TOPIC - Building Codes and Standards
Initial Draft 10 July 2006
Draft Update 17 October 2006
Adopted January 2007
Sunset December 2007
Policy Statement
Building codes set a minimum acceptable level of safety and performance to protect public health, safety, and welfare. Regulated components of building construction and occupancy include requirements for structure, egress and fire safety, accessibility, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and energy conservation. To create this integrity, architects, engineers and builders depend on established building codes- accepted industry standards, practices and methods- to guide them in their work. Beyond the minimum requirements, there are examples of government bodies and design practitioners adopting aspirational guidelines to effect a higher quality of life through the expectations they place on all building projects.
Issue 1 – Building Safety
Issue
At a minimum, buildings must have structural integrity and stand up to the elements in day-to-day uses. Furthermore, every part of the United States is exposed to natural disasters. Illinois is affected by many types of events – seismic, hail, fire, tornado, severe winter weather and flooding. Building codes provide for minimum requirements for property protection and increased safety for residents on both a daily basis and in a time of disaster.
Position
AIA Illinois supports the adoption of model codes to ensure building safety and timely review and revision to account for changing needs, advances in building methods and available technology.
Issue 2 – Higher Standards
Issue
By design, building safety related codes account for human occupancy. To go beyond merely occupying buildings and promoting quality of life, higher standards are needed. Laws for accessibility and energy conservation are just two examples of building requirements that call for more than just a basic level of public protection and implement common, shared values.
Position
AIA Illinois believes that our codes and standards should support, encourage and provide leadership in high performance buildings, the efficient use of our energy resources, and sustainable community design. AIA Illinois believes that we need to encourage the expanded accessibility of buildings to provide for people with disabilities and an aging population.
Issue 3 – Clarity and Consistency
Issue
The State of Illinois has no uniform, comprehensive building code that is enforced statewide. The Illinois General Assembly and various state agencies have adopted more that 250 separate laws and administrative rules that control certain aspects of design and construction, but there is no single code that contains or references all of the guidelines and standards used in other parts of the country to help ensure the construction of safe and healthy buildings. The random nature of a disjointed code environment is harder to monitor and enforce and places an additional burden on design professionals.
Position
AIA Illinois advocates for comprehensive, coordinated, contemporary and consistent building codes and standards through out the State of Illinois and therefore endorses the conclusions of the May 2006 Illinois Task Force on Uniform Building Codes that overwhelmingly recommended that the General Assembly adopt a uniform, comprehensive, statewide code.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Debut Policy #2- Qualifications Based Selection
TOPIC – Qualifications-Based Selection
Draft Update 22 September 2006
Adopted January 2007
Sunset December 2007
Policy Statement
Since 1987, the Local Government Professional Services Selection Act has governed how architects, engineers and land surveyors are hired to design public projects for local governments. The Qualifications Based Selection process makes the qualifications of a design team the first consideration in the selection, followed by a price negotiation. A firm can be rejected if the Contracting Body believes its costs are too high. QBS is the industry standard used in 46 states to ensure that qualified professionals are chosen to design our roads, bridges, schools and all government facilities.
A more qualified professional can better analyze and develop a project scope prior to the beginning of any construction. A more qualified professional can offer the most appropriate concepts in planning, technology, and life safety to the project and potentially save money and money for the community that is being served. Architecture should optimize functional efficiencies and construction techniques, and create a strong relationship to the community being served. The price of services should be considered only after the approach and experience brought to the project are understood. Architecture cannot be considered a commodity driven by the lowest cost.
Issue
Professional Services and specifically Architectural Services are investments in both a building and in the community. As a small component of the overall construction cost, the selection of architectural services by the State of Illinois or a local governmental body should be based on finding the most qualified firms for a specific project in order to bring the greatest value to the sizable long term investment in a building’s construction.
Position
AIA Illinois supports the State of Illinois Architectural, Engineering and Land Surveying Qualifications Based Selection Act (Public Act 87-673) that competitively selects architects based on professional qualifications and competence, with negotiated fees for design services. AIA Illinois would encourage the application of this process to all levels of government and community in order to maximize the value of the larger dollar in construction.
Draft Update 22 September 2006
Adopted January 2007
Sunset December 2007
Policy Statement
Since 1987, the Local Government Professional Services Selection Act has governed how architects, engineers and land surveyors are hired to design public projects for local governments. The Qualifications Based Selection process makes the qualifications of a design team the first consideration in the selection, followed by a price negotiation. A firm can be rejected if the Contracting Body believes its costs are too high. QBS is the industry standard used in 46 states to ensure that qualified professionals are chosen to design our roads, bridges, schools and all government facilities.
A more qualified professional can better analyze and develop a project scope prior to the beginning of any construction. A more qualified professional can offer the most appropriate concepts in planning, technology, and life safety to the project and potentially save money and money for the community that is being served. Architecture should optimize functional efficiencies and construction techniques, and create a strong relationship to the community being served. The price of services should be considered only after the approach and experience brought to the project are understood. Architecture cannot be considered a commodity driven by the lowest cost.
Issue
Professional Services and specifically Architectural Services are investments in both a building and in the community. As a small component of the overall construction cost, the selection of architectural services by the State of Illinois or a local governmental body should be based on finding the most qualified firms for a specific project in order to bring the greatest value to the sizable long term investment in a building’s construction.
Position
AIA Illinois supports the State of Illinois Architectural, Engineering and Land Surveying Qualifications Based Selection Act (Public Act 87-673) that competitively selects architects based on professional qualifications and competence, with negotiated fees for design services. AIA Illinois would encourage the application of this process to all levels of government and community in order to maximize the value of the larger dollar in construction.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Debut Policy #3- Sustainable Design
TOPIC - Sustainable Design
Draft Update 17 October 2006
Adopted January 2007
Sunset December 2007
Policy Statement
Sustainability is best defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” AIA Illinois believes that a healthy environment for all life is important. Architects are uniquely trained to be leaders in integration of design disciplines in ways that mirror the interrelationships of natural ecosystems. Whole-systems thinking is required for sustainable design that solves the needs for human habitation while preserving and enhancing environments that support all life.
Sustainable planning and design is good for the architectural profession from business as well as ethical perspectives. AIA Illinois believes that failure to take the necessary steps to achieve a sustainable future is not a viable option. Key policy issue areas to meet this challenge include energy consumption, conservation of material resources, healthy buildings, historic preservation, affordable housing, efficient use of infrastructure, transportation choice, and sense of place.
In order to succeed in this initiative we must reach beyond our traditional purview and develop partnerships with other organizations for pursuing sustainable development.
Issue 1 - Energy Consumption/Production
Issue
Operation of buildings is the greatest source of energy consumption and related green-house emissions in the world.
Position
AIA Illinois supports policies that provide for continued aggressive energy conservation, including building modifications to promote more efficient energy use and promoting environmentally sound production of alternative energy sources.
Issue 2 - Conservation of Material Resources
Issue
Building construction accounts for 40% of the consumption of raw materials, as well as approximately 40% of the total solid waste stream.
Position
AIA Illinois supports policies that reduce the consumption of our natural resources. Recycled and rapidly renewable materials should be incorporated into building designs and construction waste should be managed to allow this material to be recycled and directed away from landfills.
Issue 3 - Healthier Buildings
Issue
Americans spend an average of 90% of their time indoors, where levels of pollutants reach up to 100 times-higher than outdoor levels.
Position
AIA Illinois supports policies that promote healthier indoor environments. Improvement in indoor air quality has a positive impact on the health and productivity of the occupants of the building. Building materials should be selected that contain the lowest quantities of toxic chemical and volatile organic compounds available.
Issue 4 – Historic Preservation
Issue
Many historically significant structures and places are being razed to make way for new developments. Books like Lost Chicago are filled with pictures of magnificent buildings that no longer exist. Demolished buildings don’t simply leave memories behind, the embodied energy they contain is lost as well.
Position
AIA Illinois supports policies that provide incentives to retain and revitalize existing structures and places that have high architectural and cultural value. These places provide an important benchmark for understanding who we are and show where we came from.
Issue 5 – Affordable Housing
Issue
The real cost of housing isn’t limited to a rent or mortgage payment, it also includes utility costs, transportation and commuting expenses, access to essential goods and services and many other factors that impact affordability. Communities without housing for their teachers, police officers, fire fighters, nurses, laborers, and service employees impact not only those workers and their families but growth patterns, traffic congestion and a host of other unintended but avoidable consequences.
Position
AIA Illinois supports incentives for development of affordable housing and related infrastructure. This includes innovation in planning, design and construction techniques that seek to reduce construction costs while providing sense of community and maintaining standards for building safety.
Issue 6 – Efficient Use of Infrastructure
Issue
The infrastructure cost of building in undeveloped sites is estimated to be approximately $50,000 per dwelling unit. This compares with $5,000 per dwelling unit at locations that are already served by basic utility, roadway, school and government facilities infrastructure.
Position
AIA Illinois supports policies that redirect subsidies for “greenfield” sites to areas that are already served by existing infrastructure. We cannot afford to use our limited tax dollars to underwrite sprawl.
Issue 7 – Transportation Choice
Issue
Approximately 89% of all trips in the U.S. are made in cars. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control found that neighborhood and transportation planning affected obesity rates, asthma and other health concerns.
Position
AIA Illinois supports government policies and funding decisions that promote a wider range of viable transportation choices including walking, biking, buses, and trains, especially for the young and elderly who cannot drive. Each of these travel options promotes more efficient use of fossil fuel energy than cars. Increased transportation choice can be achieved through community planning with close destination proximity connected by pathways or transit lines.
Issue 8 – Sense of Place
Issue
Many developing communities have little or no sense of “there” there. Places where people live, work, play and worship are enhanced by a feeling of character, substance and uniqueness.
Position
AIA Illinois supports mixed-use pedestrian/transit oriented development that reduces dependence on roadway infrastructure and increases sense of place in the community. Distinctive, compact communities with good access to open spaces allow for a sustainable, high quality of life for their residents.
References:
http://www.aia.org/walkthewalk
http://www.aia.org/susn_rc_default
http://www.aia.org/fiftytofifty
Draft Update 17 October 2006
Adopted January 2007
Sunset December 2007
Policy Statement
Sustainability is best defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” AIA Illinois believes that a healthy environment for all life is important. Architects are uniquely trained to be leaders in integration of design disciplines in ways that mirror the interrelationships of natural ecosystems. Whole-systems thinking is required for sustainable design that solves the needs for human habitation while preserving and enhancing environments that support all life.
Sustainable planning and design is good for the architectural profession from business as well as ethical perspectives. AIA Illinois believes that failure to take the necessary steps to achieve a sustainable future is not a viable option. Key policy issue areas to meet this challenge include energy consumption, conservation of material resources, healthy buildings, historic preservation, affordable housing, efficient use of infrastructure, transportation choice, and sense of place.
In order to succeed in this initiative we must reach beyond our traditional purview and develop partnerships with other organizations for pursuing sustainable development.
Issue 1 - Energy Consumption/Production
Issue
Operation of buildings is the greatest source of energy consumption and related green-house emissions in the world.
Position
AIA Illinois supports policies that provide for continued aggressive energy conservation, including building modifications to promote more efficient energy use and promoting environmentally sound production of alternative energy sources.
Issue 2 - Conservation of Material Resources
Issue
Building construction accounts for 40% of the consumption of raw materials, as well as approximately 40% of the total solid waste stream.
Position
AIA Illinois supports policies that reduce the consumption of our natural resources. Recycled and rapidly renewable materials should be incorporated into building designs and construction waste should be managed to allow this material to be recycled and directed away from landfills.
Issue 3 - Healthier Buildings
Issue
Americans spend an average of 90% of their time indoors, where levels of pollutants reach up to 100 times-higher than outdoor levels.
Position
AIA Illinois supports policies that promote healthier indoor environments. Improvement in indoor air quality has a positive impact on the health and productivity of the occupants of the building. Building materials should be selected that contain the lowest quantities of toxic chemical and volatile organic compounds available.
Issue 4 – Historic Preservation
Issue
Many historically significant structures and places are being razed to make way for new developments. Books like Lost Chicago are filled with pictures of magnificent buildings that no longer exist. Demolished buildings don’t simply leave memories behind, the embodied energy they contain is lost as well.
Position
AIA Illinois supports policies that provide incentives to retain and revitalize existing structures and places that have high architectural and cultural value. These places provide an important benchmark for understanding who we are and show where we came from.
Issue 5 – Affordable Housing
Issue
The real cost of housing isn’t limited to a rent or mortgage payment, it also includes utility costs, transportation and commuting expenses, access to essential goods and services and many other factors that impact affordability. Communities without housing for their teachers, police officers, fire fighters, nurses, laborers, and service employees impact not only those workers and their families but growth patterns, traffic congestion and a host of other unintended but avoidable consequences.
Position
AIA Illinois supports incentives for development of affordable housing and related infrastructure. This includes innovation in planning, design and construction techniques that seek to reduce construction costs while providing sense of community and maintaining standards for building safety.
Issue 6 – Efficient Use of Infrastructure
Issue
The infrastructure cost of building in undeveloped sites is estimated to be approximately $50,000 per dwelling unit. This compares with $5,000 per dwelling unit at locations that are already served by basic utility, roadway, school and government facilities infrastructure.
Position
AIA Illinois supports policies that redirect subsidies for “greenfield” sites to areas that are already served by existing infrastructure. We cannot afford to use our limited tax dollars to underwrite sprawl.
Issue 7 – Transportation Choice
Issue
Approximately 89% of all trips in the U.S. are made in cars. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control found that neighborhood and transportation planning affected obesity rates, asthma and other health concerns.
Position
AIA Illinois supports government policies and funding decisions that promote a wider range of viable transportation choices including walking, biking, buses, and trains, especially for the young and elderly who cannot drive. Each of these travel options promotes more efficient use of fossil fuel energy than cars. Increased transportation choice can be achieved through community planning with close destination proximity connected by pathways or transit lines.
Issue 8 – Sense of Place
Issue
Many developing communities have little or no sense of “there” there. Places where people live, work, play and worship are enhanced by a feeling of character, substance and uniqueness.
Position
AIA Illinois supports mixed-use pedestrian/transit oriented development that reduces dependence on roadway infrastructure and increases sense of place in the community. Distinctive, compact communities with good access to open spaces allow for a sustainable, high quality of life for their residents.
References:
http://www.aia.org/walkthewalk
http://www.aia.org/susn_rc_default
http://www.aia.org/fiftytofifty
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