How To Use Floor Area Ratio

Far gross floor area plot area.

How to use floor area ratio.

Add up the individual footprint of each. How to calculate floor area ratio. A two story building on the same lot where each floor was 500 square feet. Floor area ratio is the ratio of a building s total floor area to the size of the piece of land upon which it is built.

This is the amount of square footage you are allowed to build on the property. Gross floor area is the sum of the floor area of each story. The floor area ratio of a 1 000 square foot building with one story situated on a 4 000 square foot lot would be 0 25x. Calculate the area of the parcel by multiplying the length and width of the construction site available.

The floor area ratio is the deciding factor in finding out the maximum buildable floor area. Examples that show how to calculate floor area ratio easily. Far is the reason why buildings with the same size lot but in different zoning districts can be drastically different in size. Divide the total square footage of the building s stories by the square footage of the site to calculate floor area ratio.

The terms can also refer to limits imposed on such a ratio through zoning. Calculate the area of each of the stories in the planned building. Determine the gross floor area of the building. The higher the far generally speaking the more intensity of use on the lot.

In the example 17 000 square feet divided by 10 000 square feet equals a ratio of 1 7. Gross floor area g floor area of 1st story floor area of 2nd story for all floors above the ground step 4. Divide the gross floor area by the buildable land area. The formula to calculate far is floor area ratio total enclosed area across floors of buildings gross floor area area of the plot.

The floor area ratios are set forth by nyc planning in the zoning resolution zoning code. Of course the numerator and denominator must use the same units such as square feet sf. The floor area ratio calculation is the following. As a formula far gross floor area area of the plot.

Floor area ratio is a way of expressing the relationship between the size of the lot to the floor area of the buildings on the lot. The result is the floor area ratio far. It is often used as one of the regulations in city planning along with the building to land ratio. Calculate the floor area ratio.