The Seattle City Council passed new rules that new studio apartments in the city must measure at least 220 sf and contain at least two sinks.
Smaller “congregate units,” bedroom-sized apartments built in clusters with shared kitchens, will be allowed only in the city’s densest neighborhoods. These units may be as small as 70 sf as long as they come with a shared kitchen, usually for two to eight tandem units.
Developers opposed the law, saying it will make micro-apartments more expensive to build. Builders and some other proponents of high-density development argued that micro-apartment construction could help Seattle combat its housing-affordability crisis by boosting the city’s overall housing supply.
A popular city for recent college graduates, Seattle developers have tailored projects for this market in recent years. Multifamily builders have designed high-density housing projects with tiny units and shared common spaces, like game rooms and rooftop decks.
(http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2024716220_microapartmentsxml.html)
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Aug 31, 2020
Fenestration alliance updates fenestration sealants guide
First update to 2009 document.
Codes and Standards | Aug 25, 2020
Platform will allow researchers to test energy system integration at scale
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently launched the Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems (ARIES) platform.
Codes and Standards | Aug 20, 2020
Wariness of elevators may stymie office reopening
Workers could balk at returning to high-rises.
Codes and Standards | Aug 19, 2020
Existing laws may be restricting efforts to cut carbon emissions
Outdated policies favor fossil fuels.
Codes and Standards | Aug 18, 2020
Florida becomes the third state to adopt concrete repair code
Sets minimum requirements for design, construction, repair of concrete structural elements in buildings.
Codes and Standards | Aug 17, 2020
ASCE seeks comments on seismic standard
Pertains to design criteria for nuclear facilities.
Codes and Standards | Aug 13, 2020
COVID-19 reboot guide offers strategies for reopening K-12 schools
Looks at space considerations for reopening at different scales.
Codes and Standards | Aug 12, 2020
Document provides guidance for mass timber construction
Overview of Intl. Building Code requirements included.
Codes and Standards | Aug 11, 2020
Inefficient air conditioning is a key contributor to global warming
More efficient equipment and buildings could make a big difference.
Codes and Standards | Aug 10, 2020
Concrete Institute and Post-Tensioning Institutes expand partnership
Will collaborate on new structural post-tensioned concrete code requirements.
