property line skylights, how to meet the code without a parapet

sometimes my blog posts might prove useful to other homeowners / architects / contractors. this post most likely will.

if you run into a situation where you want or need a skylight at your property line and you cannot install the code minimum height fire rated parapet there, read on.

the scenario:
we added on to the back of an R3 (single family) residence in san francisco. the addition was up against a neighboring property line. at the request of the neighbor, we agreed to minimize the height of the wall there by not having a parapet (you can do this by rating the roof for five feet instead where there is no parapet). we wanted skylights in that area to bring light into the addition, and the addition also had a deck at the roof, pushing the skylights to the perimeter. an initial read from a senior building plan checker was that they would allow a fire rated skylight there to accomodate the rated roof requirement.

the problem:
at a certain pitch off vertical, you can no longer claim that glazing holds their listed fire rating. it is easier for materials to restrain fire horizontally than vertically, for obvious reasons. there is no skylight system that has met any fire rating tests in a horizontal position (indeed there actually are no ASTM or UL tests out there for them to meet). to meet horizontal ratings, it must meet floor rating test methods, which then places it inside a type of assembly. there are glass floor systems now that meet rating tests for two hours, but i assure you these floor systems will exceed most budgets for this application, and i am unsure as to whether they can be used in an exterior application.

our solution:
we filed for a local equivalency, under san francisco's administrative bulletin, using AB-005. i would assume for those of you outside san francisco that you have a similar framework to work within. instead of trying to attempt the rated roof exception, there is another alternate in the code for R-2 and R-3 occupancies only. (section 705.11, exception 5) if the entire building has a minimum class C roof (again, not an issue in SF, which requires class A), you can forego the parapet with either non-combustible or fire treated structure for the roof for a minimum of 4 feet, or protect the deck and framing for that distance using gyp board. so we essentially said that a skylight made of noncombustible materials with fire rated glazing (tested vertically!) meets the intent of a noncombustible deck. we were made to use 90 minute rated glazing, but have since been told by the building official that they now would accept 60 minute glazing. the key here was to continually refer to the fact that the rating was tested vertically, and not refer to the skylights as having a listed fire rating. the skylights only needed to be considered non combustible, not rated.

side note for san francisco:
all of the building officials in SF are aware now that there is no such thing as a fire rated skylight and they will reject it outright. if the plan checker, for whatever reason, misses the skylight in the drawings, i assure you all field inspectors also know there is no such thing as a fire rated skylight and will reject it. the field inspector may say something along the lines of "your approval is for a fire rated skylight. what you are installing does not meet the requirements for a horizontal installation, therefore what you are installing does not comply with your approved plans."

road blocks:
to our knowledge, this is the first time san francisco has approved this equivalency. as such, we have had issues with all involved. the skylight manufacturer, even, has stalled in getting us an order going, throwing out caveats, voiding warranties (I now have finally overcome all of that with them). the field inspector, knowing this is a hot issue was flat out not going to approve it (that has now been ironed out). the plan checkers at the city have inserts in their own code books, as i am sure you are aware. the inserts are often sketches for various scenarios on many aspects of the code and what historically the department agrees to approve. they have sketches for skylights in roofs, given varying conditions, telling them what they can approve.

this now sets precedent (in san francisco at least) under the new code to allow skylights at the property line without a parapet for R2 and R3 occupancies.

24 hour rendering : inner sunset addition

cottage meets tower

an enormous thank you to our clients, jon and sharon, not only for the work, but for letting us share their story.

and a big thank you to sally mcgrane for wanting to write about this.

the story is online here

sliver sun shower

a very amateur attempt at time lapse, in an effort to capture the sun's path in the hayes valley remodel

if it isn't obvious...
no tripod
and a point and click was used

apartment converter

the architect's newspaper

jones | haydu is honored to be featured in the most recent edition of the architect's newspaper for their story on the burgeoning cafe scene.

here is the excerpt on us:


Photo by Matthew Millman
Coffee Bar
San Francisco
Jones | Haydu

In a neighborhood of industrial warehouses already in turnaround, Coffee Bar shows how you can put a corner loading dock to good use. The split-level space in San Francisco’s Media Gulch features a warm-hued swath of Douglas fir that first forms the bar, then travels up the wall and forms a shelf, then continues across the room to create the upper-level railing and seating area, where patrons can peer over their laptops to see who’s just come in. “It’s one long ribbon that ties everything together,” said Hulett Jones of Jones | Haydu. “We were intent on seeing how we could unify the space and create a communal feeling, while sticking to a strict budget.” The largish, 1,700-square-foot cafe has been very popular in the community, and the owners have embarked on a new venture—offering sommelier-led wine tastings. And for the connoisseur, there are gourmet dinners created by “nomadic kitchens,” including one of Ryan Farr’s first whole-pig fests.

for the full article click here

bayview residence addition and remodel

a sketch model walkthrough of a recently completed addition and remodel in the bayview neighborhood.

the addition is the tower at rear (seen at the beginning of the video)

we hope to photograph this project next week... more photos and news on this one soon.

hayes valley residence

here's a quick sketch model walkthrough of a project recently completed.

photos of the finished residence will be up on our website soon.

floating learning

a video of the EPFL rolex learning center in Lausanne, designed by SANAA

"you have to be creative to be a good scientist..."

transparent architecture (via scooby do technology)

a system of cameras and projectors makes walls somewhat transparent, allowing drivers to see what is around the corner.

alex roman's "the third and the seventh"

this is apparently 99% CGI.

gorgeous work

i highly recommend hitting "full screen"

The Third & The Seventh from Alex Roman on Vimeo.

tuning down the house

david byrne's amazing installation turning an entire building into a 'musical' instrument.

the user can sit and play an organ in the middle of the space.

instead of being connected to the standard pipes, the organ keys control various devices byrne has installed throughout the building, from hammers hitting steel, to engines to whistles, pipes, etc.

on top of the burj dubai

video taken from the top of the world's tallest skyscraper

light sabers

this came to me in an email with the line "even the most brilliant architects don't think about everything."

then again... maybe they DO.

the trefoil in christian symbolism is meant to represent God as a trinity.

perhaps God would like to be represented as something else.

"may the good lord shine a light on you

warm as the evening sun"

i asked concrete what it wanted to be

and it answered, "the roof of the kimbell"...

architecture + the city

Photo by Matthew Millman

I am proud to announce that jones | haydu has been chosen to be a part of this year’s “Architecture and the City” festival, sponsored by the A.I.A.

Along with our client, Coffee Bar, we will be part of the dining by design portion.

Click here for more information on the event and to sign up.

Click here for more information on the design of the space.

where to write that novel

coffee bar, designed by jones | haydu, made it into the best of '09 in san francisco magazine as the best place to write that novel

for more info/images on the design of coffee bar, click here

lake tahoe house back online

jones | haydu is very pleased to announce that the house we designed on lake tahoe is back online.

more info here.

bayview addition progress

just visited the addition in bayview. getting very close to finished. exterior siding is up, solar panels on the roof, etc...

coffee bar in 7x7

the cafe/restaurant we designed, coffee bar, tops the list of 7x7s 7 best coffee shops with free wi-fi

for more images/info on coffee bar click here