Residential villa rooftops to get more built-up area

Doha: The Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) has announced a decision allowing extension of built-up areas on rooftop floors (penthouses) of residential villas from 35 percent to 70 percent. 

The new decision aims at adding more rooms and built-up areas of villas. However, the owners of villas are asked to take into account the privacy of neighbours while constructing rooms or other facilities on the rooftops.  

The Ministry has set up a number of rules and regulations which require leaving three metres space on rooftop floor of residential villas in front and zero space on both sides and back.

The announcement of the decision was made during a workshop organised by MME, represented by the Buildings Permits Complex. The event held  for the representatives of authorised consultancy offices aimed at upgrading them on the latest developments in building permit and new requirement rules for the development of residential villas according to the outcomes of the Qatar National Master Plan.

The workshop was held at Al Rayyan Municipality. Eng. Hassan Al Adhami from Building Permits Complex explained the new requirements.

Standard windows are allowed on over 12 metres wide front balcony overlooking streeta. In case of a neighbour-facing front balcony, the neighbour’s privacy must be ensured by installing tinted glass windows. Regular window are allowed on the front balcony of the first floor with over three metres spaces. 

The ratio of total built-up area in a plot is increased from 1.2 to 1.65 so the maximum area could be utilised to increase the area of each floor of villas, especially the basement. 

The spaces which are not included in the accounting floor built up ratio include the spaces of basement floors used for stores or the services of the building like electricity cabins or water tanks. Car parking areas, swimming pool and gymnasium on basements floor are also excluded.

The front space distance required between villas is also reduced from 15 metres to 12.5 metres in a bid to help villas to ensure the privacy of families and to increase the value of rented villas.

The Ministry has also allowed to build basement floor under the Majlis (guest room) outside the building and additional floors are also allowed for building utilising the areas of Majlis, but the original design should not be affected. In densely populated residential areas, the area required for a villa in residential complexes is reduced from 285sqm to 250sqm.