Approach to working with State of California and Local Agencies

LPAS has a very diverse practice that involves many different building types and market sectors, all requiring review and approvals from numerous state and local authorities having jurisdiction. We have extensive experience and knowledge of the procedures, systems and protocols of these authorities and we have developed and nurtured close working relationships with them. Our familiarity with these agencies is valuable to attain review and approval in a timely manner and for the ability to discuss and negotiate code interpretations.

California State Fire Marshal (SFM)

We are in regular contact with the California State Fire Marshal (SFM), as well as DSA Fire and Life Safety and the San Francisco Fire Department. We approach working with these agencies as another key member of our project team.

LPAS has a long history of successful projects and collaboration with the SFM and has a formal process and approach to working with the agency. During the design process we meet several times with the SFM so they are not surprised to receive a permit application and the design team is not surprised by any code issues. This process significantly reduces the number of resubmittals and ensures timely review. Additionally, we request that the SFM keep a record of all topics of discussion and agreements. When we submit our documents for plan-check we include a reminder that the SFM has these records on file.

Division of the State Architect (DSA)

LPAS has successfully closed out over 40 projects through the Division of the State Architect (DSA) and we have excellent relationships with several DSA offices and their respective reviewers and Inspectors of Record (IOR) for field observations and review.

Title 24

Always a proponent of smart, value-driven design, we have extensive expertise in Title 24 calculations. We are careful in considering all materials and systems, particularly the energy performance of glass as it affects Title 24 calculations and the selection of mechanical equipment. We treat Title 24 as a baseline minimum standard for all our projects. The majority of our projects exceed Title 24 standards, achieving LEED credits for energy conservation as well as public utility rebates.

For example, the Butte College Instructional Arts building designed by LPAS exceeds Title 24 by 48.5% and received a $82,228 rebate from PG&E’s Savings by Design program; the Butte College Student General Services building exceeds Title 24 by 28% and received a $43,366 rebate from PG&E.

We also have expertise with the CALGreen Code, HPI Program energy efficiency regulations, sustainable design guidelines, emerging technologies and Grid Neutral.