California IDEX Practice Exam

An interior designer is working on a restaurant project for a client in a small, existing, one-story building without a sprinkler system. The building was originally built for retail shops at a Type V-B construction with a maximum allowable floor area of 9,000 sf. The client wants to include several restaurants totaling 18,000 sf. To make this possible, the interior designer could recommend the client...

1. Change the building occupancy group

2. Install a more efficient HVAC system

3. Add a sprinkler system to the building

4. Reduce the number of restaurants

The correct answer is: Add a sprinkler system to the building

Recommending the installation of a sprinkler system makes sense in this scenario because it directly addresses the concern of exceeding the maximum allowable floor area for Type V-B construction. When buildings are repurposed for different uses, such as converting retail space to restaurant space, fire safety requirements often become more stringent, especially in terms of occupancy load. Adding a sprinkler system can potentially increase the maximum allowable area due to enhanced safety measures it provides. This upgrade allows the client to safely support larger occupancy groups, which is essential since the total desired restaurant space exceeds the original limit. While other options may have their merits, they do not directly resolve the occupancy and area challenge posed by the client's expansion needs. Changing the building occupancy group could complicate matters further and might not even be feasible without significant alterations or risks. The efficiency of the HVAC system, while important for the restaurant's operation, does not address the space limitations. Reducing the number of restaurants could be a practical approach but does not fully leverage the potential of the existing building if safety measures like a sprinkler system could accommodate the desired size.