[Tagging] Semi-detached houses: undocumented iD preset

[Martin Koppenhoefer]

sent from a phone
> Am 18.09.2015 um 10:20 schrieb Ruben Maes <ruben.maes96 at gmail.com>:
> 
> Doppelhäuser which is not exactly the same as just two houses that share a wall, right?


it depends how you use the word "Doppelhaus". Legally it means 2 touching houses on 2 parcels. Architectonically it means 2 more or less symmetric buildings that touch. They don't have to share the same materials or colours (mostly they do, sometimes they don't), but rather the building layout/facades. Completely different buildings touching at one side are called differently (einseitig angebaut, etc.) 

Considering the roof, under German law (and likely in other places as well) each building has to form a fire compartment on its own, extending from the underground/ground to the roof, so that the fire won't pass from one to the other, but depending on the details you might not be able to see it. A very good indication are 2 symmetric front doors, e.g.
http://www.beissner-hochbau.de/biga-doppelhaus-klinkerfassade-auhagen-hausbau-hannover.htm#bild



> 
> According to Wiktionary, it is called a duplex in American English,



in Germany, a duplex is an apartment with several floors (typically 2), with their private staircase. 


> in British, Australian and Canadian English a semi


which is likely an abbreviation for semi-detached house 


> and in all Englishes a semi-detached. That would make the "house" part even unnecessary, but useful to understand the meaning of the tag (unlike building=detached).


the latter could also be detached_house and would be easier to understand for foreigners, maybe 


cheers 
Martin