Living space in residential areas

Living space in residential areas

"I've bought a plot in a residential zone in Geneva to build a villa. I'd like some information about the living area."

If possible, before you buy a plot of building land and, in any case, before you start work on it, it's a good idea to find out all you can about your rights and obligations with regard to building, especially as this area is governed by numerous federal and cantonal laws. Planning permission will only be granted if the building project complies with planning requirements and minimum dimensional regulations.

Under federal law, living space includes individual areas, communal areas, the kitchen, sanitary facilities, as well as circulation areas (halls and corridors, for example) and other areas that exceed the minimum value required. For example, for a 4-person household, it must be at least 70 m2, and for a 7-person household 100 m2. Whatever the size of the household, the living area of a single bedroom must not be less than 10 m2.

Requirements also vary depending on the zone in which the plot is located. More specifically, according to Geneva legislation, in the residential zone (5th zone), which by its nature is intended for housing, the floor area, i.e. the surface area of the building above ground, must not exceed 20% of the surface area of the plot, it being specified that this may be increased to 22% when the building complies with a high energy performance standard, or to 24% when the building complies with a very high energy performance standard. The number of habitable storeys (including the ground floor and habitable attic) is limited, for detached buildings, to 1 storey if the floor area is less than 80 m2, 2 storeys if it is at least 80 m2 and 3 storeys if it is more than 180 m2. The surface area of rooms intended for habitation (excluding bedrooms) must in principle be 9 m2, but at least 6 m2, and the room must have an air volume of at least 15 m3 and be fitted with a window with a surface area of at least 1 m2 if it is intended for night-time habitation. It should be noted that premises where the floor is below the general level of the adjacent ground are not habitable in any case.

Given the breadth of the subject, it is not possible to draw up a complete list of the rules governing living space. However, your architect will certainly be able to give you more detailed information on this subject, as he or she must take these various constraints into account when drawing up the construction project.