Efficiency Goals The efficiency of the overall building layout must be considered during the design process. An overall goal of at least 85 percent building efficiency (net usable area to gross building area, not including parking) must be achieved.
Similarly, the ratio of exterior skin area to floor area must be no more than 50 percent. If these ratios are not achieved, it is unlikely the building’s overall costs will be in line.
Reducing construction time and cost is the key challenge in the design and construction of high-rise residential buildings. Without a relentless drive to lower costs and coordinate the design in a manner consistent with construction sequencing practices, the project will not meet the owner’s cost projections.
A thorough understanding of how to control construction time and cost can bring a project budget in line and make a project feasible.
–Brit L. Perkins, AIA, is a principal of EDI Architecture Inc. in Houston.