Read In:

Term of the Day: High Rise

June 26 2015   |   Proptiger

Term of the Day: High Rise

A high rise building is a tall building with multiple floors.

PropTiger Explains High Rise

Generally, high rises are buildings that are taller than seven or ten floors in which people use elevators to reach their destination. But, they are also defined in terms of linear height. High rise buildings are at least 75 feet tall often. In the United Kingdom and some European countries, they are also called tower blocks. They are also called multi-dwelling units (MDU) .

Depending on the country, they are buildings in which firefighting personnel cannot put out fire from outside the buildings using fire hoses and ladders. In India, the definition differs from city to city depending on the infrastructural capacity of the city, in firefighting, water supply, solid waste disposal, and sewerage. But, when buildings are taller than twenty stories or so, they are called skyscrapers.

High rises are built to create greater floor space on a plot of a definite area. They are constructed using steel, glass and concrete. High-rise buildings can be residential, commercial or mixed use. According to the law in India, any building above 7 feet needs two lifts and a fire-fighting system. 

Generally, upper floors are preferred in high rises because of better ventilation and view. People, who live in high-rises, have access to modern amenities inside the building and are often situated in neighborhoods that are close to schools, hospitals and shopping centers.

High-rises have been around for thousands of years, but living in them became feasible only in over hundred years, when power supply, safe elevators, and other amenities became common. Economists tend to agree that developing countries like India need high-rises and skyscrapers to shelter its growing population, and curtail crowding in its cities. Real estate in some parts of Delhi and Mumbai are more expensive than in cities like New York and London because governments do not allow redevelopment of land in urban areas where high-rises and skyscrapers could have been built. The government recently amended norms to allow high-rises in coastal areas of India by easing building height restrictions.  

Check out PropGuide's comprehensive guide to real estate terms here.

Blogs Related To High Rise

PropGuide Exclusive: Economist David Friedman Bats For High-rises In India To Make Homes Affordable

Sky Is The Limit: 10 Upcoming Highrises in India




Similar articles

Quick Links

Property Type

Cities

Resources

Network Sites