Celebrating Building Safety!

Join the Planning and Development Service Department in celebrating Building Safety during the month of May! This month-long campaign recognizes all aspects of building safety and reinforces the need for the adoption and implementation of modern, regularly-updated building codes. These codes help individuals, families, and businesses by creating safe sustainable structures constructed in a manner that minimizes the risk of injury and property damage.

All communities need building codes to protect their citizens. Model building codes, adopted and enforced by well-trained, professional officials are society’s best way of protecting homes, offices, schools, stores, and entertainment venues.

The International Code Council identified four core themes that will be highlighted throughout the month of May.

The first weekly topic is dedicated to energy and innovation to ensure cities “plan for a safe and sustainable tomorrow.” Safety and sustainability in construction help address energy efficiency, building science, and innovation.

In conjunction with energy and innovation, building codes play a vital role in the construction of future-proofing communities. To fulfill this commitment, the City of Southlake recently adopted the 2021 International Building Codes to guide building safety and safeguard public health.

The International Codes, or I-Codes, are the most trusted source of model codes and standards. Decades of knowledge and experience guide the code development process to create safe, sustainable, and affordable communities, and a level playing field for builders, developers, and manufacturers. The I-Codes are updated and published every three years by the efforts of public safety officials through the code development process. The City of Southlake recently adopted ten (10) individual international codes, which include the energy conservation code, building code, residential code, fire code, plumbing code, mechanical code, fuel gas code, existing building code, swimming pool and spa code, and the property maintenance code.

Another major focus for building safety is resilience as it relates to how successfully infrastructure can adapt and/or recover from disastrous events. Construction of green and LEED (Leadership on Energy and Environmental Design) certified buildings help reinforce societal health, resiliency in natural disaster situations, and awareness of consumption and management. The City of Southlake currently has seven (7) buildings that were constructed in a green manner; one of those achieving full LEED certification:

• City of Southlake Department of Public Safety North (LEED Certified)
• The Marq Southlake (incorporates LEED components)
• Sabre
• TD Ameritrade
• Varisapce

To kickoff Building Safety Month, the Planning and Development Services Department made a presentation to City Council on May 3 to commemorate the occasion.

To learn more about Building Safety Month, please visit International Code Council’s website. For more information about Southlake’s best practices for building safety, visit our website or give us a call at (817) 748-8621.