How to calculate occupancy for DIY art studio

[Yankee Chronicler]

Am I able to do this if my certificate of occupancy says that my occupancy group is M?

No. This is how you calculate the occupant load for a space housing non-separated mixed uses.

Your space is not, properly speaking, all occupancy classification M. The part where the art materials are being sold is M. The part where the people are using the materials is something else.

Consider, for example, a typical Barnes & Noble bookstore. Most of them have a cafe in one corner. The bookstore portion is an M occupancy. The cafe is an A occupancy. The cafes have tables and chairs, so the occupant load factor is 1 person per 15 s.f.

 

[paintpaint]

No. This is how you calculate the occupant load for a space housing non-separated mixed uses.

Your space is not, properly speaking, all occupancy classification M. The part where the art materials are being sold is M. The part where the people are using the materials is something else.

Consider, for example, a typical Barnes & Noble bookstore. Most of them have a cafe in one corner. The bookstore portion is an M occupancy. The cafe is an A occupancy. The cafes have tables and chairs, so the occupant load factor is 1 person per 15 s.f.

I am so sorry for all the questions, and I appreciate you taking the time to answer them. This is all very foreign to me. So the city would need to change my occupancy group? Can I have 2 occupancy groups listed for the same business?

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

I am so sorry for all the questions, and I appreciate you taking the time to answer them. This is all very foreign to me. So the city would need to change my occupancy group? Can I have 2 occupancy groups listed for the same business?

Occupancy classification is based on the use of the space, not the ownership of the business.

That said, if it's the assembly portion of your space that occuopies the 700 s.f. portion, you may fit under the following:

303.1.2 Small assembly spaces. The following rooms and
spaces shall not be classified as Assembly occupancies:
1. A room or space used for assembly purposes with an
occupant load of less than 50 persons and accessory to
another occupancy shall be classified as a Group B
occupancy or as part of that occupancy.
2. A room or space used for assembly purposes that is less
than 750 square feet (70 m2) in area and accessory to
another occupancy shall be classified as a Group B
occupancy or as part of that occupancy.

So if the painting section is under 750 square feet, it can be classified as part of the M occupancy. In that case, there would not be any change in the classification. However, the occupant load would still be calculated as I described above.

 

[Feanor]

Do you think there will be any downtime while this happens?

Will I remain an M occupancy while this happens? I don't understand at all how multiple function occupant loads work.

Your shop is and will remain Mercantile unless you change the whole use (i.e. you put a commercial kitchen, or you change to a vehicle oil change business). The only thing that will change is the occupant load, the egress requirements and the plumbing fixture count. Before you get your new certificate of occupancy you will have to bump up the shop's capacity given you created this paint area (assembly space).
Hope this helps.