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Drivers for high rise living
There were many reasons for the design and construction of high-rise
towers in post war UK as mentioned in the section above. Some of the main
driving forces that enabled the idea of high-rise living to be implemented
are seen below.
1- Structure & Lifts
With the advent of advanced building technology using materials such as
steel and concrete it was possible to build high quality tower blocks with
ease. The structural challenges of building high that were previously
insurmountable were a non-issue because of the availability of modern
building technology. In any case the tower blocks that were proposed in
the UK were of medium height and did not require the sophistication
required for the commercial buildings built in Chicago and other places
during the 19th Century.
With the increase in height, vertical circulation became necessary. . The
lift technology was an outcome of the industrial revolution and it made
going higher possible and was an important component of building towers.
The reliance on mechanical transportation in tower blocks became a problem
because of a lack of adequate maintenance.
2- Political situation
The emergence of the residential tower blocks typology didn’t have a
smooth beginning since this was the first time that such dwellings were
implemented in the country. Once the tower blocks started to appear and
their technical problems were dealt with, local politicians encouraged and
supported the implementation of this new typology. The reconstruction
project had a dual benefit to business and society at the time since it
benefited the disadvantaged in that they had better living conditions as
well as the economy due to large scale building activity.
3- Procurement
With the increase in demand and construction activity, large trades and
projects were commissioned to contractors. Architects and local
authorities traditionally took the role of supervising and guiding the
project, however, the large-scale projects could be said to have started
the trend towards ‘design and build’ procurement for residential
accommodation.
4- The new dwellings and its inhabitants
People were happy to move in to their flats in new modern buildings with
innovative equipments and fabric. Everything presented a bright new life
from the type of building that they were living in to the new conveniences
that it offered. The new dwellings incorporated innovative systems whose
performance was hard to predict at first, when they were being designed
and built.
5- Production vs. Demand
From 1960 onwards, after the inhabitants were used to their new
environment (dwellings) and lived with/used what was considered innovative
systems/fixtures, appliances and fabric, questions were raised about the
socio-psychological impact of the choices that were made.
In the mid 1960’s the relation between providers and users was
straightforward. At first the users used to deal with objects as intended
by providers. Later they started modifying them according to experience
and need. From 1960s onward the users wanted to contribute in the choice
and started to take the role of designers and providers.
6- The change of users with time
In the 1940s during their rise, the tower blocks, being innovative
constructions appearing in the skyline, were praised and people were happy
to live in them, while houses and tenements were condemned. The high-rise
flats were introduced as high and middle class dwellings, which during the
following century became dwellings for working class people, acquiring an
image much different from the expected.
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introduction
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drivers for high rise living |
reasons for decline |
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