Apartment building
An , or is a multi-unit dwelling made up of several (generally four or more) apartment s (US) or flats (UK). Where the building is a high-rise construction, it is termed a tower block in the UK and elsewhere. The term is used regardless of height in the US.
A two-unit dwelling is known as a duplex (US) or maisonette (UK); a three-unit dwelling is known as a triplex.
Scotland
During the 19th century tenements became the predominant type of new housing in Scotland 's industrial cities. (In Northern England , 'back-to-back' terraced house/terrace s were more common). Scottish tenements are usually four to six stories in height, with three or four flats on each floor. They are sometimes still referred to as or (a reference to the passageway through which entry is gained). Stairs and landings are generally designated 'common areas', so residents must take it in turns to sweep clean the floors (this rarely happens in practice). Tenement flats are the most common form of accommodation for students who have moved out of University Halls ( dorm s).
Tenements in Glasgow were originally built with public house s on the ground floor , one for every 200 people. Many of these pubs have since been converted into housing.
Many multi-storey tower blocks were built in the UK after the Second World War . These are gradually being demolished and replaced with low-rise buildings or housing estate s. In Scotland those that remain are usually called simply .
In contrast to most other parts of the world where the designation "tenement" implies poverty and deprivation, Scotland's remaining tenements are mostly of high quality construction and are now much sought after. In Glasgow, where Scotland's highest concentration of tenement dwellings can be found, the urban renewal projects of the 1950s, 60s and 70s brought an end to the city's slums; slums that consisted of older tenements built in the early 19th century. They were replaced by high-rise blocks that, within a couple of decades, were riddled with crime and poverty. The tenement, it would seem, was more than just an architectural style, but a means to build and galvanise communities.
Today's tenement dwellers are typically young professional people keen to live close to the city centres of Scotland. Most young people living in Scotland's cities will buy a tenement as their first step on the property ladder.