The New York City Department of Buildings is currently updating the City’s Building Code, which is one of the nation’s oldest and most comprehensive set of rules regarding construction in both new and existing buildings. Regulations adopted by New York City frequently inform model codes on the national and international levels.
As DOB wraps up the code update process for 2020, they are already looking forward to the next code-revision cycle. Accordingly, DOB is launching its first-ever Building Code Innovation Challenge, seeking ideas from the real estate and construction industries, as well as the general public, on practical steps the city can take to improve the safety of buildings and workers, and to modernize the construction process.
The New York City Department of Buildings is looking for your ideas on:
→ Improving worker safety
→ Identifying new regulations, plus finding regulations that are due to be phased out
→ Minimizing the effects of construction: noise, dust, vibrations, etc.
→ Creating innovative fire-resistant and construction techniques
→ Designing new fire resistant materials
→ Innovating façade inspections and repairs
→ Developing adaptive architecture
→ New regulations and ones that should be phased out
→ Facilitating design-build collaborations
→ Creating new takes on business processes to improve customer experience and become a more efficient
→ Incorporating Building Information Modeling (BIM) and other design innovations into the NYC Building Code
→ Developing safe work practices to continue preventing the spread of COVID-19
This competition will be led by DOB and its new Code Innovation Committee, comprised of both public and private sector stakeholders and chaired by the Department. Applications will be reviewed by the Committee and the Department. Five semifinalists will be selected. Semifinalists will be invited to present their ideas at DOB’s Build Safe/Live Safe Conference on September 25, 2020.
Finalists and the winner will be announced this fall. The winner will be considered for future opportunities, such as technical support and prioritized assistance with introducing their technology to NYC’s design and construction industries. The winner will also be featured in upcoming DOB industry seminars and events highlighting the new frontier of building and construction safety.
New York City has nearly 1.1 million buildings – and counting. Let’s hear your ideas for making these structures safer for residents, workers, and visitors alike.
