Image Courtesy of Achieve British Columbia
What is the Architect or Building Designer’s role in the new Access to Premises Standards?
May 2011 is fast approaching and with it what we understand to be the likely incorporation of the Access to Premises Standards into the DDA and the Building Code of Australia (BCA). The Standard includes a document called the Access Code ( referenced in Schedule 1 to the Standard). It is understood that this will replicate the provisions in the Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions of the BCA.
We are not sure of the politics in the rarefied Canberra air, but we suspect that the PCA, REIV, PCPMA etc are all still madly lobbying the ABCB and HREOC about the Standards? The PCA listed negotiating more cost effective disabled access reforms as one of their top 10 wins for the decade, so we would expect they are in there negotiating for trade offs / stage introduction. Maybe the % compliance Table with stage implementation dates is the trade off?
We currently have some significant projects at Building Design Compliance where the design will run through the May 2011 milestone. We are advising clients that they will need to have regard for these provisions in their proposed designs.
Interestingly, a word search on Architect or Building Designer comes up with only one reference (Clause A2.1),which we interpret to, exclude responsibility in the Access Code for specifying the responsibilities of an Architect. The effect of this provision is not clear. The more generic term of building designers and the responsibility of the designer for implementing these new requirements is buried “deep” in the definition of a building developer. The Standards say:
“A building developer, for a relevant building, is a person with responsibility or, or control over, its design or construction.”
Example: The following persons could be building developers for these Standards: (a) property developers; (b) property owners; (c) building designers; (d) builders; (e) project managers; (f) property lessees.
This is relevant in that a “building developer” is allocated responsibility for the application of the standards. Under Clause 2.2 it says:
It says in Clause 3.1:
“A building certifier, building developer or building manager of a relevant building (other than an existing public transport building) must ensure that the building complies with the Access Code”.
There is some relief apparent in the Table to Clause 3.1 which stages the introduction of the provisions in the form of % compliance. We have not been able to determine what this actually means. You may need to go to the seminars to find out. As we discover more we will let you know. There would seem to be a number of ways this could be applied?!?
Tags: Building Permits, Building Regulations, DDA, Disabled Access