Several experts have opposed a new proposal by the Hanoi's Department of Planning and Architecture which requires high-rise buildings in the city to have at least three underground car-parking floors in their basements.
High-rise buildings to have at least three underground car-parking floors
Director of the Department of Planning and Architecture Le Vinh has just sent a notification that high-rise buildings such as apartment blocks and commercial centres must have at least three underground floors for parking lot and public toilets. Previously-approved projects whose constructions have not started now must include underground floors into their plans.
Tran Chung, former head of the Department for Construction Quality Control, under the Ministry of Construction said it was necessary that high-rise buildings have underground floors but the Department of Planning and Architecture must be more clear and detailed.
According to Chung, Vietnam already have architecture criteria for apartment blocks which states that investors must have at least 20 square metres of parking per 100 square metres of apartments. Social housing blocks must have at least 12 square metres of parking.
"Our problem right now should be management because many investors have flouted the rules to save money. Building underground parking is costly, time consuming and obviously doesn’t provide huge profits like selling apartments," he said.
According to the firms, the authorities should be more specific and classify which project must have underground floors because if investors of housing projects for low-income people have to build three underground floors, the prices will definitely surge.
Vu Van Hau, director of Geleximco Group, said while he claimed to understand that the city authorities only try to deal with the lack of parking lots, the minimum requirement of three floors is too many. "It should be more flexible for different types of project. For example, high-rises in the city centre must have three floors but buildings in the suburbs only need one floor because of the size of the land," he said.
Hanoi's Chairman Nguyen The Hung has sent an urgent document to all agencies, stating that the Department of Planning and Architecture must work with agencies to find solutions and issue more detailed guidance on the proposal.
