LITERATURE REVIEW apartments

LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction:
An apartment, or flat, is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part
of a building. Such a building may be called an apartment building, especially
if it consists of many apartments for rent. Apartments may be owned by an
owner/occupier or rented by tenants.
In simple words apartment is the building in which accommodation is
provided for 3 or more families living independently of one another
Historical background:
High-rise apartment buildings had already appeared in ancient antiquity: the
insulae in ancient Rome and several other cities in the Roman Empire,
some of which might have reached up to 10 or more stories, one reportedly
having 200 stairs.
In Egypt, there were many high-rise residential buildings, some seven stories
tall that could reportedly accommodate hundreds of people. Al-Muqaddasi in
the 10th century described them as resembling minarets, while Nasir
Khusraw in the early 11th century described some of them rising up to 14
stories, with roof gardens on the top storey complete with ox-drawn water
wheels for irrigating them. By the 16th century, Cairo also had high-rise
apartment buildings where the two lower floors were for commercial and
storage purposes and the multiple stories above them were rented out to
tenants.
The 16th century Yemeni city of Shibam is made up of over 500 tower
houses,each one rising 5 to 11 stories high, with each floor having one or two
apartments. The city has the tallest mud buildings in the world, with some of
them over 30 meters (100 feet) high.
During the 19th century tenements became the predominant type of new
housing in Scotland's industrial cities, although they were very common in
the Old Town in Edinburgh from the 15th century where they reached ten or
eleven storeys high and in one case fourteen storeys. Built of sandstone or
granite, Scottish tenements are usually three to five storeys in height, with
two to four flats on each floor.
In 1839, the first New York City tenement was built, housing mainly poor
immigrants. The Dakota (1884) was one of the first luxury apartment
buildings in New York City. The majority, however, remained tenements. Some
significant developments in architectural design of apartment buildings came

out of the 1950s and 60s.

Apartments were popular in Canada, particularly in urban centres like
Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal in the 1950s to 1970s. By the 1980s, many
multi-unit buildings were being constructed as condominiums instead of
apartments, and both are now very common. Specifically in Toronto, high-rise
apartments and condominiums have been spread around the city, giving
almost every major suburb a skyline
The earliest apartment buildings were in the major cities of Sydney and
Melbourne as the response to fast rising land values. Melbourne Mansions on
Collins Street, Melbourne (now demolished), built in 1906 for mostly wealthy
residents is believed by many to be the earliest.
NEED OF APARTMENTS
Scarcity of land.
Higher land value
Inconveniency of services like water supply in individual level
Inconveniency of construction work in individual level.
security and privacy
Increase in population
migration to city
trend of parent-child unit eliminating the extended family concept

CHARACTERISTICS OF HIGH RISE APARTMENTS

Two entrances/exits, front and back
Laundry, water, heating, telephone, cable, electricity facilities common,
parking, air conditioner, extra storage, garbage disposed in trash containers,
provision of fire escape and lifts because of the no. of stories
Space must be simple and universal for variety of lifestyles
Balconies for asthetic purpose , visual extention of living space, outdoor
sitting area, green area, extra storage space

AMENITIES & SERVICES:

PUBLIC FACILITIES:
WATER SUPPLY
LAUNDRY AND DRIER
ELECTRICITY
SURFACE DRAINGE
GARBAGE AND DRAINAGE SYSTEM
PEDESTRIAN AND VEHICULAR LANE
COMMUNITY FACILITIES:
TELECOMMUNICATION
PARK AND PLAYGROUND
MULTIPURPOSE HALL
SECURITY
HEALTHCARE & RECREATIONAL SPA
COMMERCIAL FACILITIES:
MARKET & STORES
BANK
ENTERTAINMENT SECTOR
FACTORS AFFECTING HIGH RISE APARTMENTS:
Land topography: slope economics
Available materials/ technology: steel structure
Skilled manpower
Market situation: people to buy, available land
TYPES OF APARTMENTS:
A. According to vertical movement
1.Central corridor:
Most economical type of high-rise apartment. Max. Gross floor area with
minimum number of of stairs and elevators. Orientation as major factor for

light.
2.Point block
Point block is schematically a square or near square..Apartments are planned
along all sides in a ring pattern around the core. Its radial expansion is
limited. It can take many shapes (having own inherent limitations)
3.Multi core
A rhythm created with numbers of point block types. It is used to satisfy
variety of factors like site condition. It provides a sense of seclusion and
improved surveillance. Undeniably costlier than central corridor and point
block system
4.Exterior corridor system
Apartments can have two exteriors zones due to form of access. it is Logical if
use is in moderate climate as for cross ventilation. It is not an economical
type of housing-each apartment carries twice the amount of corridor cost of
central corridor scheme
5.Skid stop system
Skip-stop- apartment have 2-3 levels with half floor differences. It is two story
apartment with interior stairs. The Stair- the connector between various
levels plays a relatively minor role as an aesthetic element. There is two level
living space for an aesthetic pleasure.

B. According to design
1. Simplex apartments
Most common and simplest type.
All the components are in one level.
Size varies from Efficiency up to Multi-bedroom unit.
Simplex and most economic to built.
Simplified circulation.

 Planning can be followed in High-rise as well as in Garden Apartment.

More floor area due to corridors and stairs.
The type is usually blend with other type
2.Duplex apartments
located on two levels.
Living, dining and kitchen on one level and sleeping on upper level.
Separation of sleeping and living provides greater privacy.
elimination of corridor and elevator as the economic factor.
Both levels can have through ventilation.
Need of interior stair sever problem for handicapped and elderly people.
Has more prestige and values than other.
Expensive than conventional

3.Triplex apartments
Located on three different levels. Functions are similar to that of duplex type
Restricted to most luxurious hi-rise apartment.
Greater privacy and livability. Interior staircase most be provided

4.Efficiency apartments
One large space-living, dining, sleeping, kitchen and toilet.
Apartment for single person, newly married couple, elderly etc.

 Referred as STUDIO APARTMENT" when efficiency units increase.

Often less than minimum area is provided for subsidiary functions

c. According to no. of bedrooms

Single
Double
3 bedroom
4 bedroom

APARTMENT DESIGN PROCEDURES:

50 apartments in a block or above 10000 sq. m. process of getting
approval Town Development Committee byelaws (planning permit)
EIA (Environment Impact Assessment) takes 1 year to complete
All construction drawings submitted to Bhawan Biyag defend structural
analysis
High Rise Building Department of Aviation check the height of the
building (above 30 m)
Then only get the permission to construction pay taxes to municipality
This long process problems for developers bank loan interest rise in
price for buyers
Problem constructions without EIA no ownership certificate
BYELAWS
Minimum land area should be 2 Ropani
Maximum ground should be 50% of the total
FAR excluding old city areas should be: Terai : 1.5, Mountain : 2, Kathmandu
Core City: 3, Kathmandu Outer City: 3.5

 The main access road should have minimum width of

-4 m for 4 housing unit
- 4.5m for 10 housing unit
- 6m for 50 housing unit
-8m for 80 housing unit
-dead end can only be on straight road and the maximum length should be
100m
-the radius of driving curve should be 9m and the intersection curve of 2
roads have minimum radius of half the width of the road.
Open spaces for city areas of Terai: 40%, Mountain: 30%, Kathmandu Valley:
30%
Width of main gate should be minimum 4.5m.
REGION TERAI MOUNTAIN KATHMANDU
Front 8m 6m 6m
Back 6m 4m 4m
Side 6m 4m 4m

Minimum set back should be: Front: for Terai 8 m, Mountain 6 m,

Kathmandu 6 m , Back and Side: Terai 6m, Mountain 4 m, Ktm 4m
The distance between two blocks in the city areas of Terai, mountain and
Kathmandu valley region should be 6 m
Ground floor, basement or semi basement of these apartments should not
be used as housing purpose. If those ground floor, basement or semi
basement is used as lift well, electrical room, water tank then that area is not
counted in FAR.
Basic infrastructure like water supply, drainage should be fully equipped.
Lift, Fire escape stair, stand by generator, overhead tank (20,000 lit),
underground tank (50,000 lit) should compulsory provided.
Minimum parking area for a housing unit of area 80 m2 or more should
have a space for 1 car, 2 motorbikes, and 2 bicycles. For every 4 housing
units, area less than 80 m2 should have space for 1 car, 4 motorbikes, and 4

bicycles.
The height of a building cannot exceed, H = 2 x (a+b+c)

BYELAWS OF KATHMANDU VALLEY

MAX GROUND COVERAGE 50%
MAX FAR 3
MIN PARKING AREA 15% TOTAL LAND
MIN CIRCULATION 15% OF TOTAL LAND
MIN OPEN OR GREEN SPACE 20% OF TOTAL LAND
MIN SET BACK IN BOTH SIDE AND BACK SIDE 4M
MIN SET BACK IN FRONT 6M
MIN GAP BETWEEN 2 BLOCKS 6M
IF GROUND FLOORS BASEMENT OR SEMI BASEMENT IS USED FOR LIFTWELL,
WATER TANK, THEN AREA IS NOT COUNTED IN FAR
MIN WIDTH OF MAIN GATE 4.5M
LIFT OF ESCALATOR SHOULD BE PROVIDED FOR BLDG WITH HEIGHT MORE
THEN 17M
FIRE ESCAPE STAIR, STAND BY GENERATOR, OVER HEAD TANK OF CAPACITY
20,000LTRS AND UNDERGROUND TANK OF 50,000 SHOULD BE
COMPULSARILY PROVIDED