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Should apartments follow the residential energy code?

M

Michael Brown

SAWHORSE
Joined
Mar 27, 2017
Messages
38
Location
Covington, GA
We work through out the Southeast US and find that different jurisdictions treat apartments as either residential or commercial. I have studied and found what I conclude to be definitive reasons that apartments should be considered residential and follow the residential portion of the energy code. I plan to present this information where we are being asked to comply with the commercial code (diplomaticaly or course) but I wanted to post here to see if anyone has dealt with this issue before. The first part of my arguement is 1103.2 of the IMC which defines residential occupancies and includes apartments in that definition. The second part is C101.4.1 and R101.4.1 of the IECC which states that residential occupancies should follow the residential provisions. I know the AHJ still has the ability to enforce as they see fit. I am curious to see what anyone else is seeing.
 
It is in the definitions:

RESIDENTIAL BUILDING. For this code, includes
detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses as
well as Group R-2, R-3 and R-4 buildings three stories or less
in height above grade plane.

COMMERCIAL BUILDING. For this code, all buildings
that are not included in the definition of “Residential building.”
 
fatboy said:
It is in the definitions:

RESIDENTIAL BUILDING. For this code, includes
detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses as
well as Group R-2, R-3 and R-4 buildings three stories or less
in height above grade plane.

COMMERCIAL BUILDING. For this code, all buildings
that are not included in the definition of “Residential building.”
Click to expand...
Understood but the codes I am looking at are based on occupancy types and not building types. You can have residential spaces in commercial buildings and residential spaces in commercial buildings. The code appears to indicate that residential occupancies should follow the residential side of the code regardless of the building type. That is the basis for my question.
 
If it is three stories or less, you treat the residential space as residential, the commercial space as commercial. If it hits four stories you treat the entire building as commercial.
 
fatboy said:
If it is three stories or less, you treat the residential space as residential, the commercial space as commercial. If it hits four stories you treat the entire building as commercial.
Click to expand...
Where can I reference 4 stories and higher is all commercial? I would love to say because fatboy said so but that is not a very technical answer.
 
Michael Brown said:
Understood but the codes I am looking at are based on occupancy types and not building types. You can have residential spaces in commercial buildings and residential spaces in commercial buildings. The code appears to indicate that residential occupancies should follow the residential side of the code regardless of the building type. That is the basis for my question.
Click to expand...
This is very obvious and clearly written in the codes. Don't get building and zoning codes confused.
 
While I agree the energy code suck, in particular for mixed occupancies with residential...If it exceeds the limit for residential, it is commercial as it relates to the IECC....Maybe this section will help?

C101.4.1​

Where a building includes both residential building and commercial building portions, each portion shall be separately considered and meet the applicable provisions of IECC—Commercial Provisions or IECC—Residential Provisions.
 
J Helm said:
Where can I reference 4 stories and higher is all commercial? I would love to say because fatboy said so but that is not a very technical answer.
Click to expand...
The definitions have their own chapter in each code. That is where the definitions he pulled are located, the definitions section(s) of the IECC.
 
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