Business group

Question 4

What is assembly group A-1 designated for?

Answer 4

usually has fixed seating and is used for the production and viewing of performing arts

Question 5

What is assembly group A-2 designated for?

Answer 5

assembly use intended for food and drink consumption (restaurants, casinos, bars, night clubs, etc.)

Question 6

What is assembly group A-3 designated for?

Answer 6

intended for worship, recreation, or amusement or other assemblies not classified elsewhere

Question 7

What is assembly group A-4 designated for?

Answer 7

intended for viewing indoor sporting events with spectator seating included

Question 8

What is assembly group A-5 designated for?

Answer 8

intended for participation in or viewing of outdoor activities

Question 9

Define Educational Group E?

Answer 9

for children grade 12 and under.

Question 10

Define institutional group I

Answer 10

Institutional occupancy also includes buildings or spaces for people under care or supervision incapable of self-preservation or exiting without physical assistance. Or people detained for penal or correctional purposes.

If it’s a hospital or other medical facility where you wouldn’t just get up and walk off the operating table, it would fall under institutional.

Question 11

Define mercantile group M

Answer 11

Mercantile Group M covers everything from department stores to drug stores, gas stations, and public access greenhouses to display and sell plants. Note that this differs from the business occupancy greenhouse because of the selling of plants. It is any retail or wholesale store and salesrooms.

If it’s a selling facility, it falls under group M.

Question 12

Define Residential group R

Answer 12

These are dwelling units with sleeping space when not otherwise classified as Group I Institutiona

Question 13

What is residential group R-1 intended for?

Answer 13

is for sleeping units where the occupants are transient; meaning occupants are visiting and don’t stay there permanently. This would be a typical hotel or motel.

Question 14

What is residential group R-2 intended for?

Answer 14

sleeping units in more than two (2) dwelling units with primarily permanent occupants, including apartments and condos. It could be boarding houses, dormitories, live or work units, or vacation timeshare properties

Question 15

What is residential group R-3 intended for?

Answer 15

includes buildings with permanent occupants, but they don’t fit into R-1, R-2, or R-4

Question 16

What is residential group R-4 intended for?

Answer 16

includes buildings for 5-16 persons in a supervised environment receiving custodial care. Residential group R4 could be an alcohol and drug treatment facility, an assisted living group house, or a residential board and care facility.

Question 17

Define storage group S

Answer 17

These are spaces for storage that are not classified as hazardous occupancy.

Question 18

Define zoning

Answer 18

Zoning concerns how the property or the land is used and how that affects the surrounding community. It is less about the building other than limits on the:
-use
-size
-height
-position on the land itself

Question 19

Which two factors most typically determine whether a room must have at least two exits?

Answer 19

occupant load and occupancy

The two most important variables are the use of the space (occupancy) and the number of people that must exit the space (occupant load).

Question 20

Which occupancy group is most restrictive?

Answer 20

Group A

A is assembly occupancy, and is most restrictive among the choices given because these spaces like churches or theaters would contain large groups of people, and who would need to exit all at once during an emergency.

Question 21

Your new client is considering leasing the top two floors of a converted office building for their marketing agency, approximately 24,000 square feet. There is a large centrally located staircase between the floors.
What are the most important items you need to review in order to determine if the space will work for their needs?

A.) access to elevators, window placement, usable area, location of structural elements

B.) window placement, structural elements, location of plumbing, number of employees

C.) location of elevators, structural elements, number of employees

D.) location of structural elements, usable area, number of employees

Answer 21

C.) location of elevators, structural elements, number of employees

Because the space is commercial, it needs to be accessible with elevators.

The designer must know the number of employees and location of architectural features like structural elements in order to determine the usable area. The location of elevators, whether within the space or in adjacent public corridors will affect the layout and amount of usable space.