Part F5 Room heights

The Objective of this Part is to safeguard occupants from injury or loss of amenity caused by inadequate height of a room or space.

A building is to be constructed to provide height in a room or space suitable for the intended use.

A habitable room or space must have sufficient height that does not unduly interfere with its intended function.

(1) Compliance with F5P1 is verified where the height of a habitable room or space provides an appropriate activity support level that does not unduly interfere with its intended function.

(2) For the purposes of (1), the activity support level must consider the dimensions of—

1. doors, required exits, ramps, barriers, stairs and windows; and
2. fixed fittings and services; and
3. fixed and moveable equipment or furniture; and
4. occupant circulation spaces.

(1) Where a Deemed-to-Satisfy Solution is proposed, Performance Requirement F5P1 is satisfied by complying with—

1. F5D2; and
2. for farm sheds, Part I3.

(2) Where a Performance Solution is proposed, the relevant Performance Requirements must be determined in accordance with A2G2(3) and A2G4(3) as applicable.

(1) The height of rooms and other spaces in a Class 2 or 3 building or Class 4 part of a building must be not less than—

1. for a kitchen, laundry, or the like — 2.1 m; and
2. for a corridor, passageway or the like — 2.1 m; and
3. for a habitable room excluding a kitchen — 2.4 m; and
4. in a habitable room, or space within a habitable room, with a sloping ceiling or projections below the ceiling line—
   1. in an attic — a height of not less than 2.2 m for not less than two-thirds of the floor area of the room or space; and
   2. in other rooms — a height of not less than 2.4 m for not less than two-thirds of the floor area of the room or space; and
5. in a non-habitable room, or space within a non-habitable room, with a sloping ceiling or projections below the ceiling line — a height of not less than 2.1 m for not less than two-thirds of the floor area of the room or space.

(2) For the purposes of (1), when calculating the floor area of a room or space, any part that has a ceiling height of less than 1.5 m is not included.

(3) The height of rooms and other spaces in a Class 5, 6, 7 or 8 building must be not less than—

1. except as allowed in (b) and (8) — 2.4 m; and
2. for a corridor, passageway, or the like — 2.1 m.

(4) The height of rooms and other spaces in a Class 9a health-care building must be not less than—

1. for a patient care area — 2.4 m; and
2. for an operating theatre or delivery room — 3 m; and
3. for a treatment room, clinic, waiting room, passageway, corridor, or the like — 2.4 m.

(5) The height of rooms and other spaces in a Class 9b building must be not be less than—

1. for a school classroom or other assembly building or part that accommodates not more than 100 persons — 2.4 m; and
2. for a theatre, public hall or other assembly building or part that accommodates more than 100 persons — 2.7 m; and
3. for a corridor—
   1. that serves an assembly building or part that accommodates not more than 100 persons — 2.4 m; or
   2. that serves an assembly building or part that accommodates more than 100 persons — 2.7 m.

(6) For the purposes of (5) the number of persons accommodated must be calculated according to D2D18.

(7) The height of rooms and other spaces in a Class 9c building must be not be less than—

1. for a kitchen, laundry, or the like — 2.1 m; and
2. for a corridor, passageway or the like — 2.4 m; and
3. for a habitable room excluding a kitchen — 2.4 m.

(8) The height of rooms and other spaces in any building must be not be less than—

1. for a bathroom, shower room, sanitary compartment, other than an accessible adult change facility, airlock, tea preparation room, pantry, store room, garage, car parking area, or the like — 2.1 m; and
2. for a commercial kitchen — 2.4 m; and
3. above a stairway, ramp, landing or the like — 2 m measured vertically above the nosing line of stairway treads or the floor surface of the ramp, landing or the like; and
4. for a required accessible adult change facility — 2.4 m.