I am a long-time reader but a first-time poster. This forum is an incredible resource, and I am very glad to have all of your knowledge and expertise available.
I have a middle school wanting to build a detached gymnasium (basketball court, wrestling room, no classrooms) roughly 30' away from the main school building. My question for you all is whether you would apply section 303.1.3 and consider this building an E occupancy, or would you consider it an A-4 since it is detached? It is likely, but unconfirmed, that they will hold sporting events and band concerts here. Thanks in advance!
Section 303.1.3 seems rather straightforward but is actually not, so you have to look at it closely. For one, it states "a room or space" and not a building; thus, it should be interpreted to mean an assembly "room or space" that is ancillary to the main Group E occupancy can be included as part of the Group E occupancy. A building with predominantly assembly spaces should be classified as a Group A occupancy.
The IBC Code and Commentary supports this interpretation by stating, "It is worth mentioning, for these assembly functions to be considered part of the primary Group E occupancy, the assembly functions must be ancillary and supportive to the educational operation of the building." It further states,
"If the spaces are to be used for functions where more than the students and staff are in attendance, they would be classified into the appropriate Group A occupancy based on their specific function. [O]ften these school facilities are used for other functions such as a meeting of a community service organization or a community crafts fair. These types of uses fall outside of the intent of this section, and therefore such assembly spaces would need to be classified as Group A."