Wondering about Code Changes on Deck for 2024?
AIA California is Here to Help
Many of you are aware that 2023 was a momentous year for climate action and housing advocacy by AIA California. Members and our allies were successful in securing two significant changes to California building codes.
The first building code change reduces barriers to adaptive reuse—office to housing—through the adoption of several chapters from the International Existing Building Code (IEBC) into the California Existing Building Code (CEBC).
Adding these chapters introduces two new-to-California compliance paths for adaptive reuse projects—Work Area; and Performance. They join the Prescriptive path, already printed in the California code, but not officially adopted. Now, all three paths are officially available to design professionals, adding options to enable creative reuse of the existing building stock.
The second building code change addresses embodied carbon. CALGreen now addresses embodied carbon emissions in the construction, remodel, or adaptive reuse of commercial buildings larger than 100,000 sq feet and school projects over 50,000 sq ft.
Both areas of change take effect July 1, 2024.
AIA California is here to help members prepare for these changes. How?
AIA California has already begun identifying and co-hosting learning sessions, which will continue, to provide members with expertise through code experts, and/or relevant governing entities in terms of both CEBC and CALGreen.
A. California Existing Building Code Changes
Education related to newly adopted compliance pathways pertaining to adaptive reuse.
1. ICC Training Sessions
Why ICC? California Building Standards Commission altered California’s Title 24 Part 10 Existing Building Code (CEBC) by adding Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 13 of the International Existing Building Code (IEBC) into the 2022 CEBC.
B. CALGreen changes
1. CALGreen Embodied Carbon Webinar Series made in partnership with SEAOC
AIA CA and SEAOC’s Sustainable Design Committee have partnered to develop a webinar series on the CALGreen Embodied Carbon measures going into effect July 1, 2024.
These programs include essential information as well as case studies related to each CALGreen Embodied Carbon compliance pathway:
Adaptive Reuse [Work Area]Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) [Prescriptive]Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment, (WBLCA) [Performance].
The first of this series is coming up soon:
02.21.24 | 12:00P – 1:00P 1 LU|HSW / 1hr ZNCD MCE
CALGreen Embodied Carbon Series: Understanding the 2023 Embodied Carbon Amendments Register Here
We’ll inform you of additional sessions through Relevance, our Constant Contact emails, and on LinkedIn. So, open those emails!
2. If you use the AIA California’s popular CALGreen Check lists, please know we’ll be updating them.
