cost per square meter

    
   

 

 

Cost per square meter | Building Cost | Construction cost

   

 

 

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the shape of a building has an important effect on cost. As a general rule the simpler the shape of a building, the lower will be its unit cost. Let us illustrate this as follows:  This determines the cost per square meter of building

A. IRREGULAR SHAPES

Cost per square meter

Example of how building cost per square meter can vary

BUILDING A

Cost per square meter

Example of how building cost per square meter can vary

BUILDING B

We note that both plans have exactly the same floor areas, yet building B is far more expensive due to the shape of its design. Reasons for the increase in costs are:

  1. Building B has a higher perimeter/floor area ratio (to be discussed in more detail later) and requires 6% more external walling to enclose the same floor area than A.
  2. Setting out costs will be increased by as much as 50%.
  3. Excavations will cost between 6% and 20% more.
  4. Drainage costs will increase by approximately 25% due to the extra manholes and extra length of piping needed.
  5. Additional costs will also result from other elements of the building such as the walling and roofing due to the work being complicated by the shape.

It can therefore be concluded that the irregular shapes of buildings add to their overall cost.

B. REGULAR SHAPES

Regular shapes in contrast, become more expensive the longer and narrower they are planned. This can be illustrated by the following examples of a square and rectangular building with the same floor area.

Cost per square meter

BUILDING A           BUILDING B

Example of how building cost per square meter can vary

CASE A

Area on plan = 400m²
Length of walling = 80m
Assume 3m high walling @ Currency 200.00/m²

Then cost/m² = 80 x 3 x 200 ÷ 400
= Currency 120.00/m² - cost per square meter

CASE B

Area on plan = 400m²
Length of walling = 208m
Assume 3m high walling @ Currency 200.00/m²

Then cost/m² = 208 x 3 x 200 ÷ 400
= Currency 312.00/m² - cost per square meter

The length of building B thus resulted in an additional expense of Currency 76,800.00 over that of Building A influencing cost per square meter
 

it is obvious that the rate per square metre for a block of bachelor flats will

differ a great deal from the rate for a block of three bedroom flats.

let us look at the following buildings.

Cost per square meter

BLOCK A                                             BLOCK B

Example of how building cost per square meter can vary

assuming that an internal division wall will cost us 4,500.00 and a bathroom

will cost 25,000.00 complete. We can then calculate the influence of these

elements as follows.

BLOCK A

Cost of division walls = 3 @  4,500 = 13,500.00
Cost of bathrooms = 4 @ 25,000 = 100,000.00
     

=

113,500.00
Cost /m²    

=

113500 ÷ 200
        567.50

BLOCK B

Cost of division walls = 1 @  4,500 = 4,500.00
Cost of bathrooms = 2 @ 25,000 = 50,000.00
     

=

54,500.00
Cost /m²    

=

54500 ÷ 200
        272.50
 

although other more complex relationships come to operate with such a

comparison we can generally state that an increase in the “fullness” of a design

will also increase the cost per meter square.

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