15 Important Things to Remember in Designing

Vertically Directed Structures

A Research Paper Presented to Architecture Department

College of Engineering Architecture and Technology
De La Salle University – Dasmariñas

In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements in

ARCH421/ARCH421S – Architectural Design 8
for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Architecture

Architect Scissel S. Naing

Adviser

Presented by

Rivera, Jo-anne G.
201201421

04/05/2016
2nd Quarter SY 2015 – 2016
 15 Important Things to Remember in Designing Vertically Directed Structures

1. Height Restriction (in reference with Municipal Ordinance, Zoning and Occupancy) – there are laws that restrict
the maximum height of structures. Some restrictions limit the height of new buildings to avoid blocking the views of
an important landmark by a government. For example, PRESIDENTIAL DECREE No. 1537 dated January 4, 1978
ENTITLED "Providing for the preservation of the walls of Intramuros and the restoration of its original moat and
esplanade" that includes preservation and restoration of the walled city.It states (Section 10) that the height of
buildings within the Intramuros district shall be based upon the widths of streets on which the building abuts but the
total height of the structure shall not exceed 30 meters. No tower shall be 35 meters high measured from the top of
the sidewalk.

2. Incremental Setback - The horizontal distance between the

outermost building/structure line of a lower floor and that of a
higher floor.

3. Water Pump Capacity – Vertically directed structures have

very complex and challenging plumbing systems. Booster pump
sizing, maximum and minimum pressure zone, water heater
pressure, domestic hot water return pumping and drainage and
vent stack shall be considered.

4. Elevators - Building access is crucial in the development and

feasibility of Vertically directed structures. The building’s
function (office space, residential, hotel or a combination of
these), the probable population and peak demand (either the
up-peak, down-peak or lunch-peak) form the determining
Figure 1. Incremental Setback of C-3 Building along 14.00 M
factors. RROW

5. Fire Exits and Refuge Areas - The multiple floors of a vertically directed structures create the accumulative effect
of requiring great numbers of persons to travel great vertical distances on stairs in order to evacuate the building.
Refuge areas are such areas in a building where people can take shelter in case of a fire. These areas are often
misused by developers who slyly convert them into habitable areas.

6. Building Automation - Many building owners and occupants who want to cut operating expenses and improve
energy efficiency look to replacing or upgrading systems such as HVAC and lighting. If done with proper planning and
the knowledge of how systems interact, this can be an effective step toward reducing expenses and energy usage.
Building automation in lighting, water and air conditioning systems conserves energy.
7. Utility – the placement of power generating houses, generator set and air conditioning control systems are
important. Most of these shall be present on each floors of the vertically directed structures.

8. Floor Area Ratio - is the ratio of a building's total floor area (gross floor area) to the size of the piece of land upon
which it is built. The terms can also refer to limits imposed on such a ratio. If a community wishes to encourage
more walking and vibrant, sociable urbanism, it should require at least 1.5 FAR. Anything less than about 1.0 locks a
community into sprawl, unwalkable and unlovable design, extreme auto dependence and downwardly spiraling
downtowns, because low FARs create unwalkably large spaces that are more car-scaled than people-scaled.

9. Typical Floor Plate – typical floor plate includes the utility

core. This includes the AHC rooms, common restrooms,
elevator shafts, fire exit stairs and others. It can also be referred
as the utility core.

10. Security - The security requirements of any building are

driven by two major factors: the assets at risk and the threats
to those assets. The assets are broadly defined as anything that
helps the profitability of the business. For the building owner
and/or manager, that includes the structure, the infrastructure
(e.g., HVAC, telecom), image, building operations and
operations staff. For the occupier or tenant, the assets include
employees, their valuables, the infrastructure (particularly IT),
intellectual property, office equipment, corporate image and Figure 2: Typical Midrise Floor Plate of 151 North Franklin
Chicago
other valuables (e.g., cash, art, negotiables).

11. Parking Spaces - First and foremost, parking structures—either basement, structured, or surface—must provide
for the safe and efficient passage of automobiles as well as visitors to and from their vehicles. Therefore, attention
should be given to providing the maximum driver visibility possible at all turning points along the roadway.

12. Building Penetration – The type of building is important when considering

water penetration. On the whole, high rise building are more prone to water
penetration. This is because at the higher levels, wind-driven rain penetrating
into the numerous high rise buildings can be critical. Understanding the effects
of water penetration will help to explain most of the building problems
resulting in physical or chemical changes in building materials.

13. Indoor Environment Quality - Since the personnel costs of salaries and
benefits typically surpass operating costs of an office building, strategies that
Figure 3. Facade failures: Rain-driven leak,
lack of internal drainage and cracking due
to building materials
improve employees’ health and productivity over the long run can have
a large return on investment. IEQ goals often focus on providing
stimulating and comfortable environments for occupants and
minimizing the risk of building-related health problems. To make their
buildings places where people feel good and perform well, project
teams must balance selection of strategies that promote efficiency and
conservation with those that address the needs of the occupants and
promote well-being. Ideally, the chosen strategies do both: the
solutions that conserve energy, water and materials also contribute to
a great indoor experience.

14. Height-to-Width Ratio – the most significant factor that affects the
design of multi-storey frames is the height-to-width ratio. Assuming
that bay sizes remain constant the increase of number of stories will
reach a point above which any further increase of storey will require
additional amount of steel in columns and beams beyond what would Figure 4. LEED Silver-Designed Tower Receives Splash
of Color and Modern Aesthetic from Sustainable
otherwise be required only to support the gravity load. Metal Sales Wall Panels

15. Aesthetics - The selection of specific forms carries meaning to us, whatever choice is made. Usage of glass can be
about transparency, therefore, honesty. On the other hand, concrete could be defined as opaque, for privacy.
Appreciation of a building’s beauty corresponds to different principles and key elements like symmetry, contrast,
pattern, and many others.
 References

 National Building Code of the Philippines (PD1096)

 Moore, Marky (2012). Building Automation Control Systems Take Efficiency to the Next Level. Retrieved from
< http://highrisefacilities.com/building-automation-control-systems-take-efficiency-to-the-next-level/ >
 Iyer, Meera (2015). WHAT IS REFUGE AREA IN HIGH RISE BUILDING?. Retrieved from <
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-refuge-area-high-rise-building-chs-solutions-meera-iyer- >
 National Fire Protection Association. FAQS ABOUT BUILDING EVACUATION. Retrieved from <
http://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/for-consumers/occupancies/high-rise-buildings/faqs-about-
building-evacuation >
 Deems consulting engineers. Elevator planning for high-rise buildings. PDF File
 George, Ron (2014). High-rise plumbing design and plumbing codes. Retrieved from <
http://plumbingengineer.com/content/high-rise-plumbing-design-and-plumbing-codes >
 Wikipedia (2016). Height restriction laws. Retrieved from <
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Height_restriction_laws#Philippines>
 Nozzi, Dom (2014). High-rise plumbing design and plumbing codes. Retrieved from <
https://domz60.wordpress.com/2010/06/29/what-is-a-floor-area-ratio-far-and-why-is-far-important-to-
urban-design/>
 Khan, Fazlur R. (1965). Design of High Rise Buildings. PDF File
 Wikipedia (2016). Floor area ratio. Retrieved from < https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floor_area_ratio >
 Aggleton, David G. (2008). The Evolution of High Rise Security. Retrieved from <
http://www.securityinfowatch.com/article/10543435/the-evolution-of-high-rise-security >
 U.S. Green Building Council (2014). Green Building 101: What is indoor environmental quality?. Retrieved
from < http://www.usgbc.org/articles/green-building-101-what-indoor-environmental-quality>
 Lim, Bill (1988). Control of the External Environment of Buildings. Retrieved from <
https://www.wbdg.org/design/park_basement.php >
 Whole Building Design Guide (2009). Parking Basement. Retrieved from <
http://plumbingengineer.com/content/high-rise-plumbing-design-and-plumbing-codes >
Image Sources

Figure 1: Retrieved from the National Building Code of the Philippines

Figure 2: Retrieved from < http://151northfranklin.com/wp-content/uploads/floor-plate-midrise.png>

Figure 3: Retrieved from <

http://www.buildings.com/Portals/1/images/Magazines/1011/B_1011_Moisture_Failure6_lg.jpg >

Figure 4: Retrieved from < http://www.metalsales.us.com/sites/default/files/styles/project-detail-lightbox-full-

900/public/press/berg-141010-6807-o-copy.jpg?itok=yYanRogV >