Introduction

What is Building Planning????

¨ Building planning is the arrangement of various component or
unit of a building in a systematic manner so as to form a
meaningful and homogeneous structure to meet its functional
purpose
How is it done????
¨ The following considerations are kept in mind while planning
for a building
¤ People and their requirement
¤ Climate and its effects
¤ Building bye-laws of the locality
¤ Materials and method of construction
 Types of Buildings
¨ The National building Code (NBC) of India classifies the
buildings into nine groups according to the use or character of
occupancy as:
1) Group A: Residential buildings
2) Group B: Educational buildings
3) Group C: Institutional buildings
4) Group D: Assembly buildings
5) Group E: Business buildings
6) Group F: Mercantile buildings
7) Group G: Industrial buildings
8) Group H: Storage buildings
9) Group I: Hazardous buildings.
 RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
¨ The buildings which are provide with sleeping accommodation for
normal residential purposes, with or without cooking or dining or
both the facilities except any building classified under Group C
(Institutional buildings). The buildings of Group A are further sub-
divided into five groups as follows:
¨ Sub-group A-l : Lodging or rooming houses: Any building or
group of buildings under the same management, provided with
separate sleeping accommodation for a total of not more than
15 persons, on either transient or permanent basis with or without
dining facilities, but without cooking facilities for individuals, are
included in this sub-group.
¨ However a lodging or rooming house is classified under sub-group
A-2 if no room in any of its private dwelling unit is rented to more
than 3 persons.
 RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
¨ Sub-group A-2: One or two family private dwellings: This sub-
group includes any private dwelling which is occupied by members
of a single family and has a total sleeping accommodation for not
more than 20 persons. If sleeping accommodation for more than 20
persons is provided in any residential building, it should be
classified under sub-group A-3 or A-4 as the case may be.
¨ If the rooms are rented to the outsiders, it should be for
accommodating not more than 3 persons.
¨ Further a dwelling can be further classified under the following six
different types:
Detached houses Apartment or flats

Semi-detached houses Duplex type of apartments

Row of houses Skyscrapers

 RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
¨ The house may consist of single tenement or a number of
tenements (In housing parlance “tenement” means a family
unit).
 Sub-classification of Sub-group A2

¨ Detached house: It is the usual tendency of any family to have

a house surrounded by its own land. This has led to the
formation of detached houses. The design of a detached house
can be made by considering the individual requirements of the
family to be accommodated in that house. Suffiient margins
are left on sides, front and rear. It may also include amenities
such as private garden, swimming pool, etc. A detached house
permits the highest form of residence and it is applicable at
places where land prices are comparatively low.
Ground floor plan and Site plan
(DETACHED HOUSE)
 Contd…
¨ Semi-detached houses: A common boundary wall in the form
of structural barrier divides an independent plot into two units.
Such a construction helps in securing many advantages of the
detached type of houses and in addition, economy may be
achieved by sharing expenses of common amenities such as
water lines, drainage lines, electric cables, etc.
¨ Row of houses: For providing reasonable accommodation to
the laborers or workers, a row of houses with minimum
requirements such as living room and kitchen, may be
constructed. It may be single-storeyed or two-storeyed. The
row-housing yields more net residential density and it is
preferred for the low-income group of families.
Ground floor plan and Site plan
(SEMI-DETACHED HOUSE)
Ground floor plan and Site plan
(ROW OF HOUSES)
 Contd…
¨ Apartments or flats: Due to tendency of migration by village
population to cities, there is a considerable rise in the price of
city land and hence, it has become practically impossible even
for the higher class of the society to have a detached house in
a thickly populated city area. This has led to the concept of
apartments or flats.
¨ An apartment or a flat consists of three to ten storeys and
each floor or storey may accommodate two to six flats or
apartments. The idea of ownership flats is becoming popular
day by day in big cities. The land and other common amenities
appurtenant to flat are shared by all the occupants. The
individual flat owner has no future scope either of vertical or
horizontal
Ground floor plan and Site plan
(APARTMENT)
 Contd…
¨ Duplex type apartments: Duplex is an apartment having
rooms on two adjoining floors connected by an internal
staircase. It is a one type of modern lifestyle having split
levels. In such houses living room, family room, kitchen, dining
room and bed rooms are located at different levels. Along
with good elevation split level has advantages of privacy,
more air and light and more internal space with the vertical
movement from adjacent levels of only half the height of floor to
ceiling.
¨ Skyscrapers: The growing need of land and consequently
sudden shooting rise in price of land in big cities further led to
the conception of multi-storeyed buildings or as they are
popularly known as skyscrapers.
Ground floor plan and First floor plan
(DUPLEX TYPE APARTMENTS)
Picture of Duplex House
¨ Sub-group A-3: Dormitories: This sub-group includes any building
in which group sleeping accommodation is provided, with or
without dining facilities, for persons who are not members of the
same family, in any one room or a series of closely associated
rooms under joint occupancy and single management. E.g. guest
house’s dormitories, school and college dormitories, military
barracks, etc.
¨ Sub-group A-4: Apartment houses (Flats): These include any
building or structure in which living quarters are provided for two,
three or more families living independently of each other and with
independent cooking facilities.
¨ Sub-group A-5: Hotels: These include any building or group of
buildings under single management in which sleeping
accommodation, with or without dining facilities, is provided for
rent to more than 15 persons who are primarily transient, E.g.
hotels, inns, clubs and motels.
GROUP B: EDUCATIONAL BUILDINGS
¨ Any school, college building or day-care centre used
for educational purpose for more than 8 hours a
week involving assembly for instruction, education or
recreation and which is not covered by Group D
buildings (Assembly buildings)
GROUP C: INSTITUTIONAL BUILDINGS

¨ These include any building or part thereof, which is used

for purposes like medical or other treatment or care of
persons suffering from physical or mental illness, diseases
or infirmity, care of infants, aged persons, etc.
GROUP D: ASSEMBLY BUILDINGS
¨ Any building or part of a building like theatres, assembly
halls, drama theatres, auditorium, museums, exhibition
halls, restaurants, places of worship, dance halls, club
houses, air terminals, sports stadium, gym, skating rinks
etc.,. Where group of people gather for amusement,
recreation, social, religious, patriotic, civil, travel or other
similar purposes are included in this group.
GROUP D: ASSEMBLY BUILDINGS
¨ Any building or part of a building like theatres, assembly
halls, drama theatres, auditorium, museums, exhibition
halls, restaurants, places of worship, dance halls, club
houses, air terminals, sports stadium, gym, skating rinks
etc.,. Where group of people gather for amusement,
recreation, social, religious, patriotic, civil, travel or other
similar purposes are included in this group.
 GROUP E: BUSINESS BUILDINGS
¨ Any building or part of a building which is used for the
transaction of business (other than that covered by building
in Group F: MERCANTILE BUILDINGS), for the keeping of
accounts and records and similar purposes, barber shops,
beauty parlors, lunch counters serving less than 100
people, is included in this group.
 GROUP F: MERCANTILE BUILDINGS

¨ This sub-group includes any building or part of

building, which is used as Shops, Offices, Store's,
Markets, Showrooms for display and sale of
merchandise, either wholesale or retail.
 GROUP G: INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS

¨ This sub-group includes any building or part of a building

in which products or materials of all kinds and properties
are fabricated, assembled or processed. These include
assembly plants, gas plants, refineries, dairies, textile mills
and saw mills.
 GROUP H: STORAGE BUILDINGS
¨ This group includes any building or part of a building
which primarily used for the storage or sheltering (including
servicing, processing or repairs incidental to storage) of
goods, wares or merchandise except those that involve
highly combustible or explosive products or materials,
vehicles or animals. These include warehouses, cold
storages, freight depots, transit sheds, store houses, truck
and marine terminals, garages, hangers (other than
aircraft repair hangers), grain elevators.
 GROUP I: STORAGE BUILDINGS
¨ This group includes any building or part of a building
which is used as storage, handling, manufacture or
processing of highly combustible or explosive-materials or
products which are liable to burn with extreme rapidity
and/or which produce poisonous fumes or explosions or
which are highly corrosive, toxic or noxious alkalis, acids
or other chemicals producing fame, fumes and explosive,
poisonous, irritant gases or which require any material
producing explosive mixtures of dust or which result in
division of matter into fine particles subject to
spontaneous ignition.
 Structural system of a building
¨ Building is an assemblage of two or more components which
are interrelated and compatible. Each component is essential
for the required performance of a building. Building
components like walls, floors, roofs, windows and doors are
interrelated and compatible with each other.
¨ According to the structural system there are three types of
buildings
¤ Load bearing structures
¤ Frame structures
¤ Composite structures
 Comparison between Load bearing
walled structure and Framed Structure
S.No Conventional load bearing walled Framed structure
structure
1 Almost all the walls are load bearing None of the walls are load bearing. .
walls. They serve the same purpose as
partitions or screens.
2 Almost all the walls should be provided None of the walls are provided with any
with foundations. type of foundations. Walls do not go
below the plinth beam.
3 Load bearing walls are taken deep into Only columns are taken deep into the
the subsoil for foundations. subsoil and are provided with
foundations.
4 Walls are usually constructed of bricks Columns supporting beams supporting
or Stones slab are all of R.C.C.
5 Any load bearing wall should have a Exterior walls subjected to weathering
minimum thickness of 200 mm elements are generally 200 mm thick. All
other walls can be 100 mm thick or even
thinner.
 Comparison between Load bearing
walled structure and Framed Structure
S.No Conventional load bearing walled Framed structure
structure
6 In a multistoried building for every wall in There is no such necessity. As none of
the floor above there must be a the walls are load bearing, every floor
corresponding wall in continuation in the may have walls independent wall of the
floor below to support it. one below it.

7 In a multistoried building the thickness of These walls do not take the load and
the wall increases as we descend from a need not be thicker. The wall may
floor above to one below it. not even continue in the floor below.

8 A load bearing wall when once The walls of a framed structure can be
constructed shall remain in position and displaced at will as they are lighter
should never be dismantled in full or part. and non load bearing.
 Comparison between Load bearing
walled structure and Framed Structure
S.No Conventional load bearing walled Framed structure
structure
9 In a multistoried building for every wall in There is no such necessity. As none of
the floor above there must be a the walls are load bearing, every floor
corresponding wall in continuation in the may have walls independent wall of the
floor below to support it. one below it.

10 A load bearing wall when once The walls of a framed structure can be
constructed shall remain in position and displaced at will as they are lighter
should never be dismantled in full or part. and non load bearing.

11 This type of construction does not favor The space between the columns can
too many openings for windows, doors, remain as open space as the case with
ventilators etc.,. in the ground floor as multistoried residential flats where the
required for show room etc.,. as the load ground floor is left with no walls for
bearing length of wall is considerably easy parking of vehicles.
reduced.
FUCTIONAL
PLANNING
OF
BUILDINGS
 Introduction
¨ The functional planning is a pre-requisite of any type of
building. Good planning imparts good environment for living,
working and recreation. Good homes means the houses which
are well built and well planned for efficient and comfortable
living, with an environment required for building up of happy,
healthy, beautiful, cheerful and peaceful lives.
¨ Thus functional planning of buildings in general involve
¤ Principles of Site selection
¤ Site plan
¤ Planning regulations and Bye-laws
¤ People and their requirements
¤ Materials availability and methods of construction
¤ Orientation
 Principles of Site Selection
¨ For good planning and designing of buildings, the site selection
of the building is the most important. The following general
principles should be kept in mind while Selecting a site for a
building:
¤ The purpose of the building and extent of privacy is desired.
¤ The site should be located in fully developed or fast developing
locality.
¤ The site should be located in such a way that community services
like police and fire protection, clearing of waste and street
cleaning, utility services like water-supply, electricity, drainage,
etc., amenities like school, hospital, market, cinema, bank, etc.,
shopping facilities and means of transport are also available
within short distance.
¤ Before selecting a site, one should study the bye-laws of the
local authority, which before restrictions regarding proportions of
plots to be built up, open spaces and margins to be left in front
and sides, heights of buildings etc.
 Contd…
¤ Area of plot should be such that the building constructed on
it meets the requirement of the owner, after following certain
restrictions of local authority.
¤ Shape of the plot should be not be irregular or not having
any sharp corners.
¤ The site should be situated on an elevated place and also
levelled with uniform slopes from one end to the other to
provide good and quick drainage of rain water.
¤ The soil of the site should be good enough with high safe
bearing capacity to provide economical foundations.
 Site Plan
¨ The site plan is a layout showing location of the are
belonging to the building or property under consideration.
It should be prepared before construction of the building
and should include the following details:
¤ The shape of the plot and the boundary of the plot with all
exterior dimensions.
¤ Setback line at the front, back and sides.
¤ Any permanent boundaries or marks if any existing on site.
¤ Type of existing street or road along with its name and width
should be indicated.
¤ Grade elevations at the corners of the plot and at the corners of
the house should be indicated by means of contour lines.
 Contd…
¤ Size and location of detached garage or toilet block if any.
¤ North line and wind direction should be indicated clearly.
¤ Width and type of footpaths, if any.
¤ Zoning and restrictions for the building should be mentioned.
¤ Location of fire hydrant should be shown.
¤ Size, location, type and details of gas line, underground
drainage line, man-holes, connection to public sewer, water mains,
ventilating pipes, electric cable lines, etc. should be indicated
clearly.
 Factors on which Principles of
Building Planning is based upon
¨ Planning on building depends on
¤ Its functional object and requirements
¤ Its component parts, their sizes and the relationship between the
different rooms
¤ Shape of the plot – Regular to irregular
n If regular square – Length to breadth ratio less than 1.2 or oblong
¤ Topography
n Levelled
n Plain plan
n Steeply sloping
¤ Climatic conditions of the place
¤ Its location and neighbourhood
¤ Rental value
¤ Bye-laws
 Essential factors of principles of
planning
¨ The factors or principles which govern the theory of planning
are as follows:
1) Aspect
2) Prospect
3) Privacy
4) Roominess
5) Grouping
6) Circulation
7) Sanitation
8) Flexibility
9) Elegance
10) Economy
11) Furniture requirement
12) Practical considerations
Theory of Principles of Building
Planning
 ASPECT
¨ The manner of arrangement of rooms or peculiarity of arrangement
of doors and windows in the external walls of the building to draw
maximum advantage from sun and wind is termed as “Aspect”.
¨ The arrangement of doors and windows in external walls of
buildings with allow the occupants to receive and enjoy nature’s gifts
as sunshine, breeze and beauty of landscape and at the same time
protecting the inmates from their ill effects.
¤ A room which receives light and air from a particular direction is
said to have aspect of that direction.
¨ A building must be designed to suit the site with all its varying
aspects which gives
¤ Cheerful atmosphere

¤ Comfort

¤ Hygienic condition
Aspects of different rooms of a
residential building
 PROSPECT
¨ It is to enrich the outside view i.e., elevation or end-view
created by prominently exposing the better constructed and
better looking portions and the same time concealing from the
view any undesirable ones.
¨ Prospect must not only make outer appearance attractive, but
also maintain qualities such as comfort, cheerfulness, security. It
must also prove a good investment.
¤ The outside appearance can be improved by attractive planning,
providing bay windows and utilization of good landscape or
seascape.
Bay windows for enriching outside view
Desirable and Undesirable Elevation
Desirable / Undesirable prospect
 PRIVACY
¨ Privacy is the screening provided for the individuals from the
others. It is different from seclusion.
¤ If the residential buildings lack in respect of privacy, it is
deplorable fault which cannot be compensated even at a host of
other merits.
¨ Privacy can be
¤ Privacy of sight as needed in bath rooms, water closets etc.,.
¤ Privacy of sound as need in confidential discussions and in study
rooms
¤ Privacy of sight and sound as required in a bed room
¨ Privacy is broadly classified into two types:
¤ Internal Privacy
¤ External Privacy
Disposition of doors and mode of
hanging shutters
 Internal Privacy
¨ Internal privacy is the privacy within the building. It is achieved by
¤ Proper grouping of rooms as bed, dressing and toilet; kitchen and dining
etc.,.
¤ Careful planning of entrance and circulation space.
¤ Better disposition of doors and windows and mode of their hangings.
¤ Internal or external partitions, screens, curtain walls, dwarf walls provide
privacy.
¤ Providing buffer area between the other rooms and bed rooms.
¤ Vertical segregation of rooms i.e, by providing Drawing, Dining, Kitchen
and Toilet rooms in ground floor and Bed & Toilet rooms in the first floor.
¨ Some examples include
¤ Locating the doors at one corner rather than at the middle.
¤ Bed room should not be used as a passage or vestibule.
¤ Planning such that Doors open into the rather than outside, which provides
more privacy.
Buffer area between bed room and
other rooms
 External Privacy
¨ External privacy is the privacy of whole building with reference
to the surroundings and roads.
¨ External privacy can be achieved by:
¤ Having a compound wall to a height of 1.35 m to 1.5 m.
¤ Planting of trees along the compound walls which acts as sound
barriers and sight barriers as well.
¤ Providing ground glass windows and ventilators. Venetians have
the advantage of offering privacy as well as air circulation.
Ground glass venetians offer light as well.
¤ Providing screen walls, curtain walls and dwarf walls on veranda.
¤ Planting creepers along the boundary fencing or growing shrubs
 FURNITURE REQUIREMENTS
¨ The architect should bear in mind the furniture requirements of a
room or space in a structure.
¨ For instance, the plans of library buildings, schools, hotels, etc.
should also show the layout of furniture so that the number of
persons to be accommodated can be easily worked out.
¨ In the same way, every room of a residential unit has to
perform certain function for which necessary furniture pieces
are required.
¨ It should be seen that placing, type, size and extent of such
furniture pieces do not obstruct doors, windows and the
circulation space.
 FURNITURE REQUIREMENT
¨ One of the most important requirements of a building planner, is to
know how much space is needed by each function in a particular
building.
¨ It can be computed on the basis of permanent furniture to be used
in that room as the furniture dimensions are standardized.
¤ Dimensions of furniture to be used in that room is known. Hence,
arranging furniture in that particular room keeping clearance for
circulation, dimensions of furniture can be finalized.
¤ Hence, while planning a building, furniture arrangement must be shown
to justify the size of a room. Room areas are not related only to
furniture sizes, but also to their arrangement.
¤ A different layout if arranged in the same space may not be equally
efficient. Hence, planning of a room depends on the number of users and
on its furniture and equipment.
 ROOMINESS
¨ It simply means spaciousness. It is the general feeling created
after a room is well-furnished with all the permanent furniture
(as beds inside a bed room) as spacious and well-planned.
¤ The room dimensions should be such that the maximum use of a
room having minimum possible dimensions can be made.
¤ It means the accomplishment of economy of space, at the same
time avoiding cramping of the plan.
¤ Some rooms may create the impression of being crammed with
furniture, whereas some others may create a tunnel-like feeling as
we enter. A square room has no advantage and a rectangular
room of the same floor area gives a better outlook.
¤ Let us look at a simple illustration.
 Contd…
¨ Generally, a breadth-to-length ratio of 1:1.2 to 1:1.5 is
desirable. When the length exceeds 2 times its breadth, it
creates a tunnel-like effect i.e., a feeling as when one is inside
a long tunnel.
¨ Similarly height also plays an important role. A large room
with less ceiling height will give very bad impression, and a
small room with large ceiling height will induce an cavernous
effect.
¨ Hence, room should have all proportional dimensions.
 Contd…
¨ Some points of improving / controlling roominess are
¤ It can be increased by providing built-in-utility of space in
a room cupboards to accommodate furniture, especially
furniture of an easy-folding nature and lofts.
¤ The space under the landing of stairs can be used for
storage.
¤ By providing collapsible partition screens, the appearance
of a long room with in-proportionate length and breadth
(like drawing-cum-dining room, which is likely to have more
length compared to breadth) can be improved.
¤ Position of doors, circulation space, cupboards controls the
roominess.
¤ Light colors create the effect of more space, whereas dark
colors make the room look smaller. Hence, a combination of
light and dark colors for the same room will apparently
reduce the effect of less width and more length.
 GROUPING
¨ Grouping is the planning of two or more related rooms in
proximity of each other. It minimizes the circulation and at the
same time improves the comfort, privacy and convenience of
the Inmates of the house.
¨ Grouping varies according to the type of a building.
¨ The following points are to be considered while planning
residential buildings:
¤ Verandah adjacent to the drawing room has its own advantage.
When the visitors are more in number they can be accommodated
on the verandah. The furniture from the drawing room should be
distributed through the minimum length. Strangers can be
received on the verandah itself.
 Contd…
¤ The dining room close to the kitchen permits an easy serving of
dishes in the desirable state i.e., hot or cold. Further the odors and
smoke of kitchen are kept off from other rooms, bed and drawing
rooms in particular.
¤ The bed room, toilet and dressing room may be grouped
together for better privacy.
¤ The bath room and water closet should be nearer to each other.
This saves the length of the water supply pipe. Besides, these two
rooms require water and storage vessels, when the supply is
intermittent. They also collect waste water blended with the body
wastes whose disposal is to be done in an hygienic manner.
¤ Kitchen should be nearer to the backyard and the doors and
windows are so located that the housewife can have a free
unobstructed sight of the children playing in the open space or in
the drawing room.
 Contd…
¤ If more than one bedroom is provided, they should have an
easy access to the drawing and dining-rooms.
¤ Staircase should be centrally located and easily accessible
from all the rooms.
¤ The water-closet should be away from dining-room and this
is mainly to get privacy of sound and the psychological
feeling of being away from the sanitary place.
 CIRCULATION
¨ The term circulation or access or internal throughfare is used to
mean the link between the various rooms and floors of
buildings. The proper provision of circulation makes the
building comfortable and convenient. The circulation of the
building is of two types:
¤ Horizontal circulation: If the circulation is on the same floor, it is
known as horizontal circulation and it includes passages, corridors,
halls and lobbies. All such means of horizontal circulation should
be sufficiently lighted, well ventilated, straight, definite, independent
and short to grant comfort and convenience to the users. They
should not intrude upon the privacy of individual rooms and cause
any obstruction. However, these spaces can be fruitfully utilized
for providing shelves, closets etc., if the situation so permits.
 Contd…
¤ Vertical Circulation: For achieving access to the upper floors,
stairs or staircases or lifts are provided. Even in case of multi-
storied buildings accommodating electrically operated lifts, stairs
or staircases are provided for use in an emergency such as power
failure or fire occurrence. Thus stairs or staircases still remain as
the only unfailing means of vertical circulation. All stairs and
staircases should be well-designated and they should satisfy the
minimum requirements regarding layout, treads, risers, width,
pitch, headroom, light, landings, handrail and ventilation.
 Contd…
¨ Circulation should neither affect the privacy of a room nor
interfere with utility space.
¨ Window-shutters should never flung open into the passages
particularly when people are in motion.
¨ No stationary object is to be situated on a corridor or
verendah.
¨ As a general rule of thumb horizontal circulation may constitute
about 20 % to 25 % of the plan area of a residential
building.
¨ Similarly for veritical circulation about 8% to 10% of the plan
area is earmarked.
Worst Planning of Circulation diagram
 ECONOMY
¨ As a matter of fact, the economic factor is not one of the
principle of planning. But in actual practice, if the architect is
unable to control his scheme within the financial limit of the
client, the project miserably fails.
¨ It is, therefore, of utmost importance for an architect to know
well in advance the amount the client intends to spend for the
project and advance the amount the client intends to spend for
the project and accordingly, he should proceed to finalize his
scheme.
¨ For this purpose, the detailed accurate estimate for the total
investment in the project should be carefully worked out and if
the occasion demands, necessary additions and omissions
should be suggested to bring down the total investment within
permissible adjustments.
 Contd…
¨ The factor of economy definitely affects the planning of the
architect and as such, no definite rules can be framed to attain
economy.
¨ But the practical knowledge and experience of the architect
plays an important role in preparing an economical project
under given conditions and circumstances.
 ELEGANCE
¨ The term elegance is used to indicate the architectural effect
produced by elevation in relation to width, height position of
doors and windows, materials employed in construction of
exterior walls, etc.
¨ The result of elegance is aesthetics and without the aesthetic
sense, the elevation will be devoid of elegance.
¨ For creating elegant structures, it is necessary to understand
clearly the principles of architectural design and composition.
 FLEXIBILITY
¨ The plan of the building should be prepared by keeping in
mind the future requirements.
¨ In fact, the design should be such that with minor adjustments, it
becomes possible to satisfy future needs when the occasion
arises.
¨ It is desirable for an architect to prepare a master plan of the
project and the progress can be achieved stage by stage. Such
a practice will smoothen the process of flexibility without any
serious difficulty.
 SANITATION
¨ As a principle of planning, the term sanitation is used to mean
architectural hygiene and it includes broadly the following four
components:
¤ Cleanliness: The accumalation of dust is injurious to health and it
allows the growth of bacteria and spread of disease. It is
therefore necessary to have a very plain treatment for the
interiors of rooms and provision of ornamental mouldings.
Skirtings, cornices etc.,. Should be made in such a way that they
can be easily cleaned.
¤ Lighting: The provision of ample light is of primary significance
as it serves two purposes, namely, for illumination and for
granting hygienic conditions. The lighting in the interiors of
buildings may be provided by the following three types:
n Natural lighting
n Assisted Natural lighting
n Artificial lighting
 Contd…
¨ There should be sufficient and uniform distribution of light and
direct glare should be avoided. The glare not only distracts
but it also disables the vision. The provision of vertical windows
is preferred to horizontal windows of same area.
¨ The artificial lighting may be sub-divided into two categories:
¤ General lighting: The light is diffused as much as possible over the
room and it is for general movement or for rest and conversation.
¤ Localized or concentrated lighting: The light is provided with
greater degree of illumination over a limited area for the purpose
of writing, reading, dressing, etc.
It should however be noted that the requirement of lighting are
different for different types of buildings.
 Contd…
¨ Sanitary units: These include sanitary conveniences such as
water closets, bathrooms, urinals, toilets, etc. They should be
provided with suitable flooring materials so that they can be
easily maintained clean.
¨ Ventilation: Sufficient number of windows and ventilations
should be accommodated to facilitate renewal of fresh air. It
is desirable to provide cross-ventilation for structures like
schools, hospitals, factories, etc.
The concept of ventilation indicates sensation of comfort, reduction in
humidity and proper supply of oxygen. If ventilation is bad, it leads
to nausea, headache, sleepiness, etc.,
The ventilation may be achieved by natural means or artificial means.
The natural ventilation is achieved due to forces set in motion by
heat of sun. The artificial ventilation is made available through air-
conditioning.
 Concept of Cross-Ventilation
¨ Cross ventilation (also called Wind Effect Ventilation) is a natural method
of cooling. The system relies on wind to force cool exterior air into the
building through an inlet (like a wall louver, a gable, or an open window)
while outlet forces warm interior air outside (through a roof vent or higher
window opening). Modern natural ventilation systems help increase the flow
of cool air coming in and assist the hot air going out. This increases building
air flow naturally.

Cross-ventilation (bottom images) is more effective

than ventilation that does not pass through the whole space (top images)
 Contd…
¨ It is generally best not to place openings exactly across from
each other in a space. While this does give effective
ventilation, it can cause some parts of the room to be well-
cooled and ventilated while other parts are not. Placing
openings across from, but not directly opposite, each other
causes the room’s air to mix, better distributing the cooling and
fresh air. Also, you can increase cross ventilation by having
larger openings on the leeward faces of the building that the
windward faces and placing inlets at higher pressure zones
and outlets at lower pressure zones.
BUILDING
BYE-LAWS
 Introduction
Why require Building bye-laws in the first place ?
¨ If certain rules and regulations are not made, house owner may
construct residential building as per his whims and fancies ignoring
certain basic features connected with amenities, ventilation and
privacy of the inmates and with no regard for privacy, safety and
security of neighbors and public at large at times even exceeding
fair limits of decorum, decency and dignity.
For example: A dilapidated house, a slanting compound wall or an
ill maintained well or septic tank nearer to the neighborhood may
prove dangerous and detrimental to neighbors and any road user.
Hence, rules and regulations which largely regulate the building
activity should be formulated to get disciplined growth of buildings
and the better planned development of towns and cities.
 Contd…
¨ Minimum provisions designed from National Building code by Town
planning authorities, Urban development authorities and
Municipalities, to protect the safety of the public with regarding to
structural sufficiency, fire hazards and health aspects are called
Building Bye-Laws.
¨ The building bye-laws also cover aspects of administrative
regulations, general building requirements, fire protection
requirement, materials and structural design, rules for design,
rules for design of electrical Installation, lighting, air conditioning
and lifts, for Ventilation, acoustics and plumbing, sanitation and
gas supply, measures to ensure Safety of Workers and Public
during construction, requirements for greenbelts and landscaping
and rules for erection of signs and outdoor display structures.
 Contd…
¨ The national building code has been published in 1970 by BIS
to maintain uniform building regulations throughout the country
for the guidance of Government departments, Municipal
bodies, Urban development authorities and other construction.
¨ Thus the National Building code is a single document in which
the information of BIS is presented in a systematic, cogent,
coherent and continuous form.
¨ Existing PWD codes, municipal bye-laws and other
regulatory media could either be replaced by NBC to cater
the local requirements in accordance with the provisions of the
code.
 OBJECTIVES OF BUILDING BYE-LAWS
1) Building bye-laws allow disciplined and systematic growth of
buildings and towns and prevent haphazard development.
2) Building bye-laws protect safety of public against fire, noise, health
hazards and structural failure.
3) They provide proper utilization of space. Hence, maximum
efficiency in planning can be derived from these bye-laws.
4) Building bye-laws give guidelines to the architect or an engineer in
effective planning and useful in preplanning the building activities.
5) They provide health, safety and comfort to the people who live in
buildings.
6) Due to these bye-laws, each building will have proper approaches,
light, air and ventilation which are essential for health, safety and
comfort.
 Contd…
¨ The bye-laws and regulations govern the following building
aspects
¤ Set-back or building line
¤ Floor space index or built-up area
¤ Open space requirements around the building.
¤ Sizes of rooms
¤ Height of rooms and buildings
¤ Lighting and ventilation of rooms
¤ Water supply and sanitary provisions
¤ Structural design or sizes and sections
 Set-Back or Building Line
¨ A set back may be defined as frontage margin or open Space
in front of the abutting street or road. The land contained in
set-back belongs to the owner of the property. It is also
referred to as a building line and is laid down in each case
parallel to the plot boundaries by the local authority, beyond
which nothing can be constructed towards the plot boundaries.
¨ Certain buildings like cinema, business centres, factories, etc.
which attract large number of vehicles, should be set-back a
further distance apart from the building line. This line after this
extra margin is called control line.
¨ The fixation of building line depends upon the site of the
proposed building, keeping in view the present width and
future widening requirements.
Set-back line vs Property line
 Floor Space Index or Built-up Area
¨ The built up area or covered area equals to the plot area
minus the area due for open spaces. The ratio of the total floor
area inclusive of all the floors to the area of the plot on which
building stands is known as the floor space index (F.S.I.) or floor
area ratio (F.A.R.).
¨ The value F.S.I or F.A.R. is determined by local authority and it
may be different for different areas and for different
buildings of the town. Floor area means built up area excluding
area of walls.
¨ The F.S.I controls the development activity on the plot of land
and consequently it can be used as a measure to check density
of population. For instance, if the plot area is 600 m2 and if
permissible F.S.I is 0.80, the maximum built-up area which can
be put up on the plot is 480 m2.
Limitations of Built-up area mentioned
in NATIONAL BUILDING CODE
Open space requirements around the
buildings
¨ The sufficient open spaces, inside and around the building
should be left to meet with the requirements of lighting and
ventilation.
¨ In case of buildings abutting streets, in front, the open spaces
to the rear or sides of the building should be provided to serve
the purpose of future widening of such streets.
¨ All such open spaces weather interior or exterior should be
kept free from any erection thereon and shall be kept open to
the sky and no cornice, roof, or weather shed more than
0.75 m in width shall project over such open space.
 Requirements of open space as per
NATIONAL BUILDING CODE

¨ If any human-habitation is not receiving air and light from front or rear,
shall abut on interior open space having width not less than 3 m.
 Size of Rooms
¨ Considering the point of health and ventilation, Natlona1
Building Code has fixed certain minimum areas or Sizes for
individual rooms and apartments which are tabulated below
 Height of rooms and buildings
¨ General criteria to decide the height of the building as
per NBC is 1.5 times the width of the street to which the
building abuts on its front Side.
¨ If street width is above 8 m or equal to 12 m, the height
of the building should not be more than 12 m and in case
of more than 12 m wide street, the height of the building
should not be more than street width and in no case more
than 24 m.
Lighting and Ventilation of rooms
¨ For sufficient lighting and ventilation in the rooms of
building, openings like windows, ventilators or direct
opening to external air should be provided.
¨ The area of such openings excluding area of doors should
be minimum 1/10th of the floor area for dry and hot
climate and minimum 1/6th of the area for wet hot
climate.
¨ The aggregate area of doors and windows shall not be
less than 1/7th of the floor area of room.
 Water supply and sanitary postions

¨ Certain minimum requirements for water supply and

sanitary conveniences like water tap, Sink, nahni trap,
water closets, urinals, wash basins, etc.,. shall be
provided as per N.B.C for different types of buildings .
 Structural design or sizes and sections

¨ Each structure should be designed for safe loads,

earthquake resistance, bearing capacities, etc.,. as per the,
guest relevant I.S. codes and N.B.C.
¨ Each component of the building should be designed with its
specific requirements.
¨ Some general thumb rules for structural design are as
follows:
¤ Depth of foundation: 0.75 m to 1.0 m - for Single storied
building below the ground level. 1.0 m to 1.3 m below G.L for
two storied building.
¤ Width of foundation of wall: Double the thickness of wall just
above the plinth and then add 30 cm to it will give the Width of
the foundation.
¤ Concrete in foundation of wall: It should be nearly equal to
5/6th of the thickness of wall above the plinth.
NOMENCLATURE
OF BUILDING
ELEMENTS
 Nomenclature of building elements
¨ Attic: Loft, a low storey below the storey within a roof for storage.
¨ Building: Any structure for whatsoever purpose and of whatsoever
materials constructed and ever part thereof used as human
habitation.
¨ Building line: The line upto which the plinth of a building adjoining
a street or an extension of a street or on future street may lawfully
extend.
¨ Building height: In case of flat roof, the vertical distance measured
from the average level of the centre line of adjoining street to the
highest point of the building.
¨ Building line: The line upto which the plinth of a building adjoining a
street or an extension of a street or on future street may lawfully
extend.
¨ Canopy: An ornamental roof projecting from a wall which may or
may not be supported at its free end.
 Contd…
¨ Bye-law: the law of local authority and it is a supplementary law or
regulation
¨ Carpet area: Total living area of a residence (Drawing + Dining +
Bed)
= Floor area – Service area (Kitchen + Toilet) – Circulation
area (Verandah + stairs)
Generally, carpet area is around 85-90% of built-up area.
¨ Ceiling: Covering of a room which hides the floor or roof work
above or the lower level of the roof slab exposed to the room.
¨ Chajjas (sunshade): A sloping or horizontal structural overhang
usually provided over the openings on external walls to provide
protection from sun and rain.
¨ Floor area: The covered area of the rooms which can be occupied
by men and materials at any floor level (excluding the area of wall).
¨ Floor area ratio: The quotient obtained by dividing the total
covered area (plinth area) on all floors by the area of plot.

ࢀ࢕࢚ࢇ࢒ࢉ࢕࢜ࢋ࢘ࢋࢊࢇ࢘ࢋࢇ࢕ࢌࢇ࢒࢒ࢌ࢒࢕࢕࢙࢘

¨ Portico: Projecting roof supported by columns at regular spacings.

ࡲ࢒࢕࢕࢘࡭࢘ࢋࢇࡾࢇ࢚࢏࢕ ࡲ࡭ࡾ ൌ
ࡼ࢒࢕࢚ࢇ࢘ࢋࢇ

¨ Plinth: the portion of a structure between the natural ground and

surface of the floor immediately above the ground.
¨ Plinth area: The built-up covered area measured at the floor level of
the basement or of any storey.
In simple, Area excluding empty space around the building is
called Built up area or Plinth area.
¨ Plinth beam: Beam constructed at plinth level for uniform distribution
of loads.
¨ Setback area: The empty space around the building is called
Setback area. The setback area is decided by Municipal
Authority. In India, generally we leave 4 ft from all the sides of
the building. The reason behind leaving setback area is to
make ease for moving vehicles, ventilation and during
emergency purposes. However set back area increases for
High rise building and may go up to several meters.
¨ Super Built-up Area: Super-Built-Up Area is the built up area
plus proportionate area of common areas such as the
Swimming pools, Staircase, lobby, lifts, open verandahs etc.
The term Super built up area is generally used in
Real Estate (while buying property) builders may add 20% of
total cost of apartment to the super built-up area.
Building line vs control line vs setback line