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DIVISION 12 – INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT
13-172-010 Scope.
13-172-020 Buildings on Same Lot.
13-172-030 Definitions.
13-172-060 Light and Ventilation Required.
13-172-070 Natural Light.
13-172-080 Artificial Light.
13-172-090 Natural Ventilation.
13-172-100 Mechanical Ventilation.
13-172-110 Ventilation of Special Spaces.
13-172-130 Courts and Yards.
13-172-140 Obstruction of Courts and Yards.
Where more than one building is hereafter placed on a lot, or where a building is placed on the same lot with existing buildings and the several buildings are treated as a single structure for the purposes of this chapter, adequate sources of light and ventilation shall be provided for all occupied buildings.
(Added Coun. J. 4-29-98, p. 66679, § 1)
The following words and terms shall, for the purposes of this chapter, have the meanings shown herein:
“Attic” means the space between the ceiling beams of the top story and the roof rafters.
“Court” means an open, uncovered and unoccupied space on the same lot as a building where such space is enclosed wholly or partly by buildings, walls or other enclosing devices (see Section 13-172-130).
“Court, Inner” means any court enclosed wholly by buildings, walls or other enclosing devices.
“Court, Outer” means a court extending to and opening upon a street, public alley or other approved open space that is not less than 15 feet (4,572 mm) wide, or upon a required yard.
“Court height” means the vertical distance from the lowest level of the court to the mean height of the top of the enclosing walls.
“Court width” means, as applied to an inner court, the least horizontal dimension; and, as applied to an outer court, means the shortest horizontal dimension measured in a direction substantially parallel with the principal open end of such court.
“Habitable space or room” has the meaning ascribed to the term “habitable room” in Section 13-4-010.
“Irregular or gore-shaped court and yard” means either a triangular (gore-shaped) or irregular air space surrounded by parts of a building on 2 or more sides and occurring either at grade or at an upper story.
“Multi-purpose room” means a room within a family dwelling unit which may be used as a study, office, multimedia room or other function normally associated with family dwelling occupancy, and which room is in excess of the essential family needs for living, dining and sleeping outlined in Section 13-172-060(c). Multi-purpose rooms shall not be used as bedrooms.
“Occupiable space” means a room or enclosed space other than in a family dwelling unit, designed for human occupancy in which individuals congregate for amusement, educational or similar purposes, or in which occupants are engaged at labor; and which is equipped with means of egress and light and ventilation facilities meeting the building provisions of this Code.
“Vapor retarder” means a material having a perm rating of 1.0 or less, such as foil, plastic sheeting or insulation facing, installed to retard the passage of water vapor or moisture through the exterior envelope.
“Ventilation” means the natural or mechanical process of supplying conditioned or unconditioned air to, or removing such air from, any space.
“Yard” means an unoccupied open space other than a court (see Sections 13-172-130 and 13-172-140).
(Added Coun. J. 4-29-98, p. 66679, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 9-14-16, p. 31143, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 11-9-16, p. 36266, § 26*)
* Editor's note – The amendment of Coun. J. 11-9-16, p. 36266, § 26 to this section did not take into account the amendment of Coun. J. 9-14-16, p. 31143, § 3, which renders the later amendment unnecessary.
(a) Light required. Every room or space intended for human occupancy shall be provided either natural or artificial light; provided however that all living, dining and sleeping rooms in family dwelling units; all patient rooms in institutional units; all guest rooms in hotels and motels; all day care centers offering care for children under 2 years of age; all class rooms or study rooms in Type 1 and Type 3 schools; and all habitable rooms in residential restrained care facilities shall be provided with natural light.
(b) Ventilation required. Every room or space intended for human occupancy shall be provided with natural or mechanical ventilation; provided, however that living, dining and sleeping rooms in family dwelling units shall be provided with natural ventilation. Natural ventilation shall not be substituted for mechanical ventilation in rooms or spaces where mechanical ventilation is specifically required in Chapter 18-13 or Chapter 18-28 of this Code.
(c) Multi-purpose room exemption. Notwithstanding paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, certain rooms in single-family and multi-family dwelling units in existing buildings constructed pursuant to a permit issued prior to April 1, 1998 may be considered multi-purpose rooms, and such rooms may be exempt from either the natural light or natural ventilation requirement if all of the following requirements are met:
(i) when either natural ventilation or natural light is not provided, the room(s) are provided with mechanical ventilation in accordance with Table 18-28-403.3 of this Code and artificial light in accordance with Section 13-172-080; and
(ii) the area of such undesignated room or rooms does not exceed 15 percent of the total floor area of the dwelling unit; and
(iii) any dwelling unit with a floor area up to 1,300 square feet has at least 1 bedroom, as well as areas or rooms designated for living and dining, in addition to the multi-purpose room(s); and
(iv) any dwelling unit with a floor area over 1,300 square feet has at least 2 bedrooms as well as areas or rooms designated for living and dining, in addition to the multi-purpose room(s).
Provided, however, that the exemption for multi-purpose rooms set forth in this subsection (c) shall not apply to any newly constructed building for which a permit was issued after April 1, 1998.
(Added Coun. J. 4-29-98, p. 66679, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 9-14-16, p. 31143, § 4; Amend Coun. J. 11-9-16, p. 36266, § 26*; Amend Coun. J. 9-6-17, p. 55278, Art. II, § 44)
* Editor's note – The amendment of Coun. J. 11-9-16, p. 36266, § 26 to this section did not take into account the amendment of Coun. J. 9-14-16, p. 31143, § 4, which renders the later amendment unnecessary.
(a) Lighting standards. In the application of the provisions of this chapter, the standard of natural light, unless otherwise specifically required by the building provisions of this Code for special occupancies and uses (described in Section 13-172-060), shall be based on 250 footcandles (2,691 lux) of illumination on the vertical plane adjacent to the exterior of the light- transmitting device in the enclosure wall and shall be adequate to provide an average illumination of at least 6 footcandles (64.58 lux) over the area of the room at a height of 30 inches (762 mm) above the floor level.
(b) Minimum glazing area. Every room or space intended for human occupancy shall have an exterior glazing area of not less than 8 percent of the floor area. Natural light shall be provided by glazing areas that open onto courts, yards or public ways which comply with the requirements of Section 13-172-130, or by other approved means.
(c) Borrowed light for remote rooms. Where natural light for rooms or spaces without exterior glazing areas is provided through an adjoining room, the unobstructed opening to the adjoining room shall be at least 8 percent of the floor area of the interior room or space, but not less than 25 square feet (2.33m2). The plane of the opening through which light is borrowed for a remote room without windows shall be parallel to the window wall. The exterior glazing area shall be based on the total floor area being served.
(Added Coun. J. 4-29-98, p. 66679, § 1)
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