Storeys of a building
The British English word ‘storey’ (plural storeys) and the American English ‘story’ (plural stories) refer to a level element of a building that has a useable floor. The term may be used interchangeably with ‘floor’, ‘level’, or ‘deck’; however, it is usual for a building to be described as a ’ten-storey building’ while the individual storey may be referred to as the ‘tenth floor’.
‘Storey’ tends to exclude building levels that are not covered by a roof, such as a roof terrace. It is also not used to refer to the street level floor which is typically called the ‘ground floor’.
Most houses are two-storeys, while bungalows are single-storey. A multi-storey building is a building that has multiple storeys, and typically contains vertical circulation in the form of ramps, stairs and lifts.
Buildings can be classified by the number of storeys they have.
- A low-rise building is one which is not tall enough to be classified as mid-rise.
- Mid-rise buildings have five to ten storeys and are equipped with lifts.
- High-rise buildings are considered to have more than 7-10 storeys.
- Skyscrapers have 40 storeys or more.
- Super-slender buildings are pencil-thin and of 50-90+ storeys.
Storey heights tend to be based on the ceiling height of the rooms in addition to the floor thickness. They are commonly 3 to 4.5 m, but can vary significantly depending on the room type. Storey heights can also vary throughout a building.
Approved document B, Fire Safety, Volume 2, Buildings other than dwellinghouses (2019 edition), suggest that a 'storey' Includes any of the following:
NOTE: The building is regarded as a multi-storey building if both of the following apply. |
The Scottish Building Standards, Part I. Technical Handbook – Domestic, Appendix A Defined Terms, define a storey as: ‘…that part of a building which is situated between the top of any floor being the lowest floor level within the storey and the top of the floor next above it being the highest floor level within the storey or, if there is no floor above it, between the top of the floor and the ceiling above it or, if there is no ceiling above it, the internal surface of the roof; and for this purpose a gallery or catwalk, or an openwork floor or storage racking, shall be considered to be part of the storey in which it is situated.’
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
Definition of Statutory in workplace and facilities management
Established by IWFM, BESA, CIBSE and BSRIA.
The general election and the construction industry
As PM, Rishi Sunak announces July 4 date for an election.
Tackling the lack of knowledge or confidence in heat pumps
The CICV Green Home Festival part of the Edinburgh Fringe.
Home improvements swapped for green energy upgrades
As applications down since and desire to reduce bills up.
Eco apprenticeships continue help grow green workforce
A year after being recognised at the King's coronation.
The Use of Natural Insulation Materials in Retrofit
New paper from STBA with support from SDF.
National Retrofit Hub in partnership with InstallerSHOW.
Permitted development rights for agricultural buildings
The changes coming into effect as of May 21, 2024.
Biodiversity and the built environment digital series
The nature of building, with CIOB and CWP.
A call for prevention and sensitive re-use.
Risks to the long-term effectiveness of the BNG scheme
National Audit Office publish review of Biodiversity Net Gain.
The CIAT principal designer register
Providing assurance and verification of the capability and competence of registered ATs.
Building Safety recommendations and Northern Ireland
The NI roadmap to improving safety in high rise residential.
Specifying rendered external wall insulation for fire safety
How to interrogate the evidence provided to the specifier.
The benefits of writing articles for your organisation
How to create a profile for your organisation and publish for free.
Scottish Government action to reach net-zero targets
Retrofit expert group highlight critical actions needed.
A forward thinking, inclusive global community of members.