Los Angeles Fire Department exploring alternatives to flat-topped skyscrapers

[M II A II R II K]

Change on the Horizon


08.23.2012

By James Brasuell



Read More: http://www.archpaper.com/news/articles.asp?id=6225

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At the request of Fire Chief Brian Cummings, Deputy Fire Chief Mark Stormes has assembled officials from the Fire Department and the Department of Building and Safety, local architects, and public safety consultants to report on possible changes to the regulations. Chief Stormes described the group as a “bunch of bright people with good ideas in the field of design and structural engineering,” who will hopefully “do away with the perception that we aren’t willing to listen.” The working group so far seems to be living up to its title, having already met on several occasions in recent weeks, with another meeting scheduled for the end of August.

- The working group grew out of an effort to overhaul the department’s 1970s code, a process that closed for public comment in June. According to the department website, the new code will be “less complicated for developers and users, and be more consistent with state code requirements and format.” Some city entities are already clearing the way for high-rise innovation in the hopes that the helipad requirement will be amended. The recently adopted Hollywood Community Plan (HCP), for instance, included policy LU.2.9.C, which asks planners to “Support architectural innovation and dynamic roof forms while balancing life safety issues in consultation with the Fire Department.” But the HCP can only make policy recommendations. Only a change to the fire code can allow this type of architectural innovation.

- In a more direct form of political pressure, Council member Jose Huizar, who represents most of Downtown LA, recently wrote a letter asking Chief Cummings to rethink the helipad requirement as the Fire Department updates the fire code. “Perhaps the process of adopting a new fire code presents an opportunity for the LAFD to modernize its approach to construction and consider amending policies to provide alternatives to the helipad/heliport policy,” wrote Huizar.

- The Fire Department reacted quickly to Huizar’s letter by forming the working group within two weeks of his request, but the department has yet to reveal its intentions. There are reasons to think that the requirement is likely to stay at least partly intact: Stormes’s explanation of his goals for the working group—“to blend the needs of incident commanders and the concept of roof top operations in the event of the rare incident where fire suppression systems and evacuation routes are compromised”—imply that at least part of the helipad requirement will survive changes to the code. The department has also already invested about $100 million dollars in helicopter technology and training, which it doesn’t want to go to waste.

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[vid]

Where is Library Tower in that rendering?

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by vid

Where is Library Tower in that rendering?

Hidden behind the new Wilshire Grand tower.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

i like the fact that they chose that angle to show how large this building will be, even though i love the library tower. friendly competition lol

The rooftop pool is gonna be amazing btw