Travelling Codes: influence of code development between countries

8:00 AM to 8:30 AM Advocacy News
Featured speakers: Felix Zemel, Technical Director, DPS /BBRS, or Tom Riley, BBRS Staff
A report on codes and regulatory activities including the status of pending bills and Building Code / regulatory changes under review by the Governor's Office under Exec Order 562.
8:30 AM to 10:00 AM Presentation

Travelling Codes: Links Between the First US and New Zealand National Building Codes

Guest Speaker: Dr. Nigel Isaacs, Senior Lecturer, School of Architecture, Victoria University of
Wellington, NZ, Fulbright NZ Scholar

How did our National Building Codes get the way they are? This presentation explores the development of America’s first National Building Code and some of its subsequent evolution.

When Herbert Hoover became US Secretary of Commerce he established a "Building Code Committee" with a goal of improving the productivity of house construction. In July 1922 the Committee reported its “Recommended Minimum Requirements for Small Dwelling Construction.” This compact booklet was widely distributed and used. It provided material for ICBO's 1927 Uniform Building Code.

The US Building Code Committee also published a "Recommended Practice for Arrangement of Building Codes" on July 15, 1925 which provided the code outline used for the 1931 revision of BOCA's National Building Code and SBCC's 1945 Standard Building Code. Internationally when New Zealand reviewed its building by-laws in 1924, the US code (modified to suit NZ conditions) helped form the discussion draft. In New Zealand, the final recommendations were also widely distributed and generally adopted.

This presentation, based on research in progress, discusses the development of the 1922 & 1924 codes and key lessons to be learnt.

If any questions, please contact Drake Jacobs, Committee Chair

For those who qualify, 1.5 LU/HSWs are available.

To learn more about the Codes Committee, visit architects.org/committees/codes-committee

Click Register to attend.