Balcony… The 1st Social Media Ever!

We are currently living in very challenging and sad times. Especially with the forced confinement, disturbing hashtags, and quarantine. But the balcony has emerged as the protagonist. When it becomes impossible to escape, we look for comfort in that special place. All thanks to its liminal space.

 A balcony is a space with bars or walls around it. This space then attaches to the building outside the wall on any upper level. It’s is the only place that is allowing to remain in touch with the outside world. Although from a distance, it’s allowing us to interact with other people while we stay at home. Moreover, it’s allowing us to take part in the greatest challenge the world has ever seen since the 2nd world war. People who have balconies are enjoying them now more than ever before. For those who don’t have balconies, they want them now more than anything else.

Today, having a terrace or a balcony is an advantage. They are allowing us to observe our cities and breathe fresh air. Furthermore, they are giving us the most active type of participation in the current world.

Balconies are gaining the most democratic and modern role: participatory function! Even with so many smartphones, we’re starting to miss face-to-face conversations. For that reason, we are using balconies as ‘wireless phones’. To quote Makkox, an Italian cartoonist, “balconies were the 1st social media”.

Why do buildings have balconies?

In general, a balcony is an ideal place where you can enjoy your morning coffee. Some people prefer reading their favorite novel in the evening as the sun sets at that same spot. You can also use yours as a small home garden since there’s always enough sunlight.

The fresh air and open nature of balconies make them a perfect social gathering place. Every pet owner knows that this outdoor space is very important. If you love working out, I’m certain you can’t neglect the balcony if your home.

When architects add any open space to the house, they are aware of its significance. For instance, they know that the value of the unit will increase by about 12%. Furthermore, balconies allow the unit to have enough natural lighting.

Are there different types of balconies?

Of course! There are many types of balconies out there. With each type having a unique aspect that differentiates it from the rest. The most common types include:

Hung balconies

This type involves installing the concrete plate at 45°. The concrete plate has steel cables that attach to the wall. In this case, the balcony is perpendicular to your house and completely independent.

Stacked on Pillars

This balcony is, by far, the most popular design as seen in most buildings from the past century. It involves supporting the balcony in a vertical position with posts and pillars. The main benefit of this type is that it doesn’t have a direct weight impact on the balcony. Thus making it an effective way of implementing a balcony without compromising aesthetics.

Cantilevered balconies

When building this type of balcony, you’ve to consider its weight and design in advance. This is because it imposes load to the building structure itself. The best way to execute this concept is by using concrete and timber joists. Also, ensure the greatest length of the balcony is between 1500 and 1800 mm.

What’s the difference between Terraces and balconies?

Some people confuse a terrace to a balcony and vice versa. Yet their difference is very clear. People make this mistake because both of them are outdoor spaces. Here are some of their differences;

• You can find a balcony on any floor. But, you can only find a terrace on top of the ground floor/ building.
• To build a terrace, you must have authorization from the original floor plan. This is not the same case with a balcony since you can create it at any stage.
• Another notable difference between balconies and terraces is their size. A balcony is smaller than a terrace. For that, balconies are usually private, while terraces are communal spaces.

Importance of Balcony Gardening

Besides being a hobby, balcony gardening has many benefits. For one, it helps you to avoid the nature deficit. Nature deficit can affect both our immune system and health. This means that we can suffer if we don’t have enough exposure to nature. So, it’s important to interact with the natural world, in whatever means we can.

Balcony gardening also helps in contributing to food production. This is by acting as an extra source of fresh produce.

Another significance of balcony gardening is that it promotes social interaction and cohesion. In areas with many apartments, balcony gardening will encourage balcony to balcony interaction. This is a great way to reduce stress as well as loneliness.