building code

Since the studio was built before live-work spaces were common, Therrien had to design his modest apartment as a “watchman’s quarters” in order to adhere to building code.

Ryers, who has a background in architecture, said she wanted to use her experience navigating building codes on large commercial projects to help people at the residential level.

“New fire safety standards in our building code have made it so new buildings are much safer overall,” she said.

The change to the city’s building code would, however, permit repairs, restoration efforts and even the replacement of existing homes, so long as the updates don’t exceed the original, damaged home’s square footage.

A plan check is a review of building plans and documents by the city for compliance with building codes, a requirement for most construction projects.