Definitions H-N
IFMA:
The International Facility Manager’s Association.
IFMA Standard:
“The Standard Classification for Building Floor Area Measurements for Facility Management”, designated ASTM Standard E 1836-01.
Industrial Space:
Space suitable for industrial use, characterized by ceilings higher than 12 feet and interior finishes, HVAC, lighting and power unsuitable for office, institutional or retail occupancy.
ISO:
“International Organization for Standardization”. The US is represented at the ISO by ANSI, and ANSI distributes ISO standards in the US.
Laser:
Acronym for “Light Amplification by Simulated Emission of Radiation”. Lasers are used in some electronic distance measuring equipment to accurately measure distance between specific points on the measuring unit and visible surfaces up to 100 meters or more away, making it an ideal technology for building area measurement.
LDM:
Short for Laser Distance Meter, any of a class of laser based measuring tools that have generally made measuring tapes obsolete for the purpose of measuring interior space in buildings.
Lease:
The agreement between a landlord (Lessor) and a tenant (Lessee) detailing the terms of occupancy, rent payments and the like. Because it also defines the Premises, their rentable area, and often their measurement method, it is the most important document to read and understand before doing any floor area measurements.
Leasable Area:
Areas available for leasing to the use of a tenant. Measurement method is not defined by any published measurement standard and could be anything, including Gross Area, Rentable Area, or Usable Area.
Lighting Plan:
In commercial structures plan usually relies on a Reflected Ceiling Plan and provides locations of lighting elements, switches, lighting circuits, motion sensors, emergency exit signs, and other related information.
Load Factor:
A term similar to the BOMA R/U Ratio but not defined in the BOMA Standard. A 20% load factor means that 20% of a tenant’s Usable Area is added to that Usable Area in order to calculate Rentable Area.
Mezzanine:
A floor structure within the exterior walls of a building and between two floors, capable of supporting personnel, equipment, storage or manufacturing. The area of a mezzanine is limited by some codes in some occupancy’s to some fraction of the area of the floor immediately below. Refer to the BOMA Industrial Standard.
Mixed-use Development:
A property that accommodates different uses. Living over a store combining retail and residential uses is a typical example. It presents measurement challenges because of a lack of published measurement standards.
Multi-tenant Floor:
A floor on which the Usable Area is or can be leased to more than one tenant. On a floor with two tenants, its Usable Area gets subdivided three ways - two tenant suites and a common corridor that then becomes Floor Common Area.
NAHB:
The National Association of Home Builders.
NAHB Residential Standard:
“The American National Standard for Single-Family Residential Buildings/Square Footage–Method of Calculating”, published by the NAHB Research Center and carrying the designation ANSI Z765-2003.
Net Rentable Area:
Another word for Rentable Area. Some people also use this term to refer to Usable Area. This term is not defined in the BOMA Standards or any major published measurement standard. This term should not be used if the BOMA Standards are being employed.
Net Usable Area:
A term used in the REBNY Standard to describe the usable area available to a tenant on a multi-tenant floor, excluding corridors but including the thickness of exterior building walls.