Design teams, developers, and anyone else doing design/construction in DC, read up; as of March 1, 2013 the District will implement the most current construction codes, issued by the International Code Council (ICC) by adopting the 2012 ICC Codes. Currently, the District is using the 2006 ICC Codes and typically incorporates new building codes every three years. However, instead of implementing the 2009 codes, they have decided to charge forward and incorporate the 2012 building code standards. DC Mayor Vincent Gray stated "by adopting the most recent ICC Codes, the District will be a national leader in requiring the most modern and sustainable building practices," according to a press release earlier this month.
One of the codes included in the latest ICC codes is the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) building energy code, that has incorporated a model building energy code targeted to improve energy consumption in both commercial and residential buildings by as much as 25% in commercial and residential buildings over the 2006 IECC, as highly noted by the Alliance to Save Energy. With the new code, commercial tenants and residents will inhabit healthier buildings/households while also saving money on utility bills.
This news comes only a few weeks after the U.S. Green Building Council announced DC as being the national leader of the most certified commercial and institutional building per capita.
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