Framingham council continues public hearing on opt‑in specialized building code to Nov. 18

The Framingham City Council on Oct. 20 heard a presentation about the state’s opt‑in specialized building code and then voted to continue the public hearing to Nov. 18 to allow additional review and participation.

Architect Lisa Cunningham, co‑founder and director of the nonprofit 0 Carbon MA, told the council the specialized code “only applies to new construction” and described it as a layered set of standards that sits above the base International Energy Conservation Code and the Massachusetts stretch code. Cunningham said the opt‑in specialized code “facilitates, but does not require the electrification of new buildings” by offering multiple compliance pathways, including mixed‑fuel options, and by requiring modest measures such as pre‑wiring for future electrification and a minimum rooftop solar requirement for some mixed‑fuel buildings.

Alexander Gard Murray, executive director of Passive House Massachusetts, spoke about the passive‑house compliance path the specialized code requires for larger multifamily buildings. He summarized the technical benefits and said verified passive‑house projects typically “use 40 to…