Section 3: Basic requirements for buildings

3. Basic requirements for buildings Every building shall be designed, constructed and maintained in such a way as to guarantee people’s safety, society’s well-being, the protection of the environment, and aesthetic value, and satisfy the following— (a) functional requirements— (i) utility, to ensure that the arrangement and dimensions of the space and the fitting out of the services allow the building to be used for its intended purpose; B13A – 3 [Issue 10] Building Control Act (ii) accessibility, to ensure that persons with impaired mobility and communication, elderly persons and pregnant women are able to access and use the building and the facilities within the building comfortably; (iii) access to telecommunication, audio-visual and information services; and (iv) gender compliance, to ensure that gender-specific requirements are integrated in the building; (b) safety requirements— (i) structural safety, to insure against damage, due to design and construction, to the building originating in or affecting the foundation, including supporting columns, load bearing walls, beams and floor slabs of the superstructure or other structural elements which could directly jeopardise the building’s structural soundness and stability required normally for its use; (ii) safety in case of fire, to ensure that— (A) a person may evacuate the building safely in a specified time; (B) the fire may be stopped from spreading inside the building and to neighbouring buildings; and (C) facilities, such as means of escape in case of fire, means of giving warning in case of fire and means of firefighting, are incorporated in the building so as to allow the Mauritius Fire and Rescue Service and other emergency services to operate properly at all times; (iii) safety of use, to ensure that the use of the building poses no risk of accident to any person; (c) sustainability requirements— (i) by providing indoor air quality in the building, to ensure the well-being, comfort and productivity of the occupants of the building; (ii) by ensuring— (A) water tightness of the building and water management within its premises; (B) waste management from the construction site; (C) noise protection so that noise levels do not affect the health of any person and allow any person to carry out his activities normally; (D) energy savings and optimum energy consumption for the proper running of the building; and (E) reduction of heat island effect in urban areas. [Issue 10] B13A – 4 Revised Laws of Mauritius