Importance of meeting codes

I'm going to take a break from the more exciting side of design and look more at the less glamorous side of things. Codes are something that we must abide by as designers to meet the safety of the public. Codes vary from design to design and depending on what the design is and what codes are needed to make the design safe. I'm going to focus on fire safety in design. I had a little brush with fire this past weekend at my apartment and I think it made me realize that codes are more than the typical safety aspect that you might find when designing. I'm giving full credit to the designer of my apartment for keeping the whole building from going up in flames. Everything from the sprinkler system, the fire detectors and the FF&E kept it form getting out of control. In high density buildings, its important that you select materials that are fire proof and keep the fire from spreading. The carpet, mattress & furniture were all fire rated and kept the blaze from spreading around the room. Fire detectors are a must in every room no matter the size and shape. And while sprinkler systems are not the most fancy of things, its always important to have one installed  in a high density building. Without the sprinkler system, my room mates and I would have lost everything. Codes are something  that you must always look at as a positive design aspect. They save peoples belongings and lives. And as a designer, we have an obligation to keep the users health and safety at high importance at all times.