An increasing number of homeowners in northern Pakistan and Punjab are constructing summer annexes adjacent to their homes.
These structures are designed to serve as small summer houses and are designed in a way that ensures that they remain cool during the summer months.
If you are thinking about constructing a summer annexes, here are a few guidelines to follow;
1. Annexes are usually contracted adjacent to houses built on large plots ranging between 1,000 square yards.
2. The average size of an annexes ranges between 100 and 120 square yards.
3. In order to ensure that the interior remains cools, the following elements are elements are usually in place:
- A basement which remains 20 to 25% cooler than the rest of the houses.
- The first floor serves as a large hall with no rooms; this lowers the ground floor temperature by 15 to 20% as the first floor absorbs heat.
- Windows are located on east and not the west; this ensures that the midday heat dose not enter the annexes.
- A shaded verandah or porch that is three to four feet wide circles the annexes; this ensures that the annexes is not exposed to direct sunlight.
4. Other elements that can keep the annexes cool include white paint, wooden flooring and stone facades which reflected heat.
5. Before building an annexes, an NOC needs to be attained from the concerned building authority to ensure that all building codes are adhered to. In most cases, the total area of annexes must not be great than 15% of the total covered area of the house it is adjacent to.
6. The cost of constructing an annexes ranges between seven and ten million rupees.
7. The presence of an annexes increases the value of a property by 14 to 18%.
By Uzma Nawaz