Is high-rise living for you?
Rakesh Rai, TNN Mar 28, 2011, 05.40am IST
When you lie flat on your back, the only way to look is up. So is the case with builders it seems. At a time when demand for property is tepid and cash is hard to come by, developers are luring buyers with high-rise apartments.
City after city has seen the launch of high-rise residential projects in the past year. Many have more than 30 floors, with some going up to 100 floors. The Lodha Group is building the tallest residential tower in the world (117 storeys) in Mumbai, while Supertech is selling the 'tallest tower in North India' with 60 floors. Urbana is showing how 'Kolkata will look different' from the 45th floor.
According to experts, as cities gear up to cope with the increasing population, the tall building may well become the new normal, not by choice, but by default. "Till some years ago, there were hardly any residential buildings taller than 5 or 10 floors in places like Delhi or Gujarat . Now, there are projects with 50-70 storeyes," says architect Hafeez Contractor.
Living in a high rise has its advantages. First is the exclusivity . As it takes much more money and time to construct a high rise, it is unlikely that another similar building will come up in the neighbourhood. This is what prompted 25-year-old Akhil Kadyan to book a house on the 28th floor of North Eye, coming up in Noida. "My colleagues have apprehensions, but I have travelled abroad extensively and know there is a status attached to it," he says.
Other aspects that attract buyers are a better view and a cleaner environment. "An important advantage of staying in a high rise, especially in a city like Mumbai, is that we have absolutely zero noise pollution and the air is much cleaner," says Abdul Khatri, a 45-year-old businessman , who lives in a 29-storey apartment in Mumbai.
For others, the amenities offered within a smaller area are the lure. "Our building has all the facilities, like a gymnasium and swimming pool. There is also the security factor, so I didn't mind paying a 20% premium for these," says 38-year-old Mumbai-based Sunil Nair, who stays in a 20-storey building.
How safe are these buildings?
As skyscrapers take svelte new shapes, the safety aspect is the uppermost concern for buyers. What if the area is hit by an earthquake or fire engulfs the building? To address some of the worries of buyers, we spoke to renowned architect Hafeez Contractor (see interview).
As far as earthquakes are concerned, India is divided into five zones based on risk (see map). Most tall buildings that are under construction fall in zones 1 to 3 and are being designed to withstand quakes. "In Noida, the edifices should be able to withstand earthquakes of up to 5 on the Richter scale. However, we have gone a step further and our building will be able to withstand earthquakes of up to 7.5," says R.K. Arora, chairman & MD, Supertech.
Similarly, there are provisions to handle mass evacuations . This can take place from the ground as well as from the top floor, where most tall buildings have a helipad. Though, fire departments in most cities are not yet geared to handle such situations, experts believe that by the time these projects are completed, they would be adequately equipped.
Pay a premium
Almost all residential high rises are sold as premium properties, largely because of the higher construction cost. "The primary cost is because of the foundation of the building, which goes down to a depth of 100 ft or more, so that it can withstand the deflection and wind pressure as the building rises," says Arora. Also, some of the high-strength material used, such as aluminium shutterings are imported, adding to the cost. High-rise structures need special amenities like double-glazed windows to minimise the impact of sound and heat. The end product is around 20-25 % more expensive than the projects in the same location.
Most developers also charge more as you go up for a better view. Also, you get lesser usable area in a high rise compared with that in other buildings. In the case of high rises, the carpet area versus super area anomaly is more skewed against the buyer. "The builder told us that our flat size was 1,400 sq ft, but we realised that its actual carpet size is just 1,000 sq ft," says Bhoumick Vora, who stays on the 26th floor. The reason for this is that skyscrapers have to support more weight, so more parts of the building are used to hold it up. This encroaches upon the usable living space.
The monthly maintenance charge for tall buildings is usually higher too. "Most tall towers now have at least two banks of lifts—one for the lower floors and one for the upper ones. Also, most elevators are limited to a maximum lift height of 500 mts due to the weight of the steel cables ," says an architect. However , Contractor disagrees.
"Imagine you are developing three buildings of 10 storeys each. Each would require 2-3 lifts. Instead, if a building of 30 storeys is built, the developer would need to install only three high-speed lifts," he says.
Adhering to strict fire safety norms in a skyscraper adds to the maintenance cost. A small portion of this charge goes towards insuring the structure. The insurance premium for tall buildings is higher than that for low-rise structures. "Fire engines normally reach up to a height of 22 metres. So, if the height of the building is more than this, more premium is charged," explains Gaurav Garg, CEO and managing director of Tata AIG General Insurance . This additional rate depends on factors such as the number of fire snorkels in the fire brigade and fire protection system in the high rise.
However, high rises offer better price appreciation compared with other properties. The best time to buy is during pre-launch sales when developers want funds and will offer good rates.
"High rises withstand quakes better."
Architect Hafeez Contractor dispels some misconceptions about high-rise structures.
People are wary about living in high-rise structures because they consider them unsafe. Hafeez Contractor, who has designed many of the skyscrapers that are under construction today, addresses some of the common concerns.
WORRY 1: Skyscrapers are unsafe during an earthquake.
Skyscrapers are as prone to damage by an earthquake as any other building. In fact, they are designed to withstand earthquakes. If a city falls in a potential earthquake zone of 3 on the Richter scale, tall buildings are designed to sustain a quake of level 5 or 6.
WORRY 2: Evacuation during an emergency is difficult.
It is as easy to evacuate people from a high rise as from a regular building. If the developer does not cut corners, there are refuge floors at various levels, where people can gather during calamities and staircases are designed for a larger number of people.
WORRY 3: Fire departments will not be able to reach higher floors in case of a fire.
High rises are designed with fire-resistant material. So the chances of the whole building catching fire are lower. All houses are fitted with fire fighting systems like sprinklers and wet risers, which use pipes with pressurised water that is available at all times.
—with Amit Shanbaug, Priya Kapoor and Shobhana Chadha
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