California Lab Codes

California Lab Codes: Navigating Conflicts and the Pitfalls of Prescriptive Mandates

Designing laboratories in California has always felt like navigating a maze of contradictory directives, and the newly introduced 2025 Title 24 energy code adds all new twists… like prescriptive reheat rules that nudge designers toward 4-pipe VAV systems. While lab-specific updates bring much-needed clarity for designers, they can also risk locking in energy-inefficient solutions and ignoring better alternatives.

This presentation digs into how California’s regulatory patchwork can lead to less optimal outcomes, especially if lab designers aren’t careful:

· The California Building Code (CBC) and Mechanical Code (CMC) misalignments and how they can lead to different interpretations.

· California’s lack of formal NFPA 45 adoption means safety, efficiency, and future flexibility often clash without a clear arbiter.

· How ASHRAE 90.1 and Title 24 have converged or diverged on several topics related to lab energy efficiency.

We’ll compare California’s approach to those elsewhere, spotlight the innovations buried in prescriptive codes, and raise the question: in chasing uniform approach or performance, are we compromising real progress for labs?

Speaker Bio:

Andrew is a licensed mechanical engineer in Arup’s LA office where he leads Arup’s Science sector across Southern California. Andrew has spent his 15-year career focused on designing and delivering a variety of complex laboratories and research facilities for a multitude of clients throughout the US, having spent time living and working in Boston, New York, and now for the last 5 years, California. He sits on the board of the local chapter for the International Institute for Sustainable Labs (I2SL) where he actively supports both local and national initiatives.

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