Low-rise building

Low-rise house Alte Pforzheimer Hütte near the Pforzheimer See, in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of Northern Italy near the border to Switzerland

Typical German Fachwerkhäuser in the Hanseatic harbour of Stade, Germany

A low-rise is a building that is only a few stories tall or any building that is shorter than a high-rise, though others include the classification of mid-rise.

Definition

Emporis defines a low-rise as "an enclosed structure below 35 metres [115 feet] which is divided into regular floor levels". The city of Toronto defines a mid-rise as a building between four and twelve stories. They also have elevators and stairs.

Characteristics

A deck-access apartment houses in Seinäjoki, Finland

Low-rise apartments sometimes offer more privacy and negotiability of rent and utilities than high-rise apartments, although they may have fewer amenities and less flexibility with leases. It is easier to put fires out in low-rise buildings.

Within the United States, due to the legal-economic and modernist perspectives, low-rises can in some cities be seen as less luxurious than high-rises, whereas within Western Europe (for historical identity and legal reasons) low-rise tends to be more attractive. Some businesses prefer low-rise buildings due to lower costs and more usable space. Having all employees on a single floor may also increase work productivity.