FIXATIONS OF BUILT FORM OBSERVATIONS ON OFFICE AND HOUSING
BY OLINA TERZI
Foreword
2
Till this day, the standards of construction are put into boxes: typologies of buildings remain frozen in their differences preventing their adaptable use over time. We know today that a building can have many lives; however, only 15 to 20% of the existing empty stock can be successfully redeveloped due to spatial limitations related to daylight, access and structure. Inability to respond to changing demand over time has lead to the highest ever rates of urban vacancy for office, reaching a staggering 30% in the Netherlands, meanwhile a housing shortage. Contemporary architecture is yet to face this oxymoron created by the lack of adaptability in its structures. 3
Such facts hint towards the potentials of interchangability of building use. It is however not so simple to adapt. The structure of a building, its geographical location, level of local rents must be suitable for all the work and expense involved in a change of use to be worthwhile. Further to that structural limitations, a lack of or placement of conveniences as elevators and accessibility shafts, concentration of service cores, floor plans’ dimensions, are all likely deal breakers for redevelopment. This research booklet by studying the floorplans of 24 existing buildings aims to reveal the most footprint-consuming building sector hindering adaptable use over time. 4
Research Aim
To discover the most effective architectonic tool to increase the adaptability of buildings over time.
5
Facing such a design challenge in a time when urban lifestyles have started to converge calls for the departure of the typological polarity of Office and Housing. The sharing economy of coliving and co-housing has already transformed real estate in much the same way as it has hotels and taxis, while modern job mobility creates mixed demand of private and shared, fixed and variable spaces. The definitions and boundaries of working and living are broadened and blurred. A meeting room with internet connection has transformed into a sufficient office, while an airport nap room frequently hosts a business traveller on tight schedule. How can Architecture respond to such changes in urban lifestyle? 6
Social Relevance
The convergence of interior lifestyles contradicts the divergence of building typologies.
7
offices
8
housing
9
10
Massing
11
Massing Footprints
12
1922
1512
847
2207
1606
938
2317
1790
1399
3121
1867
1468
2111
1303
861
3584
1331
1009
3840
1898
4920
2014
1224
1255
13
Massing Floorplate cross dimension 19m
42m
21m
23m 28m 24m
23 m 37m 14m
14m
18m 17m
14
18m
12m 19m
12m
14m
24m
20m
16 m 18m
17m
14m
18m
14m
13m 15
Massing Porosity
10%
16
23%
17
18
Facade
19
Facade Naturally lit area
1145 m2
1179 m2
20
856 m2
52 %
328 m2
814 m2
389 m2
658 m2
684 m2
715 m2
1452 m2
731 m2
1065m2
569 m2
930 m2
168 m2
1571 m2
463 m2
72 % 403 m2
723 m2
498 m2
109 m2
436 m2
216 m2
493 m2
21
Facade Envelope area
173 m
236 m
22
201 m
3.5%
123 m
178 m
139 m
192 m
191 m
157 m
260 m
254 m
215 m
184 m
181 m
223 m
450 m
5%
166 m
940 m
577 m
189 m
334 m
322 m
320 m
164 m
23
24
Structure
25
Structure Load-bearing area
120 m2
100 m2
26
58 m2
17 %
36 m2
113 m2
8 m2
34 m2
91 m2
51 m2
107 m2
36 m2
134 m2
186 m2
34 m2
467 m2
92 m2
60 m2
30 % 40 m2
167 m2
190 m2
89 m2
103 m2
165 m2
57 m2
27
Structure Maximum support spacing
10.7 m
12.7 m
28
7.5 m
10 m
5.9 m
13.7 m
6.2 m
13.7 m
6.3 m
10.1 m
17.5 m
8.7 m
6.8 m
10.8 m
7.1 m
6.8 m
6.9 m
7.9 m
6m 6.6 m
4.9 m
5.1 m
4.2 m
7.2 m
5.4 m
5.5 m
29
Structure Type of structure
columns
30
walls
31
32
Services
33
Services Wet Area Cores
34
333 m2
336 m2
225 m2
577 m2
667 m2
3.5
346 m2
318 m2
191 m2
412 m2
328 m2
260 m2
430 m2
586 m2
676 m2
1369 m2
1555 m2
672 m2
19
501 m2
863 m2
779 m2
223 m2
479 m2
286 m2
373 m2
35
36
Access
37
Access Distance to core
24 m
24 m
38
31 m
30 m
11 m
28 m
18 m
25 m
44 m
26 m
45 m
50 m
31 m
17 m
9m
19 m 16 m
21 m
31 m
34 m
20 m
14 m
13 m
28 m
12 m
17 m
39
Access Vertical shafts
144 m2
209 m2
40
72 m2
6%
66 m2
160 m2
74 m2
121 m2
91 m2
73 m2
97 m2
64 m2
86 m2
106 m2
177 m2
111 m2
232 m2
97 m2
5% 72 m2
87 m2
102 m2
34 m2
62 m2
63 m2
124 m2
41
Access Distance to stair
39 m
53 m
42
53 m
42 m
20 m
33 m
30 m
32 m
44 m
44 m
54 m
54 m
43 m
36 m
36 m
35 m 31 m
28 m
53 m
43 m
24 m
44 m
50 m
34 m
17 m
23 m
43
Access Cores
44
1
1
2
2
1.4 1
1
2
1
1
2
1
2
3.7
45
Access Lifts
46
18
6
2
32
10 18
7
4
10
4
4
4
8
1
8
5
2
2
3
6
4
4
3
3
4
4
47
Access Horizontal circulation
48
335 m2
303 m2
207 m2
476 m2
239 m2
19%
149 m2
279 m2
398 m2
291 m2
600 m2
372 m2
190 m2
500 m2
611 m2
719 m2
806 m2
176 m2
16% 248 m2
398 m2
417 m2
99 m2
145 m2
58 m2
161 m2
49
Access Horizontal circulation typology
loops
50
dead-ends
51
52
Appendix
53
Appendix Office Calculations MASSING Footprint
SERVICES Width
Porosity Footprint + (m2) Porosity
% of porosity
Service Areas
% of overall
Wet Area
2CORES
841
21
0
841
0
291
35
225
NEXXUS
938
23
27
965
3
419
45
346
KERRY PLAZA 2
1399
37
90
1489
6
485
35
412
KALPATARU
1468
18
401
1869
21
515
35
430
AIA TOWER
1512
19
405
1917
21
407
27
336
THREE PACIFIC
1606
24
164
1770
9
827
51
667
ATRIUM
1790
14
353
2143
16
281
16
191
BOLERO
1867
18
258
2125
12
323
17
260
KERRY PLAZA 3
1922
42
0
1922
0
476
25
333
SANNO PARK
2207
28
238
2445
10
785
36
577
CURVY
2317
14
353
2670
13
438
19
318
TRIANGLE
3121
17
229
3350
7
425
14
328
Average
1749
23
10
29
Housing Calculations MASSING Footprint
Services Width Porosity
Footprint + Porosity
% of porosity
Service Areas
% of overall
Wet Area
4Houses
906
14
443.3
1349
32.9
257
28
223
ResidenceHall
1009
20
218.8
1228
17.8
541
54
479
4 Towers
1224
14
184.8
1409
13.1
348
28
286
Colonel Fabien
1255
13
484.8
1740
27.9
497
40
373
Gamma Tower
1303
19
7
1310
0.5
769
59
672
6ChineseApts
1331
24
653.5
1985
32.9
573
43
501
Titled ends
1898
18
212
2110
10.0
949
50
863
Scholars Hall
2014
14
970
2984
32.5
881
44
779
Helix
2111
12
784
2895
27.1
691
33
586
Right Angled
3584
12
1594
5178
30.8
852
24
676
16 Houses
3840
18
1097.9
4938
22.2
1479
39
1369
4 Legs
4920
17
1622
6542
24.8
1787
36
1555
2116
16
54 Average
23
40
as
Offices ACCESS % Services
Vertical Shafts’ Access Area (%) Areas (m2)
No. of lifts
Cores Distance to exit
Max. Horizontal distance Circulation from core Area
% % Access Circulation
5
27
132
66
8
2
2
20
11
207
25
32
6
37
147
73.5
8
7
1
30
18
149
16
24
2
29
146
73
5
4
1
44
26
291
21
26
0
29
171
85.5
6
8
2
43
31
190
13
19
6
22
143
71.5
5
6
1
53
31
303
20
25
7
42
320
160
10
18
1
33
28
239
15
25
1
11
181
90.5
5
10
1
44
44
398
22
27
0
14
127
63.5
3
4
1
54
50
372
20
23
3
17
287
143.5
7
18
2
39
24
335
17
25
7
26
417
208.5
9
32
1
53
24
476
22
31
8
14
241
120.5
5
4
2
32
25
279
12
17
8
11
194
97
3
4
2
54
45
600
19
22
6
10
1.4
42
30
320
18.5
24.7
as
23
Housing ACCESS % Services
Access Areas
% Shafts No. of lifts
Cores Distance to exit
Max. Circulation distance Area from core
% % Access Circulation
3
25
68
34
4
3
4
24
20
98.9
10.9
15
9
47
124
62
6
1
2
34
28
145.2
14
21
6
23
125
62.5
5
4
4
17
12
57.6
5
10
3
30
248
124
10
4
4
23
17
161.3
13
23
2
52
194
97
7
4
3
44
14
176.2
14
21
1
38
144
72
5
2
2
31
16
248.2
19
24
3
45
173
86.5
5
6
3
28
21
398
21
26
9
39
204
102
5
2
3
50
13
416.7
21
26
6
28
211
105.5
5
8
1
36
17
500
24
29
6
19
353
176.5
5
4
8
36
9
611.7
17
22
9
36
221
110.5
3
6
6
53
31
719.1
19
22
5
32
232.4 232.4
5
20
4
43
34
805.9
16
5
5
3.7
35
19
362
16.0
34
55
21 21.5
ce
ce
Appendix OfficeOffices Calculations MASSING
STRUCTURE
SERVICES FACADE
Max. Horizontal Footprint % Width % AccessPorosity Load Footprint % + % of Max Service Length distance Circulation Circulation (m2) bearing Porosity Structure porosity support Areas from core Area Area spacing
Facade % of / Artificially Wet Area Footprint overall lit area (m2) (%)
11 2CORES
207
841 25
2132
0 36
841 4.3
0 5.9
123 291
15 35
328225
18 NEXXUS
149
938 16
2324
27 8
965 0.9
3 6.2
139 419
15 45
389346
26 KERRY PLAZA 291 2
1399 21
3726
90 51
14893.6
610.1
157 485
11 35
715412
31 KALPATARU190
1468 13
1819
401134
18699.1
216.8
215 515
15 35
1065430
31 AIA TOWER303
1512 20
1925
405 58
19173.8
217.5
201 407
13 27
856336
28 THREE PACIFIC 239
1606 15
2425
164113
17707.0
913.7
178 827
11 51
814667
44 ATRIUM
398
1790 22
1427
353 91
21435.1
166.3
191 281
11 16
684191
50 BOLERO
372
1867 20
1823
258 36
21251.9
128.7
254 323
14 17
731260
24 KERRY PLAZA 335 3
1922 17
4225
0 120
19226.2
010.7
173 476
9 25
1145333
24 SANNO PARK 476
2207 22
2831
238100
24454.5
1012.7
236 785
11 36
1179577
25 CURVY
279
2317 12
1417
353 34
26701.5
1313.7
192 438
8 19
658318
45 TRIANGLE 600
3121 19
1722
229107
33503.4
717.5
260 425
8 14
1452328
30 Average
1749 18.5
23 24.7
4.3
1010.0
193.25
12 29
320
Housing Housing Calculations MASSING
STRUCTURE
Services FACADE
Max. Circulation Footprint % Width % Access Porosity Load Footprint % + %Max of Service Length distance Area Circulation bearing Porosity Structure porosity support Areas from core Area spacing 20 4Houses
98.9
Facade % of / Artificia Wet Area n Footprin overall lly lit i t (%) area f
906 10.9
14 15
443.3 89
134910
32.9 4.2
223 257
2528
109 223
28 ResidenceHall 145.2
1009 14
20 21
218.8 103
122810
17.8 7.2
166 541
1654
436 479
12 4 Towers
57.6
1224 5
14 10
184.8 165
140913
13.1 5.4
320 348
2628
216 286
17 Colonel Fabien 161.3
1255 13
13 23
484.8 57
14 Gamma Tower 176.2
1303 14
19 21
16 6ChineseApts 248.2
1331 19
21 Titled ends 398 13 Scholars Hall 416.7 17 Helix
500
17405
27.9 5.5
164 497
1340
493 373
60
13105
0.57.9
181 769
1459
463 672
24 24
653.5 40
19853
32.9 6.6
189 573
1443
403 501
1898 21
18 26
212 167
21109
10.0 4.9
334 949
1850
723 863
2014 21
14 26
970 190
29849
32.5 5.1
322 881
1644
498 779
2111 24
12 29
784 186
28959
27.1 10.8
184 691
9 33
569 586
7
Right 9 Angled 611.7
3584 17
12 22
1594 34
51781
30.8 7.1
450 852
1324
930 676
31 16 Houses 719.1
3840 19
18 22
1097.9467
493812
22.2 6.8
1479 940
2439
168 1369
34 4 Legs
805.9
4920 16
17 21
1622 92
65422
24.8 6.9
1787 577
1236
15711555
362
2116 16.0
16 21.5
236.5
337.5
1740
56 19 Average
7.3
Naturally lit interior (% of area)
Facade Area
% Facade % Usable Volume
Services Access Structure Facade Volume
Porosity
61
37
4.4
32
27
32
4
4
31
1
59
42
4.4
34
36
23
1
4
33
3
49
47
3.4
38
28
24
3
3
35
6
27
65
4.4
38
23
15
7
3
30
21
43
60
4.0
45
18
20
3
3
36
21
49
53
3.3
23
38
23
6
3
21
9
62
57
3.2
54
9
23
4
3
45
16
61
76
4.1
57
12
20
2
4
50
12
40
52
2.7
49
17
25
6
3
48
1
47
71
3.2
35
24
28
4
3
32
10
72
58
2.5
65
12
15
1
2
56
13
53
78
2.5
61
10
21
3
2
57
7
3.5
44
21
22
4
3
40
10
52
naturally lit interior (% of footprint)
Facade Area
% Facade % Usable Volume
Services Access Structure Facade Volume
Porosity
88
67
7.4
44
17
10
7
5
29
33
57
50
4.9
17
39
17
8
4
14
18
82
96
7.8
46
20
9
12
7
40
13
61
49
3.9
39
21
16
3
3
28
28
64
54
4.2
19
51
21
5
4
19
1
70
57
4.3
31
25
16
2
3
21
33
62
100
5.3
15
41
23
8
5
13
10
75
97
4.8
21
26
17
6
3
14
33
73
55
2.6
32
20
21
6
2
23
27
74
135
3.8
54
13
15
1
3
38
31
96
282
7.3
23
28
17
9
6
18
22
68
173
3.5
42
24
16
1
3
32
25
5.0
32
27
16
6
4
24
23
72
57
58
0
25
50
75
100
2CORES
27
32
4
4
31
NEXXUS
36
23
4 1
33
3
Services
2116
Average
1
4920
4 Legs
28
24
3
3
35
6
6542
100
KALPATARU
23
15
7
3
30
21
Access
1622
KERRY PLAZA 2
16
17
1787
9
40
36
10
THREE PACIFIC
38
23
6
3
21
Structure
AIA TOWER
18
20
3 3
36
21
23
24.8
ATRIUM
9
23
4
3
45
16
12
20
4 2
50
12
34
32
BOLERO
100
Facade
1555 5
5
24
28
4
3
32
10
5
20
23
4 3.7
CURVY
12
15
2 1
56
13
Porosity
KERRY PLAZA 3 SANNO PARK
17
25
6
3
48
1
Volume
232.4 232.4 35
43
TRIANGLE
10
21
2 3
57
7
19
34 362
805.9
16 16.0
120
0
30
60
90
Appendix Office Calculations
21
17
10
7
5
29
33
2CORES
21.5
0
25
50
75
100
2CORES
27
32
4
4
31
NEXXUS
36
23
4 1
33
3
Services
2116
Average
1
4920
4 Legs
28
24
3
3
35
6
6542
100
KALPATARU
23
15
7
3
30
21
Access
1622
KERRY PLAZA 2
16
17
1787
9
40
36
10
THREE PACIFIC
38
23
6
3
21
Structure
AIA TOWER
18
20
3 3
36
21
23
24.8
ATRIUM
9
23
4
3
45
16
12
20
4 2
50
12
34
32
BOLERO
100
Facade
1555 5
5
24
28
4
3
32
10
5
20
23
4 3.7
CURVY
12
15
2 1
56
13
Porosity
KERRY PLAZA 3 SANNO PARK
17
25
6
3
48
1
Volume
232.4 232.4 35
43
TRIANGLE
10
21
2 3
57
7
19
34 362
805.9
0
30
60
90
120
17
10
7
5
29
33
2CORES
21 21.5
16 16.0
Housing Calculations
59
24
4 4
15 20 3
38
23
36 2832
4
28 23
36
3
3 3
7 18
23 24 18
Office
15
THREE PACIFIC ATRIUM 20
ATRIUM BOLERO
28
23
100
100
10
10 2CORES
NEXXUS
KERRY PLAZA 2
KALPATARU
18
AIA TOWER
75
75
100
2 1 3
2115
6
24
24 17 4 2
28 12 10
12
Housing
25
23
24
17
12
ATRIUM
23
BOLERO
KERRY PLAZA 3 SANNO PARK
75
40
100
10
24
24
23
50
50
3 4
3 75
50
50
4
4 6
4
75
6
40
25
25
25
25 50
60
0
Access Facade Porosity
Services Structure Volume
21
21
0
22 2CORES
Access Facade Porosity
25
2CORES
0
27
27
2CORES
6
16 0
2CORES
25
2CORES
27
21
0
24
4
50
3 4
Services Access Structure Facade Volume Porosity
16
16
22
22
CURVY TRIANGLE
20
23
9 THREE PACIFIC
2 13 4
100
100
75
40
25
BOLERO KERRY PARK PLAZA 3 SANNO KERRY PLAZA 3 SANNO CURVYPARK
38
36
2 3
50
15
17 3 12 4
12 9
9
28
28
20
20 23 23
23 38
KERRY PLAZA 2 AIA KALPATARU AIA PACIFIC TOWER KALPATARU TOWER THREE
27
4 2 45 25
20
3
NEXXUS RY PLAZA 2
s e
4 1
3 3 4 2 46
3
30
Conclusion 15
32
6
3 3
37 3
7 24
0
2CORES
A large percent of overall footprints is consumed by static and therefore non-flexible elements; namely by Structure, Facade, Services and Access cores. These take up 50% of office space and 54% of residential. Access is discovered to be the most footprint-consuming sector, responsible for 16% and 22% of static space in office and housing respectively. Overall, although only slightly higher, residential fixation is more problematic, as elements such as plumbing fixtures and access shafts are considerably less compact, while the use of loadbearing walls and the 20% higher need for natural light, all hinder the potential flexibility of the space. 61
Static spaces Access + Services + Facade + Structure Structure OFFICES
50%
10 m spacing / 4.3% of area
62
Structure
HOUSING
54%
6.5 m spacing / 7.3% of area
63