Basic Requirements Of Building | Essentials Required, For Building Your Own House

  

BASIC REQUIREMENTS OF BUILDING

Classification of buildings as per National Buildings Organization is dealt with in the previous article. Irrespective of the type of building, some of the terminologies and basic requirements for certain components of a building (discussed in the next article) are necessary to know which are discussed below.

Basic Requirements Of Building

 

Building Line

This is the line corresponding to the plinth (discussed in the next article) of a building that adjoins the street or extension of the street. As per the municipal regulations, a minimum distance has to be maintained between the building line and the nearest edge line of the street.

 

Set Back Line

This is a line usually parallel to the plot boundaries, marked by the municipal regulations beyond which nothing can be constructed.

 

Covered Area

This is the ground area covered immediately above the plinth level by the building.

 

Plinth Area

This is the built-up covered area measured at the floor level by taking the external dimensions of the building, excluding the plinth offset.

 

Floor Area and Floor Area Ratio

It is the plinth area minus the area occupied by walls, doors, openings, etc. The floor area ratio (FAR) is also known as floor space index (FSI) which is given as

FSI of a flat = Total covered area of all floors / Total plot area of the building

An FSI of 1.5 is nowadays allowed for flats in most cities.

 

Carpet Area

This is the usable area of a building. In a residential building, it will exclude verandah, bathrooms, staircases, etc., and is about 50–65% of the total area.

 

Building Height

The height of a building is its height above the ground level. For a flat roof construction adjoining a street, the height is defined as the vertical distance from the highest point of the roof of the building to the average level of the centre line of the adjoining street. For a sloped roof without gables, the building height is from the point where the external surface of the outer wall intersects the finished surface of the sloping roof (for the gabled roof, the reference point for height on the building is the mid-point between the eves level and the ridge) to the average level of the centre line of the adjoining street.

 

Room Height

It is the clear vertical distance from the finished floor surface to the finished ceiling surface. In case there is no finished ceiling surface, the underside of the joints or beams or tie beams shall determine the upper point of measurement.

 

Habitable Rooms

Any room which is occupied or designed for occupancy by one person or more persons for conventional usage is called a habitable room. The minimum height of these rooms should not be less than 2.74 m. The area of the habitable room shall not be less than 9.5 m2 with a minimum width of 2.4 m if there is only one room. If there are two rooms, one of these shall not be less than 9.5 m2 and the other of 7.5 m2 with a width of 2.4 m.

 

Bathroom

The size shall not be less than 1.5 m × 1.2 m or 1.8 m2 and the height shall not be less than 2.2 m. If it is combined with a water closet, the area shall not be less than 2.8 m² with a minimum width of 1.2 m.

 

Water Closet

The minimum floor area shall not be less than 1.1 m² and height 2.2 m. This does not include a bathroom. Privacy is needed with the arrangement for flushing the pan with water.

 

Balcony

This is a horizontal projection facing the open area including a handrail or balustrade to serve as the passage or sitting out place.

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