On July 1st of this year, the 5th Edition of the Florida Building Code was initiated. With these code changes came a whole new set of hurdles for Florida designers and builders to tackle. One issue in particular has caused the local builder’s community to rally to action and with them TDS has taken up the charge to offer their design insight to the cause. The issue at hand deals with Fire Separation Distances and has put stricter fire protection regulations on any area of a residential home built within 5’ of the edge of the property line. This issue, which happens to be one of the strictest regulations of its kind in the country, affects areas of the home previously not requiring fire rated assemblies and thus there are very few tested and approved methods currently available to mitigate this issue. This has left the local builders in our area largely at a standstill as plans are consistently being denied permits and homes are being halted in the field while building inspectors and contractors alike are stumbling through these new regulations looking for a consistent interpretation and uniform solution to present itself.

At the Northeast Florida Builders Association (NEFBA) Codes and Standards Meeting as well as the Building Official’s Association of Florida (BOAF) First Coast Chapter Meeting, both held at the end of October, the builder’s community came out in large numbers and TDS was one of the few design firms present to help hammer out a strategy and discuss approved and efficient building practices that aim to help mitigate the drawbacks of these new code restrictions. The strategies TDS has already been implementing for their clients were validated by the Building Community as they worked together to gain clarity on all of the issues that have been holding up the home building process in the last few months. These meetings and discussions culminated with a large seminar scheduled by the City of Jacksonville Building Inspection Division.

Meeting as a group with a common goal in mind, the local builder community proved to be very hardworking and supportive. It was an honor for True Design Studios to be part of these discussions. TDS understands that when it comes to major issues that affect the building community, every aspect of the building process must be examined to create a solution. Home building is not an isolated endeavor. Many factors need to come together to build a product that is safe, efficiently constructed, and well designed. The TDS team is proud to have helped find a solution that the building departments and builders are currently agreeing on. TDS intends to continue to contribute to the builder’s community and find solutions for any future challenges. It is TDS’s mission to continue to grow as designers in the community. TDS is not a design firm that waits for solutions to present themselves. They intend to be ahead of the curve and continue to prove their value to builders and engineering partners by constantly refining their design process and practices.

By: Chad Horton