HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.C.R. NO. 66 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 STATE OF HAWAII HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION requesting the state building code council to adopt, amend, or update the STATE building code to authorize point access block construction for residential buildings up to six stories in the state.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.C.R. NO. 66
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H.C.R. NO.
66
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII
HOUSE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
requesting the state building code council to adopt, amend, or update the STATE building code to authorize point access block construction for residential buildings up to six stories in the state.
WHEREAS, existing building code requirements effectively mandate a double-loaded corridor building, where two stairways both access a corridor in the middle of the building with units built on both sides; and WHEREAS, this generally results in most dwelling units in a double-loaded corridor building being single aspect, meaning daylight only comes from the single exterior wall with little to no cross ventilation; and WHEREAS, buildings with point access blocks are compact single stair buildings with dwellings that are centered around a stairway and elevator core and have a single point of access vertical corridor leading to the upper levels; and WHEREAS, point access blocks provide compact, low-carbon, and livable multifamily housing and offer a greater variety of architecture, as well as unit types and sizes, even on small urban lots; and WHEREAS, dwelling units in buildings with double-loaded corridors typically have smaller units, whereas floor plans for buildings with point access blocks tend to be very flexible, with a higher proportion of units ranging from two- to four-bedrooms; and WHEREAS, point access blocks offer greater floor plan efficiency, allowing developers to use a greater proportion of the structure for housing units and save money on the construction of extra stairways and connecting hallways; and WHEREAS, buildings with point access blocks provide better lighting and ventilation because dwelling units in these buildings tend to be situated either on a corner or have windows on opposite sides of the unit, which can reduce the use of air conditioning; and WHEREAS, with modern fire suppressant technology such as sprinklers, the devastating residential fires that prompted the building code to require a second access point decades ago are increasingly rare; and WHEREAS, nations with widespread use of point access blocks, such as Austria, France, and Germany, have much lower fire death rates than the United States; and WHEREAS, the City and County of Honolulu amended its building code to allow for point access block construction up to six stories; and WHEREAS, developing buildings with point access blocks presents an innovative solution to increasing the housing supply and can efficiently utilize the State's limited land area by creating compact buildings with environmentally friendly floor plans; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, the Senate concurring, that the State Building Code Council is requested to adopt, amend, or update the State Building Code to authorize point access block construction for residential buildings up to six stories in the State; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the State Building Code Council. OFFERED BY: _____________________________
WHEREAS, existing building code requirements effectively mandate a double-loaded corridor building, where two stairways both access a corridor in the middle of the building with units built on both sides; and
WHEREAS, this generally results in most dwelling units in a double-loaded corridor building being single aspect, meaning daylight only comes from the single exterior wall with little to no cross ventilation; and
WHEREAS, buildings with point access blocks are compact single stair buildings with dwellings that are centered around a stairway and elevator core and have a single point of access vertical corridor leading to the upper levels; and
WHEREAS, point access blocks provide compact, low-carbon, and livable multifamily housing and offer a greater variety of architecture, as well as unit types and sizes, even on small urban lots; and
WHEREAS, dwelling units in buildings with double-loaded corridors typically have smaller units, whereas floor plans for buildings with point access blocks tend to be very flexible, with a higher proportion of units ranging from two- to four-bedrooms; and
WHEREAS, point access blocks offer greater floor plan efficiency, allowing developers to use a greater proportion of the structure for housing units and save money on the construction of extra stairways and connecting hallways; and
WHEREAS, buildings with point access blocks provide better lighting and ventilation because dwelling units in these buildings tend to be situated either on a corner or have windows on opposite sides of the unit, which can reduce the use of air conditioning; and
WHEREAS, with modern fire suppressant technology such as sprinklers, the devastating residential fires that prompted the building code to require a second access point decades ago are increasingly rare; and
WHEREAS, nations with widespread use of point access blocks, such as Austria, France, and Germany, have much lower fire death rates than the United States; and
WHEREAS, the City and County of Honolulu amended its building code to allow for point access block construction up to six stories; and
WHEREAS, developing buildings with point access blocks presents an innovative solution to increasing the housing supply and can efficiently utilize the State's limited land area by creating compact buildings with environmentally friendly floor plans; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, the Senate concurring, that the State Building Code Council is requested to adopt, amend, or update the State Building Code to authorize point access block construction for residential buildings up to six stories in the State; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the State Building Code Council.
OFFERED BY: _____________________________
OFFERED BY:
_____________________________
Report Title: Point Access Blocks; State Building Code; State Building Code Council
Report Title:
Point Access Blocks; State Building Code; State Building Code Council