ExAC Podcast | Examitect

ExAC Podcast | Examitect

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ExAC Podcast | Examitect episodes

  • S2 | EP057 - Accessibility: Who's Exempt and Why
    Accessibility provisions have a scope, and the exceptions need to be read with the same care as the requirements. We look at spaces and building types that receive different treatment and the reasons behind that approach. The discussion also considers the architect's role in making sure access is understood early and carried through into the design.
    3 min
  • S2 | EP056 - Washrooms, Room Heights, and Counts
    Washroom calculations begin with the use and population of the building. We look at water closet counts, fixture allocation, and the conditions around substitutions, alongside minimum room dimensions and heights. The episode also reinforces why national and provincial provisions need to be checked separately when familiar numbers from practice come to mind.
    4 min
  • S2 | EP055 - Elevators and Service Rooms
    Service spaces and vertical shafts connect parts of a building that otherwise need to stay separated. We look at elevator hoistways, service rooms, and chutes, and how their protection relates to the floors around them. The examples connect the everyday working spaces of a building to the broader job of keeping fire from moving between levels.
    4 min
  • S2 | EP054 - Types of Exits and Fire Escapes
    The code recognises several kinds of exit, and the names matter. We look at exit stairs, exterior routes, and the defined fire escape, along with the design details that make these routes usable. The episode also clears up common shorthand that can become misleading when an exam question uses a term in its precise code sense.
    4 min
  • S2 | EP053 - Exits: Width and Integrity
    Exit width handles the number of people moving through; the enclosure protects them along the way. We bring those two requirements together and look at the role of occupant load in sizing the route. The episode treats an exit as a continuous protected path, helping explain why a suitable doorway alone does not complete the design.
    4 min
  • S2 | EP052 - Exits: How Many and How Far Apart
    A useful exit needs to be reachable, and a second exit needs to offer a real alternative. We look at the number of exits, their separation, and the travel distance from points within a floor area. The discussion connects those distances to the risk that one fire could otherwise cut off more than one route.
    3 min
  • S2 | EP051 - When the Occupancy Changes the Rules
    A general floor-area rule is only the beginning when an occupancy has its own requirements. We explore how the code layers more specific provisions onto the common ones. A hospital corridor provides the example, showing how the needs of people and equipment can explain a dimension that would seem generous in another building.
    4 min
  • S2 | EP050 - Inside the Floor: Corridors and Guards
    Inside a floor area, safety often comes down to ordinary details. We look at public corridors, travel distance, guards, door hardware, and visible glazing, connecting the requirements to how people move through a building. These are the parts of code work that can feel routine until a small dimension or overlooked condition becomes important.
    3 min
  • S2 | EP049 - How Fire Ratings Are Tested
    Which side of an assembly is exposed during a fire test? We look at the different treatment of interior walls, exterior walls, and floors, and why that matters when assigning a rating. The examples show how an assumption about the direction of exposure can change the answer even when the assembly itself appears familiar.
    4 min
  • S2 | EP048 - The Two Limiting Distances
    Distance from the property line affects both the wall and the openings in it. We follow the measurements used in spatial separation and connect them to the relevant table families. The episode helps separate the question of wall construction and rating from the question of how much unprotected opening the design can accommodate.
    4 min

About ExAC Podcast | Examitect

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Prepare for all four sections of the Examination for Architects in Canada (ExAC) with the Examitect Podcast. Each episode breaks down official ExAC objectives into clear, easy-to-understand concepts…