We have a 5-story building over a basement (sloped site based on grade plane). The shoring wall establishing the basement level is a stand-alone design. The owner wants the entire structure to be constructed as wood-framed (costs / makes sense). Can this structure be entirely Type VA construction? Table 504.4 indicates "5" for a sprinklered building. What is confusing me is that since we are essentially building a 6th level (basement) out of wood-frame, would we need to change our Type of construction to IIIA (510.10)? Type IIIA comes with all sorts of restrictions as well (for our project mezzanines and a 12,000 gsf limitation for fire walls). Normally, we would just create a concrete podium (Type I) and build on top (Type V).....but having a stand alone shoring wall is offering us an opportunity to cut costs by creating a framed "podium"(?). Can we construct this building entirely as Type VA or do we still need to consider this a mixed construction type or Type III?