Capturing the Evolution of Apartment Buildings

[NahidHossain]

I have a special fondness for photographing apartment buildings. A significant portion of my contributions to Google Maps consists of images of these structures.

Apartment at New Market area of Rajshahi

Each apartment complex represents not just 20-30 families but also their dreams and aspirations. These families are intimately connected with these buildings, from construction to completion, and they pass down stories of their homes to future generations.

Here's a photo from a few months ago showing a beautiful big tree in front of building. I loved how the old tree and the modern building looked together. Unfortunately, the tree was trimmed down, but I'll always remember this perfect mix of nature and architecture.

My photographs tell the story of time. Whenever I see a building under construction, I take its picture, and then continue to capture its growth over time. I upload these pictures to Google Maps to preserve the story of these buildings.

I often think about how the homeowners will feel years later when they look back at these old photos. It will surely bring back a flood of memories.

I live in one of the most elegant areas of my city. When I first moved here, I used to see beautiful 2-3 story houses. Over the last few years, real estate companies have been transforming these into 8-10 story apartment complexes. As I walk along these streets, I capture the transformation and carefully upload these images to Google Maps.

This documentation is not just a record; it's a way to connect the past with the present and future, allowing everyone to see the changes that have taken place. These photos serve as a reminder of how our environments evolve and grow just like we do.

[Annaelisa]

@NahidHossain 

Veränderungen sehr gut beschrieben auch mit schönen Bildern

[MortenCopenhagen]

Hi @NahidHossain 

Great post and an interesting branch of photography.

If you don't mind, I think we could discuss how the categories Apartment building and Housing complex are used and misused on Google Maps.

According to this page Private listings and premises can not be added to Google Maps.

And I remember discussions about businesses that there needs to be a staff and published opening hours where staff will tender to the general public. So an office only tending to tennant and not the public does not make an apartment building qualify for a pin on Google Maps.

I have been removing such places without problems (approved immediately).

Also, future (under construction) places should not be added to Google Maps. The owners and not local guides can add future places with an opening date, so Maps users can clearly see the opening date and hence not be directed to a non-existent place. I believe 3 months is the max.

Where I live there are very few apartment building added to Google Maps. And they are often added by someone living there. There are almost no relevant details added to such listings. 

In other countries I see both categories are used a lot more frequently. Maybe they served as landmarks before Maps came into use.

I see some individual apartment building categorized as a Housing complex.  I believe a housing complex is more than one building.

What do you think?  Is it helpful to have such private buildings with no public facing service on Google Maps?

Hoping for an interesting discussion.

Cheers 

Morten 

[NahidHossain]

Thanks for your insightful comment, @MortenCopenhagen ! It’s great to delve into the specifics of how apartment buildings and housing complexes are categorized on Google Maps. I wasn’t aware of the policies regarding future places, and I appreciate the clarification.

Regarding your question, the apartment buildings I’ve added are operational and staffed, typically with a caretaker or a small administrative office that handles inquiries and maintenance. From what you’ve mentioned, it sounds like these would qualify for inclusion on Google Maps since there is staff present and they tend to some aspects of public service.

Do you think this aligns with the guidelines? Discussing these nuances to ensure accurate and useful contributions to Google Maps would be really helpful. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this!

[MortenCopenhagen]

This is not black and white, @NahidHossain .

If Google Maps wanted no apartment buildings they could remove the 2 categories.

When an apartment building has sales or rent staff on site because they have vacant units then it makes sense to be on GM. But if the staff and office is primarily tuned to service currently tenants + cleaning, security, and maintenance I think it should not be on GM.  

As Google will never explain this in public we are left with our own interpretations of the guidelines.

The main objective is to keep Google Maps as helpful as possible. If there are too many irrelevant pins on the map, it becomes less user-friendly. 

On the other hand, if a lot of people use buildings as landmarks the opposite could be the case.

Where I live. It seems logical to not have apartment buildings on the map. We don't use landmarks for old-fashioned navigation and I have never seen an office or staff on site that were inclined to service anyone else but the tenants.

All the best 

Morten 

[MortenCopenhagen]

One more aspect to consider, @NahidHossain is how the apartment buildings names are used.

Here every building have a house number referencing to the road. So adding an apartment building name in an address would be very unusual and definitely not nessesary.

Are apartment building names normally used in addresses where you live?

Cheers 

Morten 

[NahidHossain]

Thanks again for your perspective, @MortenCopenhagen 

It seems there are indeed varying scenarios depending on the location and its specific practices.

Here where I live, some apartment buildings do have dedicated staff to assist visitors, not just security or maintenance personnel who primarily serve tenants. This could make such locations more relevant for inclusion on Google Maps.

As you mentioned, the situation is different outside the city or even in some parts of the city—staff may not be available. Your insights are really valuable in shaping a more practical understanding.

[NahidHossain]

In my area, apartment buildings often have some aesthetic names, which are commonly used in addresses. For example, my building is called South Breeze, and nearby, you can find others named Mayabon, Mohananda, Adori. These names help in identifying and navigating these buildings more easily, especially since they stand out in the locality.

While some personal houses constructed through individual initiatives might only use house numbers linked to roads, apartment complexes built by development companies here typically feature unique names.

@MortenCopenhagen 

[NHTuhin]

Capturing the essence of evolving architecture and shared stories through my lens. Each building tells a tale of growth and change.Thanks for sharing the wonderful story...... #UrbanEvolution #Photography #GoogleMaps. @NahidHossain