Picture the quintessential Indian postcard—a busy road bustling with activity flanked by either a water body or a mountainous range on one side and low-rise structures on the other. These low-rise buildings form the backbone of the Indian housing sector, right from the age of the revolutionary planned cities of Chandigarh, Gandhinagar, Jaipur, New Delhi and so on. 

With population and economic boosts, the modest bungalows and low-rise buildings gradually transformed into mid-rise structures, which in turn are paving the way for high-rise buildings and skyscrapers today. Interestingly, while metro cities grow skywards, Indians still favour ground level. The desire for bungalows and low-rise structures refuses to fade, and here’s why: 

Street Accessibility and Community building:

In the age of social media, the need for stepping out and socialising is paramount. Cut to the design of low-rise buildings that ensure effortless visual and physical communication within co-inhabitants. Moreover, jogging down for quick errands such as picking up groceries, ATM withdrawals, or an evening stroll in the park seems hassle-free.

Privacy, Peaceful Locale and the Green Advantage:

Narrow roads paired with the controlled population of low-rise buildings enable a comparatively clean and quiet neighbourhood, in contrast to the hustle-bustle of high-rise and commercial areas. Additionally, bungalow designs have a free hand in integrating strategic patches of vegetation or merely optimising the existing landscape to their benefit. The resulting green gardens envelop the home in a soothing aura while doubling up as spacious settings to entertain without unwanted intrusion.

Infrastructure and Emergency Preparedness:

The current road and government-aided service infrastructure of Indian cities is more suited to cater to low-rise buildings. High-rise buildings demand wide and more organised roads, multiple stories of parking and a regulated supply of essential services. A solvable problem on paper, the existing infrastructure for water, gas and electricity services clearly cannot keep up with the exponential growth of redevelopment schemes.

With traffic and building services threatening to come to a standstill, high-rise societies sound taxing. Additionally, soil conditions and budget restrictions limit the height of a building, making it possible, but not feasible, to always go high-rise.

Low-rise buildings are also comparatively more equipped to handle emergencies ranging from health scares and hospital admissions to natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes. While high-rise structures include efficient safety measures, timely evacuation in panic situations is problematic, whereas low-rise buildings provide quick access to safe zones.

Maintenance and Resale Rate and Ownership:

Low-rise buildings tend to be less expensive to construct with the additional benefit of lower maintenance costs. They also offer the incentive of a higher resale rate compared to high-rise structures. Psychologically speaking, bungalows, vacant plots of land and occasionally low-rise buildings pose as more favourable housing options for the sense of ownership they bring to the table. 

Regulated Temperatures and Energy Use

India relishes a diverse climate from moderate to extreme temperatures. While street planning and natural landscapes regulate the ground-level temperature, there is still the question of altitude. With rising altitude, air temperatures drop while the average wind speed increases. As a result, energy use for heating or cooling spaces multiplies. Low-rise buildings, on the other hand, enjoy comfortable temperatures year around. 

Wider User Group

High-rise apartments often limit the movement and accessibility of children, the elderly and pets. Contrarily, the design of low-rise buildings appeals to one and all. 

Low-rise buildings, however, come with their own set of disadvantages that need to be analysed. 

Need for Elevators:

While architects include elevators as a part of the service core for bungalows, it is not a building code requirement while designing low-rise buildings. Lack of lifts poses significant challenges while moving up artefacts and furniture or treading the stairs with infants and toddlers. 

The View:

A beautiful cityscape view is perhaps the most rewarding visual after a long day and undoubtedly the selling point of any high-rise building brochure. While low-rise buildings offer greener views from a common/shared terrace, the lack of privacy often deters inhabitants to climb upstairs for a coffee break by the horizon sunset.  

Abundant Amenities:

The shared expenses of high-rise buildings allow a variety of amenities such as clubhouses, swimming pools, games and gyms, laundry services and so on. While these are naturally not feasible for low-rise buildings, premium bungalows, on the other hand, may substitute for some of these amenities. However, they may still not match the quality and quantity of high-rise building amenities. 

While low-rise structures inherently appeal to the Indian psyche, with urbanisation and economic growth, high-rise structures are inevitable. Could we perhaps utilise the advantages of both building types to begin a new chapter in housing?