Urban architecture has included high rise buildings as far back as the Tower of Babel in the Bible’s book of Genesis. “Its top in the sky” is the phrase used to describe the tower and was an idiom for impressive height. Another account mentions that the Tower reached a height of 695 feet, which was taller than any structure built in history until the Eiffel Tower in 1889, which is 1,063 feet in height.

In classical architecture, the landmark was an object set apart by its height, mass and silhouette. High rise buildings often served as accents to highlight the city center or to serve as dominant urban structures. They created a new visual identity and shaped the skylines of the city.

Modern High Rise Condos

Modern high rise condos try to incorporate the topographic features into the buildings and to have a unique expression inherent to the particular cities in which they are located. When a contractor or developer creates tall buildings in cities with century’s worth of history, it may be a challenge, but the past, present, and future should be able to live alongside each other in harmony. Architecture can successfully blend into a location when it is sensitive to the surroundings and the background of the property.

The imperative is to consider the impact on the surrounding city, improved space utilization, environmental strategies, and other factors that serve to increase the value of the building while providing the preferred living characteristics sought by potential tenants.

New high rise construction makes use of the latest technological advances. The advances are also a part of the renewal of unattractive industrial areas for updated purposes. Old industrial areas whose purpose has become lost become a potential place to develop high rise construction.

Urban Living Becomes More Attractive

After approximately 60 years of a single family house in the suburbs being the preferred living arrangement, numerous factors have made those arrangements not as livable. The high maintenance, taxes, insurance, gasoline costs for commuting, as well as other expenses, can make homeowners think longingly of the benefits of urban living.

People are thinking long and hard about living in the smaller and yet efficient atmosphere of a condo in a beautiful high rise building, owning property that needs no landscaping maintenance; an area that is pedestrian friendly and offers mass transit instead of having to bear the high costs of a motor vehicle.

Added to the above are the social assets of having areas and activities in the buildings that bring residents together to easily make new friends and to enjoy a variety of events and hobbies that make for happier living. Additionally, many upscale high rise buildings include fitness centers, a pool, outdoor recreational areas and other desirable amenities.

Some studies predict that by 2050 the population will have reached nine billion and that six to seven billion will be living in cities. There will be a need to continue increasing urban density, and well-built and well-designed high rise buildings are central to achieving that.

Regular car inspections and vehicle maintenance is mandatory so why is a home NOT subject to periodic safety, energy, thermal insulation and environmental standards regulation as well?

In an increasingly PC world why do we allow energy to be wasted and home owners to allow property to fall into a potentially dangerous state or one that is prejudicial to healthy living?

Should not society produce radical solutions likes home-owners having to state how many people have resided at their house (how many days per year, per person in relation to bedspaces available) and what energy costs were paid out for those people for that period. This would be one possible method whereby we begin to see which homes are falling behind – it would begin to tag “at risk” homes.

Recently Google completed the systematic recording of most streetscenes in England for its Google Streets initiative. Think of the cost of this! On the basis that homes at risk of falling into ruin are usually easily identifiable from the outside then it does not take a lot of imagination to realise that most sub-standard or at-risk homes could be identified by either simple human viewing of the front exterior (some flats being the only exception) and/or by means of mobile thermal imaging techniques.

If the above is correct then we can now easily identify most homes at risk and therefore target advice, help and perhaps grant finance. So why is help not always at hand to those who need it most? Why do so many buildings remain in poor order or even vacant for so many years?

Four reasons – finance, red tape, lack of education and lack of motivation:-
1. Society cannot motivate itself sufficiently to care enough.
2. The do-gooders produce solutions then fail to re-educate occupiers in ways to ensure good health and a good environment: often this is as simple as telling occupiers how to reside at any particular home in order to avoid condensation.
3. When we want to help often society often throws up NIMBY objections, Planning Rejections, Building Regulation disapprovals, etc… Red Tape bogs down initiative and solutions and therefore saps at our good intentions.
4. Money makes the world go round but when the needy require property help often the red-tape within the public systems employed to help those in need causes massive profit taking or sub-standard untimely solutions.

I certainly do not wish or seek to belittle the massive help that many organisations can and do deliver to the least well off but what does bother me is that the resources and finance available to help those in need is so fragmented and disjointed that it comes a poor second to, say, the resources put into creating New Build projects for those who can afford a nice environment.

Are our resources and systems out of balance? Yes, I believe they are and that we need to re-consider how support mechanisms operate in future. A fundamental rethink is needed and this starts with early identification of poor housing so our housing stock is systematically improved (worst home owners having their properties taken away from them at discounted rates where no just cause of that property decline can be provided).

Some of you might say: nothing new in the above. I say yes, this is a radical solution because it seeks to identify problem cases before they reach that state whereby they are beyond economic repair and help whereby occupants are immediately displaced. The whole thrust of care becomes focused at the preventative stage before the state has to re-house the victims within our society.

Annual energy and occupancy housing returns linked to visual or thermal imaging generic surveys in identified worst cases. What do you think?

In a sense, a building is a living, breathing organism. Systems go on and off, regular maintenance is required, and security and protection are a must. It would not be wise to completely abandon the building, if for no other reason than creating a good impression with potential buyers. The “care and feeding” of your property is essential, whether by a member of your staff (preferably the person who handled the maintenance while you occupied the building) or a professional manager. When we are hired as a property manager for a vacant building, we use extensive checklists.

We start with the exterior, and probably, at least, a once a week inspection: What is the status of the landscaping and irrigation system? Is there illegally dumped debris, or paper litter? We are also looking for problems like pest control, graffiti, potholes and unauthorized trucks. In the winter, we recommend snow plowing, at a minimum to allow full access to the building by fire trucks. In the spring and summer, grass needs to be cut and beds cleaned.

In general, you want to make the building look as occupied as possible. We highly recommend motion-detecting exterior lighting, as well as internet cameras (which are very reasonably priced today), both of which will discourage illegal dumping and abandoned vehicles, a very major headache for property managers today! If feasible, chains or fences at ingress and egress points of the property will also discourage this activity.

Moving to the interior, we will be inspecting for secure doors and windows are, burglar alarm keypads work, fire sprinkler requirements are met, and that HVAC equipment is maintained. We will also be checking for miscellaneous repairs that might be needed, interior lights, time-clock settings, and plumbing problems. And we also want to make sure that there are no roof leaks, stained ceiling tiles, or birds or animals in the building. We do not recommend “winterizing” a building and turning off the heat (especially with a sprinklered building, which is probably illegal anyway.) Building systems and construction are not designed for temperatures below freezing, so plan on maintaining at least minimum heat. We also suggest leaving a row of lights on in the warehouse, and some lights in the office area, once again to discourage break-ins or other illegal activity.

Some our other functions are to act as a 24/7 response (often behind security company separately hired by our client) for any emergencies at the building, as well as provide regular written reports on the property and actions taken. If requested by our client we will provide three bids from reputable contractors for any work required in excess of a specified minimum. We always obtain a written work-order from the client before proceeding with any work at the property, except in cases of time-of-the-essence emergency.

In summary, you must protect this very valuable asset. The cost of protection will be minuscule compared to the potential cost of neglect.