HI HR60

Request 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

Point access blocks are compact single-stairway buildings with dwelling units centered around a central stairway and elevator core, offering greater floor plan efficiency and flexibility compared to double-loaded corridor buildings

Point access block construction provides benefits including compact and low-carbon multifamily housing, higher proportion of larger units (two to four bedrooms), better lighting and ventilation, and reduced construction costs by eliminating extra stairways and hallways

Modern fire suppressant technology such as sprinklers reduces fire risks previously cited in building code requirements for second access points, and nations using point access blocks widely (Austria, France, Germany) have lower fire death rates than the United States

City and County of Honolulu has already amended its building code to allow point access block construction up to six stories, serving as a model for state-level adoption