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Forum Categories BOMA 2017 - Office Buildings Question

Transfer elevator "lobbies"

Bretta Maldonado: Go Studio; July 11, 2023

I'm doing BOMA calculations for a 20 story high-rise that has a transfer elevator on the 19th floor to get to the 20th floor. We are using Method B. There are a few possible scenarios:

1. Same tenant leases both floors and transfer elevator "lobby" acts as occupant area.
2. The 19th floor is multi-tenant, but the transfer elevator lobby is within the suite that also leases the 20th floor and therefore the transfer elevator "lobby" still acts as occupant area.
3. The 19th floor is multi-tenant, but none of the suites are associated with the 20th floor and therefore the transfer elevator "lobby" is BBC.
4. Both floors are multi-tenant and the transfer elevator "lobby" is BBC on both floors.

I'm having trouble deciding what to do since Method B is not supposed to take current conditions into consideration. Leaning toward including both transfer elevator "lobbies" in BBC. Please advise. Thank you!

David Fingret: Extreme Measures Inc.; July 13, 2023

Hi Bretta,

It's hard to say exactly without seeing the plans, but BBC should be representative of the minimum required multi-occupant corridor configuration. If the elevator itself is an Occupant Void then you would not extend BBC to the the corresponding elevator lobby. If the elevator is part of the original Base Building Construction and normally a Major Vertical Penetration and its associated elevator lobby is normally common area (does this elevator exist on any other floors?) then you would most likely extend BBC to it.

Thanks,
David