Over the past 10 to 15 years, the real estate sector in India has dramatically changed. Earlier, India was not mainly known for residential and commercial spaces as tall as the ones you might see in New York, Shanghai or London. But, with better technology in construction, tall sky-scrapers started popping up in urban cities throughout the country. While living or working in such tall buildings, one of the most common areas that people notice is the “refuge area”. When a fire breaks out, a fire refuge area is described as a location where people may seek sanctuary if they feel threatened. This specific area is sold by the real estate developer to the purchasers, who in many cases unlawfully incorporate these parcels of land into the construction of their units. The structure might be either residential or commercial.
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What Exactly is a Refuge Area?
The government has typically made it essential for all real estate developers to adhere to building bye-laws to ensure that the structures are constructed in accordance with consistent safety standards. According to the bye-laws, all high-rise buildings must have a delineated area where people may seek refuge in the event of an emergency. A refuge area is a term used to describe this place.
High-rise structures are subject to several fire safety standards and regulations, which must be adhered to at all times. In addition, the Terrace Floor of the building is designated as a “Refuge Area.” If you have ever wondered just the purpose of this refuge area and why it is only seen in residential and commercial buildings of a certain length, this is the only article you will need to read!
The Importance of a Refuge Area
A refuge area is an essential place in tall buildings, and it poses possible concerns as the structure’s age increases the likelihood of a disaster occurring. After discovering that builders are selling refuge zones to locals for their use after gaining an on-paper permit to construct such a facility, authorities often tighten building regulations.
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The relevant municipal entities must determine if provisions for a refuge area in building high-rise structures have been included in the authorised map by the real estate developers or whether they have been removed. Before issuing a completion certificate, a comprehensive assessment of the buildings in the ‘high-rise’ category must be carried out.
Regulations For the Refuge Area in the Building
The National Structure Code requires that every seventh level of a high-rise building, or every 24 metres in a high-rise building, be designated as a refuge area in high-rise Building. In addition to the above, a few more safety precautions must be observed in creating a flat next to the refuge area. The following are the regulations that apply to building’s refuge areas in apartments:
The real estate developer must establish a highly clear passageway that leads to a building’s refuge space, and this passageway must be well-lit to be effective.
The stairwell or elevator would never be opened in the refuge area and would only use this in an emergency.
The refuge area should never be utilised for gatherings of the local population.
- When entering a high-rise building’s refuge area, the entrance door should only be used in an emergency.
- According to the refuge area building regulations, society must clean a building at least once a week.
FSI and a Refuge Area
There have been multiple instances in which real estate developers have sold the refuge area norms at excellent prices to the government. For this reason, to avoid such misapplication of the society’s designated space, building rules often provide explicit instructions for calculating the floor size of refuge zones.
According to the legislation, refugee zones in a building must be confined to a maximum of 4 percent of the usable floor area used for these purposes. Additionally, the general refuge area calculation is omitted from the Floor Space Index (FSI is the ratio of built-up area permissible). However, if the refuge area exceeds the 4 percent limit, the space will be determined in accordance with the FSI standards.
What is an Alternate Refuge Area?
Suppose a specific high-rise structure is more than 70 metres tall and has more than 24 storeys. In that case, it is necessary to provide an additional refuge area in residential buildings. According to the regulations, the alternative refuge area may be strengthened by concrete cantilever projections, often located at the mid-landing level of the staircase’s landing.
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However, the minimum width of alternative refuge spaces for commercial high-rise buildings should be at least 15 square metres. The minimum width of the alternate area of refuge system for residential high-rise structures should be at least 10 square metres.
The builder must also ensure that the corridor leading to the refuge space is free of obstructions. The building is painted with high-visibility bright paint to ensure that it is visible from all directions. There should never be a stairway or elevator that opens in these specific regions. In such instances, the residents would rigorously reserve these facilities to provide temporary refuge and only utilise them in an emergency.
Safety Rules About Refuge Areas
The following are the numerous safety regulations that apply to the refuge floor of high-rise buildings:
- The refuge area’s doors should never be secured when not in use since the space should be quickly accessible in an emergency.
- The refuge area may never be utilised for any temporary or permanent function, such as communal cooking, storage, or leisure, and it may never be constructed.
- In a structure with a height of more than 70 metres, the floor designated as “fire check” must be present at all times. Therefore, every 70-metre level should be covered by one whole structure floor.
Essential Facts About Refuge Areas in High Rise Buildings
The building permissions are more stringent to prevent the construction companies from abusing and altering the banned components of a high-rise structure during construction. The refuge spaces must be located inside the building line and at the same floor level as the building. According to the different criteria, refuge Areas are severely limited to just 4 percent of the liveable space of a floor. They are thus not included in the Floor Space Index or FSI.
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If the extra space reaches 4 percent, the excess area will be included in the Floor Space Index calculation. However, when it came to employing full floors as refuge places inside the structure, the Municipal Commissioners were known for authorising entire floors in the past.
As a result, the builders used to use these places for their financial benefit. However, when it comes to a new residential tower in Worli Naka, the BMC has sanctioned full floors as Refuge Areas of 550 square feet outside each unit, raising concerns about the possibility of the area being abused in the future.
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When considering the purchase of residential or business space in a high building, it is crucial to determine whether or not the structure has an adequate emergency evacuation area. The chances of something disastrous are minimal, but it is essential to be cautious rather than regret after purchasing an apartment or office. A refuge area is insurance against an accidental fire or emergency in the building, and hence it is vital that every tall-rise building has a dedicated safe space. If you are looking for a property to buy or rent, you must check if it has a dedicated refuge area on NoBroker’s online portals! Please leave a comment below this article if you need help choosing the most suitable property; our executive will soon be in touch with you.
FAQs
Q. What constitutes a high-rise, tall building in India?
Answer – According to the International Standard Organisation, structures of nine stories or more in India are classified as high-rise buildings.
Q. What is a refuge area meaning and why is it needed?
Answer – A refuge area, as the name suggests is the area in a high-rise residential or commercial building where occupants can come and take refuge in case of any emergency such as fire or accident.
Q. Is it legally required to have a refuge area in tall buildings?
Q. What does a refuge area mean in Hindi?
Answer – The meaning of the refuge area in Hindi is “Sharan Kshetra”.
Q. Is it good to buy a flat near the refuge area?
Answer – A refuge area is just a part of a building that is reserved for emergency purposes. There is no logical reason why it is bad to buy a flat near a refuge area, hence it is completely safe and a good option to buy a property near a refuge area.
Q. What does the refuge area mean in Marathi?
Answer – The meaning of the refuge area in Marathi is “Aashray Kshetra”. The word is often found written on buildings in Maharashtra and it means a place where one can take refuge.
Q. How to identify a refuge area within a tall high-rise building?
Answer – As noted by the regulatory board, the sign and board of the refuge area within a building is required to be painted with high-quality paint. The font size of the “REFUGE AREA” words has to be large enough to be seen from anywhere in and around the building.
