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Project Categories: Renovations - Educational and Institutional

A Group E Educational occupancy classification, as listed in BC 305 includes, but is not limited to day care for children, academies, and schools for children up to and including the 12th grade. For colleges, libraries and assembly spaces for 75 persons or more refer to the Mercantile, Business, and Place of Assembly Guidelines.

An Institutional occupancy classification, as listed in BC 308, generally includes buildings in which people are cared for or live in a supervised environment. Such people may have physical limitations due to health or age, may be receiving medical treatment, or are being detained for penal or correctional purposes.

The following are examples of the four Institutional occupancy classification groups:

Occupancy Classification I-1: Adult and assisted living homes, rehabilitation centers, community residences or intermediate-care facilities, New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH) sponsored community residences or intermediate-care facilities, enriched and halfway housing, and overnight facilities for children (maximum of two children under the age of two), which offer supervised residential environment on a 24-hour basis for persons capable of self-preservation. These facilities are usually Zoning Use Group (UG) 3 or 4.
Occupancy Classification I-2: Hospitals, adult homes, nursing homes, child care facilities (all children under the age of two), intermediate-care facilities, rehabilitation centers, and enriched housing, where a supervised medical, psychiatric, or personal care environment is present on a 24-hour basis for persons who are NOT capable of self-preservation. These facilities are usually Zoning UG 3 or 4.
Occupancy Classification I-3: Correctional and detention centers, prisons and jails, mental hospitals where patients are under restraint, and reformatories, which house more than 5 persons who are under restraint or security. These facilities are usually Zoning UG 8.
Occupancy Classification I-4: Custodial care or day nursery facilities providing care to more than two children under the age of 2, or to more than four persons over the age of 2 who are not capable of responding to an emergency situation without physical assistance from staff. These facilities are usually Zoning UG 3, 4 or 6.

Renovation of an Educational and/or Institutional Facility involves changes to an existing building for renovation, remodeling, or renewal of an outdated or damaged structure, or associated equipment and materials, which may include partial demolition and reconfiguration or replacement of interior partitions. Building renovations can also include the installation, repair or replacement of building systems, exterior façade, sidewalk vaults, etc.

Any construction on an existing building that requires the issuance of an amended or new Certificate of Occupancy or a new Place of Assembly Certificate of Operation must be submitted as an Alteration Project. Changes resulting in a major alteration to path(s) of egress require the issuance of a new Certificate of Occupancy per AC 28-118.3.3. Changes in the occupant load which are inconsistent with the existing Certificate of Occupancy would also mandate a new or amended Certificate of Occupancy per AC 28-118.3.2.

An Educational and/or Institutional facility renovation project could be a complete gut or a partial renovation of the building, provided no new Certificate of Occupancy is required, and may include:

Gut Renovation

Construction that renovates and/or remodels an existing building’s interior or exterior. Work typically consists of the complete removal or replacement of interior partitions and walls, the removal and replacement of ceiling systems, floor finishes, interior doors and frames, the replacement of plumbing, sprinkler, mechanical and electrical systems, modifications to existing structure and exterior wall systems, replacement of roof systems, windows and/or exterior doors, facade work, exterior wall insulation, cabinets (millwork), and re-painting.

Renovations & Build-outs of Educational and/or Institutional spaces

The improvement of portions of designated interior building space which may include several floors or portions of floors and may encompass:

Interior work with new or relocated partitions, doors, ceiling systems, floor finishes, exterior siding, and/or modification, additions, or repairs to a building’s plumbing, sprinkler, and/or electrical systems, and/or the upgrade, supplementing or replacement of mechanical systems such as hot water heaters, boilers, mechanical HVAC systems A/C unit and associated ducts, dampers, sleeves, piping and associated floor/wall sleeves for penetrations.
Exterior work such as the replacements of doors, exterior windows, roofs, exterior siding, and repair or replacement of exterior siding, etc..

Moderate Renovation

Construction renovation of a substantial amount of existing building space, but less than a gut renovation as described above.

Minor Renovation

Construction renovation to a small limited space within an existing building, that could consist of one or more of any items previously mentioned in these Guidelines.

*Project Notes:*

Renovation work could include the addition or modification of Building Systems projects. See Building Systems Project Guidelines.
Various renovation projects could be combined to form a larger project’s scope of work.
For Mixed Use Buildings, see Construction Project Guidelines relevant to that use; for example, refer to commercial guidelines for a physicians’ private practice in a building that is otherwise used for institutional.