# CBC 11A and minimum size of FHA "kitchen"



## Yikes (Feb 16, 2017)

*Background:*
I have an apartment/potential condo project that was designed a long time ago under the 2013 CBC and has been on hold for a while.  It was designed with accessible "flat" apartments on the ground level and townhomes (multistory units) on the upper levels.  This is an "elevator building" up to the town home entrances at the 2nd story. 
Now that the development is ready to proceed again, the 2016 CBC was updated to address subsequent FHA clarifications for accessible multistory units, including this:
*1102A.3.2, item 2: At least 1 kitchen shall be located on the primary entry level.*​Our previous design had an accessible entry, bedrooms, and bathroom on the primary entrance level.  The kitchen and living room is on the top floor, via internal staircases.

*Challenge: * Add 1 very small additional "kitchen" downstairs off the entry hall, without substantially changing the building design (which would cause loss of planning approvals.).  We woudl still keep the upstairs kitchen, so what follows is our attempt to jump through the hoops, so to speak, for the downstairs requirement.

*Solution - please tell me what you think:*
CBC 202 definition  of "kitchen" for access compliance is: _"a room space or are with equipment for the preparation and cooking of food"_.​The smallest thing that would comply with CBC 11A to prepare and cook food could actually look like a "wet bar" either off the entryway or inside the bedroom/den.  I concede that we are trying to find the smallest possible solution that meets the definition of kitchen for FHA and CBC 11A.

I think the smallest 11A wet bar / kitchen will look like this, perhaps tucked in under the stair:
- a 30" wide parallel-approach space for a sink (1133A.2.2), with two 15" wide storage drawers below.  The drawers would have (2) 15" breadboard inserts in lieu of an accessible countertop (1133A.4.3
- a convection/microwave oven within reach range, with parallel approach
- a 48" clear width in front of the counter​
There is no code requirement that a kitchen have a refrigerator or any other appliance.  The sink and breadboards and drawers meet the "preparation" requirement, and the microwave meets the "cooking" requirement.

Do you agree that this complies with code?  Do I need more?  Can I get away with less?


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## mark handler (Feb 17, 2017)

Refer to the definition of kitchen in chapter 2
2016 CALIFORNIA BUILDING CODE
KITCHEN OR KITCHENETTE. ] A *room, space or area* with equipment for the preparation and cooking of food.
Sanitation you need a Sink and microwave for cooking.
You do need to store the beer, so I would include the Frig.


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## ADAguy (Feb 17, 2017)

Careful with under stair placement, head height and fire?
Try IKEA


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## Yikes (Feb 17, 2017)

ADAguy, thanks for the heads-up (pun intended), but in this case I am referring only to the cabinets and sink countertop being tucked under the stairs, not the 4' wide maneuvering space


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