Owning the Code: Classical Solutions to Common Code Problems

With Mason Roberts

On December 6, 2019, the ICAA held the 2019 Health, Safety, and Welfare in Traditional Design Day. As part of the day's series of lectures, the ICAA hosted Mason Roberts, designer at Robert A. M. Stern Architects, for an educational course about fulfilling modern building code requirements using classical design.

As modern-day building codes increase in complexity and scope, aesthetic problems have arisen that Renaissance architects could never have fathomed. Paradigmatic architectural forms and elements such as monumental steps, spiral stairs, handrails, exposed metalwork, the use of doorknobs, and leaded glass all face complications based on various code requirements. This course explores how contemporary classicists have embraced these as opportunities and developed solutions that meet and harmoniously integrate code requirements into building design. The course is structured around case studies of codes that present unique challenges and creative design solutions by architects that successfully address modern requirements without compromise to design quality.

Tags: video, lecture, education, classicism at home, video course, recorded event