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Design+ Building code app benefits for designers

Table 4. (Continued)
Parameters/questions Themes Codes Example
Design process Design phase “Big focus in that class, related to codes, is doing a building code analysis...
where the students have already developed their design program and are, you
know, getting ready to sort of transition into the design phase of the project.”
Design development “Basic code research that will affect the conceptual forms, and then later on in
design development, when we ask them to do a wall section.”
Content ADA guidelines “I cover ADA so students can apply the ADA requirement in their project.”
Concrete codes “I use ACI 318, which is the concrete design code.”
Fire codes “In studio five, we talk about egress fire stairs.”
Occupancy codes “We talk about occupancy loads very generally.”
Plumbing codes “It’s so much in the beginning plan is more planning concepts about plumbing
fixtures.”
Structural codes “I use AISC 360 15 Edition, which is the steel design code.”
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Steel design codes “I use ASCE 7, and that is the Structural Building Code for loads on buildings.”
Energy conservation “So, we typically use the IECC, the International Energy Conservation Code.”
codes
Wall sections “We also look into a little bit on how that wall section, how the code is going to
affect the wall section.”
Building code exercise Introduction to Lectures “I just give a lecture of about 30 min.”
codes
Breakdown “So, I have kind of a markup to kind of pop out the equations that are used
from the code, and really. What is the intent of the code?”
Resources guidance “Walk them through where to find this information in the concepts...the
section in the IRC for this particular project, and I’ll show them where to find
that information.”
Terminology “We start with just kind of translating some of the terminology, because they
might read it, but they might not understand what they’re reading.”
Overview “We usually give them a brief because the code could be very daunting. There’s
a lot of information.”
Calculations Occupancy “Initially, it’s to get them used to identifying occupancies, occupancy loads,
and how that’s calculated.”
Plumbing fixtures “I’ll ask them to calculate the plumbing fixtures needed for the size of this
facility.”
Snowdrift “Then they’ll have a homework assignment that also calculates the snow drift
on our roof.”
Real-world Exercise “We actually ask them to look at an exit like egress, and just like walk through
applications the building in our own building and understand what the egress components
are, and then go back and read on the code.”
Private client “But if you were working for a client and it’s a private then you really, really
need to have a secondary entry and you need to follow so, you know, you need
to follow the code.”
Government facility “We’re the government, so sometimes we don’t follow the code to the letter.”
Design projects Elderly care “Program for all-inclusive care for the elderly, which is a program for older
adults that includes social services, a medical clinic, physical therapy, and
occupational therapy.”
Institutional kitchens “Kitchen appliances and the kinds of things that would be put in, institutional
kitchen that would be required by the fire Marshall, as well as the kind of
doors that can open and close in case of a fire in the kitchen.”
Hospitality "Third year. they do a full-scale hospitality, restaurant hotel project in which
they apply a lot of these codes, life safety and access issues, or access codes.”
(Cont'd...)

Volume 2 Issue 3 (2025) 12 doi: 10.36922/DP025190025