Building Code Council debates smaller dwelling-unit sizes, calls for public proposals

The Building Code Council on an administrative call discussed how to reduce statutory minimums for efficiency dwelling units after recent legislation and directed staff to begin rulemaking notices and solicit proposals. Dustin (staff) opened the item and noted members had before them a study from Paul Clark (Department of Health) and a design-and-code proposal from architect David Neiman.

Neiman, a partner at Neiman Tabor Architects, described his experience designing small-unit multifamily housing: "We are specialists in multifamily housing, and we have over the last 15 years, we've done a lot of work in small unit housing," and he said he based his proposal on the National Healthy Housing Standard, which "they recommend 70 square feet as as a minimum, room size for for a unit." Neiman showed plan diagrams comparing a conventional approach that counts a larger living/habitable area (commonly cited as 190 square feet under current state amendment language) with designs that measure a…