High-rise building

A high-rise building is defined variously as a building in which:

• The number of storeys means occupants need to use a lift to reach their destination
• The height is beyond the reach of available fire-fighting equipment.
• The height can have a serious impact on evacuation.

Typically this is considered to include buildings of more than 7-10 storeys or 23-30 m, although the Home Quality Mark defines high rise as a building that is 18 meters or over (the height historically linked with the reach of fire and rescue service equipment) and this height has also been adopted by guidance following the Hackett Review. However, in January 2020, following a fire in a block of student accommodation (which was just under 18m) in Bolton in 2019, the government launched a consultation including proposals to lower the 18m height threshold for 'high-rise' to 11m.

For more information see: Fire at The Cube, Bolton and Reform of building safety standards.

A low-rise building is one which is not tall enough to be classified as high-rise.

Other definitions of buildings in relation to their height include:

• Mid-rise buildings of five to ten storeys, equipped with lifts.
• Skyscraper of 40 storeys or more.
• Supertall buildings exceeding 300 m.
• Megatall buildings exceeding 600 m.
• Groundscrapers that extend horizontally over a large distance while only being of a low to medium height.
• Super-slender buildings which are pencil-thin and of 50-90+ storeys.

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