Glossary – Basic Terms in Construction Regulations

The basic terms used in the rules of land development and construction have the following meanings:

1. Block – a part of the urban area enclosed by public traffic (street) surfaces.
2. Building Plot – a portion of construction land with access to a public traffic surface, that is built or designated for construction by the plan.
3. Corner Building Plot – a building plot located at the corner of a block, with access to at least two traffic surfaces of a regulatory width of at least 8.0 m. A corner building plot has two front and two side boundaries.
4. Corner Buildings – buildings positioned along the building line of a corner plot.
5. Frontage of the Building Plot – the width of the plot facing the access street or traffic surface.
6. Gross Developed Building Area (GDBA) – the sum of the floor areas of all above-ground levels of a building, measured at floor level by the external dimensions of the outer walls (including cladding, parapets, and railings).
7. Plot Coverage Ratio – the ratio between the footprint of the built or planned building and the total surface area of the building plot, expressed as a percentage.
8. Building Height – the vertical distance from the highest point of the adjacent access street to the eaves of the top floor, measured in the plane of the façade. For flat-roof buildings, the height is measured up to the parapet of the recessed floor. For buildings with access from multiple streets, the height is determined based on the highest elevation of the access street. For buildings set back from the regulatory line, the height is measured from the zero elevation point to the eaves or ridge height, expressed in meters.
9. Zero Elevation Point (Zero Level) – the point of intersection between the ground line and the vertical axis of the building in the façade plane facing the access street.
10. Ground Floor Elevation – the elevation of the ground floor level, defined as the vertical distance from the zero elevation point.
11. Existing Building – a building recorded on an up-to-date geodetic (survey) base.
12. Replacement Building – demolition of an existing building and construction of a new planned building on the same building plot.
13. Freestanding Building – a building set apart from the side and rear boundaries of the building plot.
14. Single-Attached Building – a building attached to one side boundary of the building plot.
15. Double-Attached Building – a building attached to both side boundaries of the building plot.
16. Regulation Line – a line separating areas designated for public use from areas intended for other public or private purposes.
17. Building Line – a line on, above, or below the ground surface up to which the main building volume is permitted to be constructed. It may be above-ground or underground.
18. Auxiliary Building – a structure serving the main building, constructed on the same plot as the main residential, commercial, or public-use building (e.g., garages, storage units, septic tanks, wells, water cisterns, etc.).
19. Public Purpose Area – an area designated for the development of public spaces and the construction of public facilities, as determined by a valid planning document, in accordance with the Law.