“A building has at least two lives – the one imagined by its maker and the life it lives afterward – and they are never the same.”?- Rem Koolhas
As covered earlier, the reasons for building super tall can generally be attributed to three general factors:?
- Urbanization.?Populations around the world, from New York City to Ho Chi Minh City, have demonstrated an increased affinity over the past two decades to move from rural to urban areas.?In 1950, thirty percent of the world’s population lived in urban areas.?In 2008, half of the world’s population lived in urban areas and this is expected to exceed two-thirds by 2050.
- Densification.?Urbanization has resulted not only in people moving back to cities but also in people moving back to very specific areas within these cities.?Densification is not a new concept, but recent population trends have started to exceed the horizontally available land area, which has caused a need for buildings to higher into the air.
- Identity & “Placemaking”.?This refers to the desire for a country or city to “put itself on the map,” so to speak. Certainly, population trends in Dubai were increasing when the Burj Khalifa construction commenced, though it would be challenging for anyone to conclude that this would have necessitated building the world’s tallest tower. However, what has transpired over the past several years however is the reinvention of what was previously an abandoned defense base into an international attraction that annually welcomes nearly as many tourists as the island of Manhattan.
Nowhere among these three reasons has it been considered whether super tall buildings suit the needs of the end users.?With respect to the above reasons for “going super tall,” we have solicited direct, end-user feedback regarding their experiences as the day-to-day stakeholders for super tall buildings.?Do these individuals enjoy living and working in super-tall buildings??What are the pros and cons of doing so on a daily basis??What is important to them?
These questions and more were presented by our team to those currently either managing, working, or living in super-tall buildings around the world.?The following list of topics and general comments are not ours, but rather theirs, and we feel it is an apt conclusion for this section of the chapter.??
- Elevator Riding or Waiting Time.?Residents and tenants expressed concern about lengthy elevator rides and waiting times (stops at every floor almost) during peak hours, specifically for higher floors. There is a clear need to evaluate vertical traffic movement and understand user preferences so that vertical transportation systems can be either updated or invented anew.
- ?Fire Evacuation.?Recent incidents in Dubai (The Address Downtown Dubai, The Address Fountain Views) have created an enhanced awareness among residents and tenants regarding the importance of a smooth evacuation in the event of a fire.
- Building Maintenance Units & Fa?ade Cleaning.?Selection of a BMU system for effective cleaning of the fa?ade is critical and in some cases, there are fa?ade elements that cannot be accessed by the BMUs. Residents and tenants express frustration with what appears to be constant cleaning or access to the building exterior.
- Utility Charges.?Many residents or tenants expressed concern regarding high utility charges, which can be at least 20% more than typical buildings. Specific focus on common areas lighting, installation of motion sensors, use of solar energy and co-generation are some suggestions that could be considered in future planning.
- Inadequate Cooling.?Residents and tenants frequently cited reports of cooling at localized areas closer to the fa?ade.?This pertains to a variety of design aspects, including the selection of the glass, specification of the glazing units, quantity and volume of conditioned air required, and the location of the vents to ensure uniformity of cooling.
- Ventilation.?Residents and tenants cited a need to improve ventilation in back-of-the-house areas such as washrooms, housekeeping areas, and garbage collection areas, many of which are cut off or isolated from the rest of the regions.
- Excellent Views.?Overwhelmingly, users praised the breathtaking and unobstructed views, particularly related to periods of either sunrise or sunset.?Of course, it is human nature for positive feelings to result from being “on top of the surrounding world” (provided there are no misgivings about heights in general!).
- Lack of Accessible Outdoor Areas.?Many residents and tenants missed outdoor seating in balconies or terraces, though if available, also cited that they are often unusable due to excessive wind speeds.
- ?Absence of Landscaping.?Residents and tenants of super-tall buildings feel as though they have “lost touch” with landscaping, gardens, sit-outs, and back yard.?As not many buildings have sky-terraces, particularly at super tall levels, residents and tenants feel somewhat deprived of fresh air.
- Safety.?Many residents and tenants indicated that safety was taken for granted when such modern engineering and sophisticated technology is available. However, during typhoons, storms, and adverse weather conditions, residents expressed a general feeling?of uneasiness, being located in the biggest “target” compared to its immediate surroundings.
It is our hope that some or perhaps all of the above points from end users can be specifically listened to and applied to the next super tall towers under design.?While it may not be practical or possible to ensure every one of these considerations is achieved simultaneously, perhaps it will eventually become more popular to approach super-tall building design with a more particular “end-user focus,” were defining characteristics of super-tall buildings are identified and based on what we now know matters to end users.?It is a known fact that owners and architects approach super tall design with a specific and aligned vision, and we owe it to the ultimate “end user” stakeholders to design and construct a product that satisfies their desires, not ours.
