How Apartment Buildings Came About

 

Today, you can see a lot of apartment buildings in cities and everywhere you might be in. But did you know how such buildings have originated?

Brief History Of Apartment Buildings

The creation of multi-family dwelling can be traced back to ancient Rome. During the 1st century BC, the populations were growing, land became valuable, living had to be affordable and the workers must live close by.

Thus, out of necessity, the Romans have developed the “insula” – this is the Italian word of apartment. These buildings were meant to be built around an open courtyard with most apartments being 3 stories high – shops were part of the ground level.

The ancient apartment buildings made of bricks with a little attention to the interior detail. But soon the insula became the most common form of housing in Rome. In fact, apartments outnumbered private homes by more than 25 to 1 during the 14th century.

However, not all buildings were built to last; thus, Rome established the first building codes. These codes regulate things like the thickness of walls, the construction height, and the quality of the building materials.

Indeed, ancient Rome has greatly influenced today’s modern living. Some of the excellent upgrades to ancient Rome living include electricity, heat and toilets.

Trivia Info Resource: www.apartmentspecialists.co.nz