2021年8月15日 · Structural Engineer here. 5 over 1 construction is the code limit for light wood framed construction. There’s a large construction cost bump to switch to steel/concrete (Type I or II) construction, so in many locations it doesn’t make sense to switch to Type I or II unless you can go extra tall to make up for the increased cost.

According to [Richard Mohler, an associate professor of architecture at the University of Washington], due to height limits and safety/fire requirements, most of these structures are what’s known as “5 over 1” or “one-plus-five”: wood-framed construction, which contain apartments and is known as Type 5 in the International Building ...

2022年7月8日 · You're quite correct. In February 2020, a 4 over 1 structure caught fire during construction. Fairfax County allows wood up to 4 stories. This was a very large fire, and the fire could be seen by the weather satellite. The development has since been rebuilt using the same materials, and it is almost ready for residents.

2015年5月25日 · Five-over-one doesn't come from the floors, but rather the construction materials! The wood frame construction is a Type 5 (in international building codes) and the concrete on the bottom is Type 1. Here's a short, fun video about them.

A 5-over-1 building could be 2 storeys, or 3, or 4, etc. We absolutely should have more mid-sized development in the city. 5-over-1 tends to be the most affordable way to build these but it doesn’t need to be the only way. Regardless, 3-6 storey apartment buildings like are common in Europe and even Montreal are seriously lacking.

Well, for one, 5 over 1's, or ig just extremely similar designs, idk if they'd use another fire hazard code, but whatever - can incorporate a floor or 2 of parking. Also, they create neighborhoods that are so much denser cars are less required.

IIRC, I believe 5 over 1 complexes are built to skirt common housing codes regarding fire safety. I believe that most 5 over 1’s use a wood frame because any more floors and they would have to use steel. Someone correct me if I’m wrong, I just remember hearing that somewhere.

2023年1月25日 · Building code is managed at a municipal level, if you don't want 5-over-1s change your code. It's not the builder's or architect's fault that every city smaller than New York just adopted the cookie cutter 'International Building Code', which is the basis for these buildings.

2021年9月23日 · 2.2K votes, 273 comments. 1.6M subscribers in the architecture community. A community for students, professionals, and lovers of architecture.

The real question is whether you’re willing to take the risk associated with those returns. I can tell you first hand it comes with the possibility of losing a lot of money. Believe it or not, a lot of these 5 over 1 resi deals are losing a lot of money right now. Those investors and developers may lose 100% of their money.