NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Government’s pledge to introduce a new and progressive building code yesterday is “far overdue”, said Bahamian Society of Engineers (BSE) president Quentin Knowles.
Knowles urged the Davis administration to leverage the work already done towards that end and not reinvent the wheel.
The Davis administration has committed to “introduce a new and progressive Building Code to increase resilience in the face of Climate Change”.
Knowles said: “All I can say is that it is about time and far overdue. For instance, multiple administrations have been talking about updating the Bahamas Building Code for years, which was last published in 2003.
“Typically, such codes are updated every three to four years, primarily to stay relevant and up to date with the latest building practices and technologies. It is my understanding that currently there is an initiative in the Ministry of Works is looking to produce either a new or updated code, but I am not aware of what if any progress has been made.”
He continued: “Additionally, over the past few years, there have been efforts by the Bahamas Bureau of Standards and Quality to introduce several regional standards related to sustainable construction and development, energy efficiency buildings codes, sustainable tourism, etc.”
Knowles added: “Unfortunately, the pandemic may have stalled any momentum they may have had in this effort. It is encouraging however to see that the new administration appreciates and understands the need for such a program, and I hope they leverage all the work that has already been done, there is no need to reinvent the wheel.”
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