The International Code Council made an unpublicized deal with the National Association of Home Builders that has effectively blocked efforts to boost energy efficiency and structure resiliency in the ICC’s code development, according to a report in the New York Times.
The previously undisclosed written agreement guarantees NAHB representatives four of the 11 voting seats—enough to stymie certain new code provisions—on two committees that approve building code revisions, according to critics. This pact has helped enable the trade group to prevent changes that would have made new houses in much of the country more energy-efficient or more resilient to floods, hurricanes, and other disasters, the Times report says.
Before NAHB members gained seats on the energy committee, the energy efficiency of those building codes increased 32% over six years. After the homebuilders’ industry’s influence expanded, that number was less than 3% over the same amount of time, the Times report says.
NAHB officials say that the agreement is appropriate, given that its members are most impacted by the codes. Critics charge that the arrangement has thwarted important code provisions such as mandates for tougher foundations in flood-prone areas and measures to ensure that roofs were less likely to blow off during hurricanes.
Related Stories
Multifamily Housing | Apr 16, 2015
Seattle’s size restriction on micro apartments blamed for rise in rents
Seattle’s city planner recently said that the council’s new rules have made small apartments more expensive to build and charged the board with “overreaching” and not giving micro-housing “a fair shake.”
Green | Apr 16, 2015
New version of Building Energy Data Exchange Specification launched
BEDES is a dictionary that facilitates consistent exchange of building characteristics and energy use data between tools and databases in the building energy efficiency sector.
Codes and Standards | Apr 16, 2015
New York tops U.S. cities in walkability
Revitalization pushes Detroit and New Orleans up the rankings
Green | Apr 14, 2015
USGBC will recognize energy and water standards for the Living Building Challenge
This move means that projects achieving the energy and water requirements in Living Building Challenge will be considered as technically equivalent to LEED.
Codes and Standards | Apr 14, 2015
New York City preparing new codes for evacuation elevators
New York City’s Fire, Buildings, and City Planning Departments in New York are writing rules to govern occupant-evacuation elevators, reflecting a change in philosophy of how to evacuate people from skyscrapers in an emergency.
Codes and Standards | Apr 12, 2015
California imposes stringent new water standards
California is the first state to adopt standards that are more efficient than those set by EPA's WaterSense program.
Codes and Standards | Apr 12, 2015
Virginia surpasses Florida for strictest hurricane building codes
Virginia has edged out Florida as the state with the most stringent hurricane building codes, according to the Institute for Business and Home Safety’s “2015 Rating the States” report.
Codes and Standards | Apr 6, 2015
Industry groups petition for change order reform on federal projects
Nine design and construction associations ask for assurance that funds available for additional work.
Codes and Standards | Apr 6, 2015
DOE releases Better Buildings Workforce Guidelines
The guidelines are aimed at strengthening and streamlining commercial building workforce training and certification programs for workers in energy auditing, building commissioning, building operations, and energy management.
Green | Apr 3, 2015
Georgia may ban use of LEED on state buildings
Georgia's state legislature is considering a measure to require all state buildings to only use green building standards that permit the use of Georgia's lumber.