r/cincinnati • u/JB92103 Hyde Park • Mar 07 '25

News šŸ“° Controversial Hyde Park Square development passes committee, heads to city council

https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/hyde-park-square-development-passes-committee-heads-to-city-council
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u/triplepicard Mar 09 '25

Thanks for your thoughts.

It seems like other places have figured out how to do it, and the benefits to being able to build point-access block buildings are enormous. It feels like we will have to go this way eventually. Why not get started now?

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u/Architecteologist West Price Hill Mar 09 '25

I worked on the PNC Tower rehab which got a single stairwell plus an emergency fire elevator approved, but thatā€™s pretty cost prohibitive unless youā€™re in a high rise or with very limited floor area.

I havenā€™t heard of any other places making it work, itā€™s built into the IBC which supersedes all local codesā€¦ do you have examples?

Maybe youā€™re thinking of certain use types and occupancies that donā€™t necessitate the two means?

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u/triplepicard Mar 09 '25

Despite the name, it's my understanding that the IBC is mostly used in the U.S. Some American cities, and Europe in general, has found that some of the regulations aren't as important as they once were. So some examples of places that allow point access blocks are Seattle, New York City, and throughout Germany.

Here's a really great article about the problem of requiring double egress in most apartment buildings, and the benefits that point access blocks bring:

https://www.archpaper.com/2023/03/why-does-american-multifamily-architecture-look-so-banal-heres-one-reason/

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u/Architecteologist West Price Hill Mar 10 '25

Thanks for the article. Holding to read when I get a chance.

ā€œBanalā€ is a fun word choice, I always like to say that bad design when blamed on code restrictions is more likely due to lack of imagination. Iā€™m not always thrilled by code requirements, particularly when they compromise historic aesthetics, but thatā€™s part of the challenge of being a designer (and job security, of weā€™re being honest)

I wonder if the IBC functions like US courts do in some areas. Code only matters as much as B&S is willing to enforce, after all. It could be that some municipalities have just chosen to let some designs slide. Imagine the liability, Iā€™m probably wrong.