Skyscrapers have gotten taller, with more twists, and turns in its structure becoming far more outrageous than the last, ever since the erection of the first skyscraper, The Home Insurance Building constructed in 1885, in Chicago. If as a kid, there were any ooh and aah’s directed towards your local shopping mall building, well you haven’t seen the half of it.
There’s an old saying that goes as such, “An architect’s dream is a civil engineer’s nightmare.” The architects reading this might be snickering to themselves. People ordinarily dish out their opinions about buildings based on its façade, and more often than not, forget the structure that keeps it standing. Here are ten guidelines to look for or to keep in mind while designing skyscrapers.
1. The deeper you dig, the higher you can go | Skyscraper Design
Skyscrapers make us tilt our heads back until we are left with a crick in our necks. However, what we are not able to observe are the foundations or the substructure beneath our feet. We can paint a likeness between a skyscraper and the pyramids created by cheerleaders. The more stable the foundation, the higher the pyramid can go.
The point to note here is that one has to keep the depth of the foundation necessary for the structure in mind, without which a skyscraper would not be possible.
2. Commonly used materials
The Second Industrial Revolution or more commonly known as the Technological Revolution saw the mass production of iron and steel. These materials were first used in the Crystal Palace by Ar. Joseph Paxton has now become one of the most widely utilized materials, particularly in high rise structures or skyscrapers, to form the skeleton. To bear the variety of loads imposed on the skyscrapers, engineers opt for a strong iron or steel skeleton.
3. Give back to nature! | Skyscraper Design
“The polar ice caps are melting! How can you do your part to help?”
The concept of sustainable or green buildings has become a popular trend in the architecture world. Architects now have to become self-aware about the growing climatic crisis the world is facing, which will only continue to worsen. We architects have the ability, and opportunity, to create a difference, as well as raise awareness through our designs and buildings. Utilizing passive heating and cooling methods or making use of the daylighting may be a small step to a better future.
Moreover, add the words, organic or eco-friendly in front of anything, and people are sure to buy into it.
4. Beware the big bad wolf!
We have grown up listening to the fables narrated to us by our parents or grandparents. Do you remember the story of the big bad wolf who tried to blow down the little pigs’ house? The wolf in this scenario is the high-speed winds striking the skyscrapers near its peaks. Buildings tend to sway and move when the winds hit the side of the building.
Architects have found several ways to counter this effect. They attempt to ‘confuse the wind’ as it is put. Tapering at the edges, cut-outs at the top, or by curving the edges; are few of the ways to counter-effect the swaying.
5. Sketch it out! | Skyscraper Design
An idea is born with a line or maybe a small scribble on a piece of paper. Great architects like Frank Gehry or Zaha Hadid, to name a few, begin their designs by taking a pencil to paper. With the technology advancing these days, one can assume the sky as the limit, quite literally in fact. There is no idea too big or no design too bizarre that cannot get executed. Go crazy!
An architecture firm in New York is proposing a design for the world’s tallest skyscraper, Analemma Tower, which would hang down from the sky suspended by air cables attached to an asteroid. Yes, you read that right!
6. Create your style
Do not be afraid to let your creativity loose. Concepts often hit you out of nowhere. Make use of any tools at hand to express your idea. Frank Gehry, a pioneer in the deconstructivist style of architecture played around with crumpled paper balls and for the lack of a better word peeped into the dustbin for inspiration.
7. Stand out!
Skyscrapers, by definition, are meant to stand out. However, you may have noticed the monotony in the designs of such structures. You more often than not see cuboidal blocks making up the skyline of a city. Getting inspired by the existing buildings is well and good, but to be noticed in this rat race one must stand out for their uniqueness or peculiarity.
8. Multi-purpose use | Skyscraper Design
While designing skyscrapers, architects must always keep the client and the users in mind. The context or location usually determines the function of the building. For example, a location in a business hub would require a commercial building with the purpose of installing office spaces. The Burj Khalifa in Dubai, for example, is a mixed-use building. It comprises residential apartments, hotels, and offices.
9. Protected view
Architecture always enters a pre-existing environment, and in turn, affects its environment through energy consumption, among other things. Go back in time, before the age of skyscrapers, and you will find that humanity still built high rise structures. The pyramids of Giza are a good start.
Often the context or rather the image of a city provides for the perfect inspiration for an architect. In some cities with an abundance of cultural heritage buildings like Paris or London, there is a law called the ‘protected view’ which prohibits the construction of skyscrapers that might ruin the cityscape. Such restrictions, rather than being negative influences, often help narrow our minds to look in a particular direction.
10. Official guidelines to be followed | Skyscraper Design
Names like ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning Engineers) or CTBUH (Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat) will come up frequently in your searches. They are official governing bodies that provide the guidelines and international standards to be followed by all architects while constructing any structure, including skyscrapers. Having a look through these pages will give you a good idea about the dos and don’ts.
Bibliography
https://uni-span.com.au/news/how-are-skyscrapers-are-made-a-quick-guide-to-the-construction-of-city-buildings/
https://99designs.com/blog/tips/10-design-principles-take-famous-architecture/
https://www.jwkash.com/eight-simple-steps-for-building-a-skyscraper
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/skyscraper/basics.html
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bridaineparnell/2017/03/29/skyscraper_suspended_on_asteroid/#71a8dfd15194
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyscraper_design_and_construction#Basic_design_considerations
https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sustainable-skyscraper-retrofits
