People Evolving the Use of Tower Blocks as Social Living Systems - Report Example

People Evolving the Use of Tower Blocks as Social Living Systems Introduction and Background NEVO (Natural Evolution), launched by BNP Paribas in the end of 2010, is a show of broader thinking and concepts, when it comes to high-rise tower blocks (BNPParibas, 2012). NEVO is representative of a scalable system, having the tendency to adapt to any kind and context of urban configuration, as it is a unique combination of nature and architecture; with each apartment like a villa, with gardens, space and greenhouse etc. (BNPParibas, 2012) all incorporated into the high-rise tower, making it the perfect image of the modern high-rise community. NEVO is a 228-home tower block, an exemplary innovation which satisfies the Energy Efficient Building requirements; also exhibiting values of sustainability like ensuring the well being of its inhabitants, signifying usability and appropriation of space (BNPParibas, 2012). High-rise tower blocks were made possible as living systems with the advent of the elevator (Princeton, 2012). A Tower Block or a High-Rise is a tall multi-story building or structure used for residential or official purposes, occasionally also referred to as an MDU, Multi Dwelling Unit (Princeton, 2012). They offer not only accommodation but also consist of offices, shops and other community based needs. Tower blocks are becoming a distinguished accommodation solution in the highly populated cities around the world, as they provide technical and economical advantages in urban settings with high density population (Price & Myers, 2012). High-rise towers provide dwelling for more people than solitary homes, while occupying less space and can specially be resourceful in communities with single unit families/couples. High rise tower blocks have been a part of urban high population solution for a long time. Its traces are found through history; in major cities like ancient Rome along with other large cities of the empire; to the Roman Egypt which consisted of up to seven stories buildings; to the Arabian Egypt which had buildings to house hundreds of people in number (Princeton, 2012). The concept of the tower block has been evolving with the ages as people evolve as a society. Where there are those who advocate the residential high rise tower blocks as a solution to the dense cities of the modern times; others tend to view it as an unsuitable solution for the modern city with no pedestrian presence, density, and movement, thus bearing no resemblance with the concept of a traditional city (Pagliardini, Porta & Salingaros, 2008). Traditional cities are known for their hustle and bustle, and the interaction of man with nature, but the concept of a tower block is devoid of it. Green Tower block could be considered a response to such criticism of the tower block living system, as the green tower blocks present with the idea of incorporating environmental friendly designs consisting of plants, green roof tops, or use of environmental friendly technology like solar panels (Princeton, 2012). After the Second World War, nations like France felt the effects of people being dislocated from their homes and the lack of housing facilities, under such circumstances Le Corbusier was commissioned to erect a multi story housing facility, Unite d’ Habitation, which was a monumental success (Kroll, 2010). Le Corbusier introduced modernistic approach in architecture leading to the Bauhaus movement; ‘pure prisms’ and ‘new brutalism’ were the products of his innovative thinking towards low income housing solutions (Craven, 2012). Cities like Adelaide in Australia and Chandigarh in India are examples of his modernistic approach towards urbanism (Moulis, 2012). Park Hill Flats in Sheffield are a cherished example of Brutalist design; the flats have integrated in them four pubs, shops and also on site schools and even a police station, thus designed to be a complete community (Wookie, 2011). T He earned the name of being a Modernistic designer due to his partiality towards high-rise tower blocks, scattered in a park like setting, thus allowing for increasing the density of the city by building high on small places; he believed their circulation could benefit from increased open spaces around the towers, calling such an arrangement of space as La Ville Radieuse (the radiant city) (Preston, 2012). He placed more units in the building, but having double heighted living space, with balconies at each end of the unit, and allowing for cross ventilation of the whole unit by placing brise-soleil on the balcony (Kroll, 2010). Interest has always existed in erecting such tower blocks, for people unable to afford lavish residential living, but such arrangements have seemingly always resulted in creating inhuman living environments (Porta, 2006). High rise towers gain favor among politicians and designers as they are cheap in terms of construction, require less skilled force, have high density and can house more people; such residential arrangements present a modern vision of the mini communities (Heritage explorer, 2003). Presumably family life and an interactive society were considered as the base for the modern planned environment, with areas specified for residential and commercial usage (Rowe, 2011). But these modernized urban planning scenarios fail to understand and lack the geometry that is particular to satisfaction of its residents (Pagliardini, Porta & Salingaros, 2008). Architectural Psychology, relates unpleasant emotions like Fear, dissatisfaction, stress, behavior problems, suicide, poor social relations, reduced helpfulness and hindered child development, with the life lived in high-rise tower blocks (Gifford, 2007). The book High Rise by J. G. Ballard, is a piece of work relating the extreme and supposedly ultimate psychological conditions of a people residing in a tower block residential building. The building has 40 floors, a 1000 apartments to which the author refers to as ‘over priced cells’, swimming pool, a supermarket, gymnasium, salon, restaurant, liquor store and even a junior school (Ballard, 1975), thus presenting the ‘small vertical city’ as a typical representation of the modernistic architectural mini community within a tower block. The residents of the building are from well-to-do social circles, who are affected by the confined and sterile conditions in which they happen to live and become psychologically unstable (Forrester, 2011), as is evident from the opening lines of the book; “Later, as he sat on his balcony eating the dog, Dr Robert Laing reflected on the unusual events that had taken place within this huge apartment building during the previous three months” (Ballard, 1975). Modern architects like Ken Yeang, known famously as the ‘green architect’ incorporates nature in his ‘green buildings’ in an attempt to make nature a part of the high rise buildings to solve the problem of sustainability and increase economy in the buildings (Pasternack, 2009). Eco Towers have environmental and economical benefits and are now looking into the incorporation of high tech gadgetry like ground-level filter beds and water-spray walls for evaporating cooling (Church & Gale, 2000); thus changing the meaning of living in a high rise tower block. Incorporating simplistic changes like using light weight Furniture and dramatic lighting will allow for the space inside the accommodation to not feel confined and cramped, and will be cozier (Nafie, 2012). Research also points out that youngsters living in public sector high rise buildings suffer from high levels of deprivation (Mosaic & Experian, 2012). People living in such towers also feel that they have a lack of private space, and it is specially considered unsuitable for families/children; the high rise towers present an opportunity for dark corners and fear of crime escalation (Heritage explorer, 2003). Research has also shown that the location of a building (Brantingham & Brantingham, 1975), lighting, street activity and crime rate of the larger neighborhood (Repetto, 1974) also play a dominant and siginificant role in the crime rate of a building not bearing any accordance with the building form (Gifford, 2007). Research in High rise towers conducted in Glasgow showed that no more families with children and very less youngsters resided in those towers and people living in those high rise flats showed: detrimentally low levels of educational qualification, had poor health with a preference to spend money on cigarettes and alcohol then on healthy foods, 70% do not pay income tax they are so poor, and they are not bothered about environmental issues; overall relating very high levels of economic and social deprivation (Mosaic & Experian, 2012). High rise buildings have an association with negative outcomes but might not necessarily be themselves responsible for the outcomes (Gifford, 2007). Floor vibrations have also been experienced by people in a high rise building in Toronto, due to resonance caused by human activity (Williams, Rimrott & Cho, 2010). High-rise building might display positive or negative effects on its residents but these factors are by no means effected by the height of the tower, rather they are dependent on other non-building factors such as but not limited to the residents of the building themselves (Gifford, 2007). Architect Ralph Eskrine displayed humane approach towards modernistic architecture, and still maintained the functionality, progress and social morality in architecture; he planned his work as such that he constructed the public areas around the Victorian churches and cobblestone of the Newcastle City Hall, which contributed greatly to the wide acceptance of the project (Rowe, 2011), as modernism and history were kept aligned to the architectural needs of the time. References Ballard, J. G. (2012), “High Rise”. E-book. Available at: http://ebookbrowse.com/ballard-j-g-high-rise-pdf-d195465799 (Last accessed January 9, 2012). Brantingham &Brantingham Cited in Gifford, R. (2007), “The Consequences of Living in High-Rise Buildings”, Architectural Science Review. 50/1. Available at: web.uvic.ca/psyc/gifford/pdf/ASR%20High%20Rises%20proof.pdf (Last accessed January 9, 2012). Church, C. & Gale, T. cited in “Definition of a Sustainable Tower”, Battle McCarthy. Available at: http://www.battlemccarthy.com/external%20site_sustainable%20towers%20website/sustainable%20towers%20_%20Definition.htm (Last accessed January 9, 2012). Craven, J. (2012), “Le Corbusier, Leader of the International Style”, Architecture. About. Available at: http://architecture.about.com/od/greatarchitects/p/lecorbusier.htm (Last accessed January 9, 2012). Forrester, K. (2011), “High-Rise by J. G. Ballard”, Reading Matters. Available at: http://kimbofo.typepad.com/readingmatters/2011/09/high-rise-by-jg-ballard.html# (Last accessed January 9, 2012). Gifford, R. (2007), “The Consequences of Living in High-Rise Buildings”, Architectural Science Review. 50/1. Available at: web.uvic.ca/psyc/gifford/pdf/ASR%20High%20Rises%20proof.pdf (Last accessed January 9, 2012). Kroll, A. (2010), “AD Classics: Unite d’ Habitation / Le Corbusier”, Arch daily. Available at : http://www.archdaily.com/85971/ad-classics-unite-d-habitation-le-corbusier/ (Last accessed January 9, 2012). Moulis, A. (2012), Abstract, “An exemplar for Modernism: Le Corbusier’s Adelaide drawing and the Chandigarh plan”, The Journal of Architecture. 17/6, pp 871-887. Available at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13602365.2012.746043 (Last accessed January 9, 2012). Naffie, C. (2012), “How to Make a Small Room Look Bigger”, Interiordec. Available at: http://interiordec.about.com/od/articlesonbasics/a/smallroomtricks.htm (Last accessed January 9, 2012). “NEVO, An Innovative Concept for a Living Residential Tower Block”, (2012), BNP Paribas Real Estate. Available at: http://www.realestate.bnpparibas.co.uk/bnppre/news-nevo-an-innovative-concept-for-a-living-residential-tower-block-20120306-p_54156 (Last accessed January 9, 2012). Pasternack, A. (2009), “How Green Buildings Should Look: Ken Yeang”, Tree Hugger. Available at: http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/how-green-buildings-should-look-ken-yeang.html (Last accessed January 9, 2012). Repetto Cited in Gifford, R. 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Available at: http://www.google.com.pk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=the%20vibration%20of%20a%20high-rise%20building%E2%80%99s%20columns%20due%20to%20rhythmic%20human%20activity&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Faercoustics.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F05%2FThe-Vibration-of-a-High-Rise-Buildings-Columns-due-to-Rhthmic-Human-Activity-June-2010.pdf&ei=0X3tUIi-G-qq0QXi6oHQBg&usg=AFQjCNGoSvQRf9e7btQppYCpgQ9JLiiqtg&bvm=bv.1357316858,d.d2k (Last accessed January 9, 2012). Read More