Condominium definition
The term ‘condominium’ or ‘condo’ is used in North America and some other English speaking areas such as Australia, to refer to a building in which individual units are separately owned, but common areas are owned jointly.
It most commonly refers to residential blocks in which the residents own their individual flats and the common areas are owned jointly and managed collectively. However, other types of buildings might also include condominiums, such as shopping malls containing individual retail units.
It is a Latin word derived from ‘con’ meaning ‘together’ and ‘dominium’ meaning ‘domain’.
The term is also increasingly used to refer to groups of detached dwellings, that have common parts that are owned jointly and managed collectively such as the surrounding streets.
Condominiums are distinguished from apartments, in that the flats are owned rather than leased.
Condominiums are analogous to ‘commonhold’ properties in the UK.
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
Introducing or next Guest Editor Arun Baybars
Practising architect and design panel review member.
Quick summary by size, shape, test, material, use or bonding.
Types of rapidly renewable content
From forestry to agricultural crops and their by-products.
Terraced houses and the public realm
The discernible difference between the public realm of detached housing and of terraced housing.
Put digitalisation and sustainability at the core of curricula
Project management educators are urged.
Looking back at the influence of climate events
From a designer and writer: 'There are limits to growth but no limits to development'.
Terms, histories, theories and practice.
Biophilic design and natural light
Letting in the light and natural elements into spaces.
APM Programme Management Conference 2024
Strategies for Success.
Residential takes the reins as contract awards even out
Contracts down, but remain above the last quarter of 2023.
Celebrating Eid and the largest mud-brick building.
Barry Kingscote claims prestigious CIOB CMYA Award.
The British Mosque: an architectural and social history
The story of some 1,500 mosques or more in Britain.
Heat pump refrigerants, efficiencies and impacts
R12 to R1270 what are the differences?
Global heat pump market in 2023
Challenging times with positive but modest outlook.
Beyond the infrastructure pipeline
Opportunities and chokepoints.