Commercial Office Tower - Current Trends - Case Study Example

University ------------------------------ Faculty ---------------------------------- Research Report: Commercial Office Tower Lecturer: ---------------------------- Student: Date: 8th May 2012 Part I Table of Contents 1.0Executive Summary 5 “Let it not be imagined that building, merely considered as heaping stone upon stone can be of great consequence, or reflect honour either upon nations or individuals”.- Johnson, Donald Leslie. 5 It is not easy to comprehend any rational cultural development in the 19th century. The period is one that is filled with unending dependence and curious uncertainty in the direction of the growth of nations. However, it should be noted that it was during this period that the first real attempts at discovering an Australian own Architecture began. The efforts of doing so were mainly directed towards products, potential and writings (Leslie 2002). 5 According to Leslie, 1890 saw architects such as James Izett and Howards Joseland raise questions about what tools might be of used in guiding Australian development in Architecture (Leslie 2002). Both of them were of the opinion that climate was the answer but then James Green, another writer working with the London Architectural journal “The Builder”, thought that as much as climate was important, thought should also have been directed at style. This was a clear indication that there was an already existent outlook towards modern building styles.The styles were however divided into categories; public and urban buildings were grouped together, household architecture was another such group. 5 In America, there were vacation chalets or cotteges some of which were grand houses and were part of the growing interest in bungalows and cottages as identified by Green. More realistic efforts were also being made locally in an attempt to respond to the above mentioned question. In Sydney for instance, Henry Lucien invented an “Australian order of Architecture” in which he suggested local plants as opposed to the Acanthus leaf and/or ionic volute of Greek origin, but all his ideas only remained on paper, never to be executed (Moore 1948) Much of the debate soon dissappeared towards the end of the century only to be revisited in the 20th century when Robert Haddon who was an immigrant from england and who became a teacher of modern english styles in Melbourne published a book expressing a desire for national architecture (Leslie 2002). “Australian Architecture”, a book he published carried a few inventive ideas apart from one or two somewhat new ideas on modernization at that time but that was as far as it all went with no practical examples to go with his theories. 6 Industry Sector 6 1.0 Executive Summary 2.0 Industry Sector 2.1History of the Industrial Sector 2.2 Current Trends 2.3 Difference Between the Old and the New Industry 2.4 Explain the Change 2.5 The Future of the Industry 1.0 Executive Summary “Let it not be imagined that building, merely considered as heaping stone upon stone can be of great consequence, or reflect honour either upon nations or individuals”.- Johnson, Donald Leslie. It is not easy to comprehend any rational cultural development in the 19th century. The period is one that is filled with unending dependence and curious uncertainty in the direction of the growth of nations. However, it should be noted that it was during this period that the first real attempts at discovering an Australian own Architecture began. The efforts of doing so were mainly directed towards products, potential and writings (Leslie 2002). According to Leslie, 1890 saw architects such as James Izett and Howards Joseland raise questions about what tools might be of used in guiding Australian development in Architecture (Leslie 2002). Both of them were of the opinion that climate was the answer but then James Green, another writer working with the London Architectural journal “The Builder”, thought that as much as climate was important, thought should also have been directed at style. This was a clear indication that there was an already existent outlook towards modern building styles.The styles were however divided into categories; public and urban buildings were grouped together, household architecture was another such group. In America, there were vacation chalets or cotteges some of which were grand houses and were part of the growing interest in bungalows and cottages as identified by Green. More realistic efforts were also being made locally in an attempt to respond to the above mentioned question. In Sydney for instance, Henry Lucien invented an “Australian order of Architecture” in which he suggested local plants as opposed to the Acanthus leaf and/or ionic volute of Greek origin, but all his ideas only remained on paper, never to be executed (Moore 1948) Much of the debate soon dissappeared towards the end of the century only to be revisited in the 20th century when Robert Haddon who was an immigrant from england and who became a teacher of modern english styles in Melbourne published a book expressing a desire for national architecture (Leslie 2002). “Australian Architecture”, a book he published carried a few inventive ideas apart from one or two somewhat new ideas on modernization at that time but that was as far as it all went with no practical examples to go with his theories. Industry Sector 2.0 The Construction Industry in Australia The construction Industry affects the lives of every individual in Australia. Its is the source of homes in which people live, facilities such as hospitals, entertainment facilities, Schools, etc and even infrastructure for the transport of resources such as water, supply of energy and even telecommunication. It plays a key role in other industries such as the finance and Manufacturing industries (ABS 2003). Of importance to the nation development and related to the construction industry is Engineering construction as mining projects depend greatly on it. This section will look at key factors of the industry and how it has affected the economy and employment; the construction Industry contributed about 8.15 to the Gross product in Australia in the period 2002-03, construction related activities grew by 40.5 for the immediate five year period preceding 2002-03 with the main factor being construction Engineering, Residential or domestic buildings increased by 40.6% in the period between 1998 and 2003, Investments in the industry grew from $159 million to $241 million in 2002-2003, the industry employed close to eighty thousand people which is about 8.1% of Australia’s workforce, etc. The list is inexhaustible. Australia’s construction Industry consists of two main sections namely; General construction and construction trade services. Both have over 40 subsections (ABS 2003) 2.2 History of the industry sector Commercial Office towers are the present new high rise office typologies for Australia through their mixture of technologically inventive elements such as; Counteracting facility cores - Commercial office towers consist of concrete cores, fire containing stairs, toilets and stairs, toilets and risers which are counteracting to specific sides of the buildings and allow for uninterrupted floor plates (Bressi 2008). Column free floor plates – these allow users of the buildings access to supple fit outs and prospective business requirements. They also support raised computer floors which in turn contribute to reduction in churn timings and costs for users (Bressi 2008) Atriums – Atriums are part of the building mechanical system that provides for the management of paths and a method to control the release of heat and smoke from within the buildings which is an environmental measure during emergencies or even normal operation times (Bressi 2008) Scenic lifts – This is a great feature in Commercial Office Towers that enhances the control of traffic. They are also a source of attraction for interest for the businesses housed by the tower for 24 hours of the day both at the ground levels as well as across city skylines (Bressi 2008) Fire engineering support systems – improved fire engineering models and thorough evacuation systems create a more practical way of solving fire emergency issues. Architectural roof features – Excessive roof heights that tower way above the normal roof levels provide for structured iconic bare bone or skeleton elements which are important for future transformations and changes in the structure of the buildings. They are also ways of creating a balance (Bressi 2008) Commercial Office towers present a new, daring and different sense of uniqueness that acts as a focal point and calls for collaboration between team members and a link between private owners in the industry and the Australian Authorities since they call for commitment towards the achievement of long term quality buildings. Building Codes and Regulations (Bressi 2008) The design structures of the Commercial Office towers must also be carried out according to pertinent SAA codes and the governing code of buildings in Australia, Fire Engineering codes need to be followed where they are required by the City Council in Australia and other authorities such as in composite floor structural steel floors, roof and sail elements in order that they may assist in deleting the traditional constructions of steel that were mainly fire rated Relevant Codes and Standards Commercial Office Towers are regulated just like any other types of buildings and they must therefore comply with general local and/or state building codes. In order to be licensed by the state, designs must be in compliance with the state’s licensing regulations. The codes of specific state and local buildings are centred on the International Building code (IBC) (WBDG 2012). They must also meet federal standards of the National Fire Protection Act (NFPA), model codes on fire such as Standards for Health Care Facilities (NFPA 99) and the Life Safety Code (NFPA 101) The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) goes for all public facilities as far as design and accessibility requirements are concerned. The Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Guidelines (ABAAG) or GSA’s ABA Accessibility Standards apply to federal and federally funded facilities (WBDG 2012). Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements also affect Building designs. There are also special detailed standards that are designed by federal agencies that govern programming, design and construction of buildings which also apply to non-governmental building projects. 2.3 Current trends in the industry sector In Sydney, building and construction industry is regarded as a primary driver in its economy. Construction industry is made up of residential buildings, commercial buildings and engineering construction. In the modern age this has grown to include Commercial Office Towers which cannot obvious be ignored. (Invest in Australia 2011). It also includes architectural and engineering services while its primary focus is on the domestic market (Economic watch 2010). Office building has picked and marks the extent of economic growth and activity of the 21st century. Given the need created by the nature of employment, construction of business towers has dominated the shift in constructions industry trends. As such, skylines towers in Australian cities as well as globally are the mark of progress related to globalization: financial, economic activity, technological and social (WBDG 2012). This increased demand comes not only with volume changes but also in the quality of towers constructed. This is to meet needs specifics that characterise today’s business needs for productivity, flexibility, health, energy conservation and environmental performance. In responding to these needs, there is a trend for modern buildings that are technologically sound and that focus in certain building attributes such as space, modernization, and key design considerations (WBDG 2012). With regard to space, there is a demand for diversity of services from towers for tenants or owners. As such, new towers must incorporate at least all the following amenity areas: office spaces, support spaces for employees and clients, administrative spaces and spaces for maintenance and operation of the tower. Support spaces for employees and clients dotting contemporary towers include lobbies, convenience stores, toilets, common areas, parking areas and childcare spaces amongst others. The provision of such spaces has demanded a focus on design considerations key and specific to 21st century needs: sustainability, productivity, technological soundness, cost effectiveness, productivity, flexibility and urban planning (WBDG 2012). Building construction is much needed due to the much needed development that will drive the economy. With the current trend, engineers are considering public spaces, environment and the view of the construction. The construction of MLC and Centre Point towers put these three things as the main factors for coming up with the building design. In fact, the current trend is much influenced by the environment. For instance, the commercial Office towers were developed with the working environment in mind. The sustainability strategies were used as a way of achieving a 6 Star Green Star Certified Rating. The current trends are also influenced by technology used in building construction. Apart from advances experienced in construction materials and techniques, the construction of modern office towers has to make a consideration for technical connectivity. This makes reference to installations of robust informational technology infrastructure. The global economy is highly information based and tenants now seek places to enhance competitiveness (Wang and Yang 2010). As such, property developers are required by trends to plan and develop buildings with such accommodations. In this regard, safety and security of the tenants is a vital consideration as well as sustainability (WBDG 2012) of the environment. The IT infrastructure as well as other installations and the general design have to substantially regard energy efficiency and continued innovations. 2.4 Differences between the old and the new industry Before 21st century, the Australian building and construction industry suffered from low and declining profits. This decline was brought about by misallocation of risks within the industry (Champ et al 2011). Technologically, the older industry seemed decidedly different from the current industry. Many contractors in the older industry were sidelined due to lack of technology available in today’s industry. The technology used to construct the MLC commercial tower is different from the technology used to construct 1-Bligh Street building for instance. This is the main difference between the old and current construction industries. Another fact that differentiates the old from the new construction industry is the factors that create risks in the construction industry in Sydney. The old industry is comprised of contractors and clients with limited information about the risks associated with building construction (Champ et al 2011). The current industry is comprised of both contractors and clients understand the risks in the construction industry. This challenge has forced construction managers to come up with training courses directed to the construction workers. The older industry was flooded with capital contraction. However, this did not help buildings from collapsing (Weaver 2005). In addition to that, the older industry was mostly comprised with smaller construction companies, which were later acquired by leading companies in the industry. Most of the companies managed to thrive through client satisfaction as well as technical expertise even though a majority of them were perennially under pressure (Champ et al 2011). The older industry was mostly comprised of commercial builders, which is a mixture of engineering and non-residential constructions. However, the current industry has incorporated both commercial and non-commercial builders. The difference between the old and the new industries bring about the trends in the construction industry. The current industry is experiencing what is termed as demand side boom (Weaver 2005), whereby most clients are building to own the complete project. This is different from the old construction industry. In 1980s, the building boom was mainly a supply side boom whereby clients were building for commercial purposes (Weaver 2005). Despite of these differences most of the industry contracts and attitudes available in the old industry were shaped by engineering experience to what is currently being used now (Weaver, 2005). Note that, clients and their needs differ between the two industries. The current clients include property trusts, government agencies, PPP consortiums and industrial and resource companies (Weaver 2005). This is much different compared to the client based on the old industry, whereby government agencies comprised the most clients. Most of the building in the old industry used concrete to build most of the parts. However, this has changed with glass being the new wall. Concrete is still used, but as fur transparency and environment is concerned; glass has become an extremely valuable material. The MLC has been constructed using steel and glass on most outside part. This was done to increase the transparency as well as improve on the working environment of the offices in the building. 2.5 Why the industry has moved to this form The construction industry in Sydney has changed due to several reasons. However, the increase in both small and large business activities, in the city, has majorly contributed to the changes currently in the industry. The construction of 1-Bligh was mainly targeted to businesses since most parts of the building have been constructed in the form of offices. Another fact that has caused the movement in the industry is the challenges caused by globalization and advanced in technology (Wang and Yang 2010). Technology advancements have brought about changes in how construction structures are designed. The environment has also contributed to the movement currently in the construction industry. In fact, environment is one of the things that were considered where coming up with the Commercial Office Towers. The environment has enabled many construction companies in Sydney to understand the task as well as identify the opportunities and threats available in the market (Wang and Yang 2010). This does not mean that these aspects lacked in the old industry, but provides the fact that, most of the construction aspects have changed due to several factors available in the market. 2.6 Future of the industry The future of the Commercial Office Towers industry sector in Sydney will be profoundly influenced by innovations and advancements in how structures are laid. One of the things expected to change the construction industry is the introduction of geopolymers. This has been an enormous advancement in the construction industry and is expected to revolutionize the way structures are created in Sydney (ALLIED 2012). The future of the Australian construction industry is likely to take a direction where, the industry will be building for growth. One of the reasons of taking this direction is to create a more informed market place, while maximizing global business opportunities (CRC 2012). The MLC project was based on green technology but is likely that, by maximizing global business opportunities, the construction industry in Sydney will foster technological innovation (CRC 2012), and at the same time try to create an environment that is practical and regulatory. It has been estimated that, by the year 2020 the construction industry in Sydney will grow with revenue of about $28.6 billion. The industry itself is expected to grow by 2.1% of what is currently regarded as the industry growth. References 1-Bligh Street, Sydney, 2012, Retrieved 4 2, 2012, from Architectus : http://www.architectus.com.au/projects/1-bligh-street-sydney ABS, 2003, The Construction Industry in Western Australia, Sydney: ABS. ALLIED, 2012, 5 Great Advances in The Australian Construction and Manufacturing Industry, Retrieved 4 2, 2012, from Allied Bearing : http://www.alliedbearings.com.au/blog/5-great-advances-australian-construction-manufacturing-industry/ Bressi, R, 2008, Project case study of 126 Phillip Street, Sydney, Commercial office tower, Sydney: Bovis Lend Lease. Construction & Infrastructure Industry in Australia, 2011, Retrieved 4 2, 2012, from Invest in Australia : http://www.investinaustralia.com/industry/infrastructure-construction/construction-infrastructure-industry-australia CRC Construction Innovation, 2012, C2020 Vision, The Future of the Australian Construction Industry? Sydney : CRC Construction Innovation . Economy watch, 2010, Construction Industry Trends, Retrieved 4 2, 2012, from Economy watch: http://www.economywatch.com/world-industries/construction/trends.html Guihai Wang, J, Y, 2010, Business development strategy and Australian construction industry, International Journal for Construction Marketing vol 2, Issue 1 , 34 - 45 Leslie, J, 2002, Australian Architecture 1901-51: Sources of Modernism. Sydney: University of Sydney Library Moore, J, 1948, The recnet past and the contemporary scene, The Architectural Review , 10-18 Susan McGrath-Champ, S, R, 2011, From One Skill Shortage to the Next: The Australian Construction Industry and Geographies of a Global Labour Market, JIR The journal of industrial relations vol 53 no. 4 , 467-485. WBDG,2012, WBDG, Home, Retrieved April 2012, from www.wbdg.com: Building Regulations Weaver, P,2005, Construction - A risky business, SOuth Melbourne : Mosaic Project Services Ply Ltd Read More