A TALL STORY

WITH LAND BECOMING SCARCE, MATERIALS, ENGINEERING EXPERTISE AND DESIGN TALENT WORK TOGETHER TO LEVERAGE VERTICAL SPACE

- CAROL FERRAO

Go big or go home seems to be the mantra in the real estate industry. Interestingly, it is the residential sector in India – unlike commercial establishments world over – that prefers to build tall. It’s not just the metros but even satellite cities are reaching for new heights. A mix of supertall and tall structures are currently being designed across the country, each development showcasing the best in vertical transport, building technologies, design capabilities, exceptional terraced landscape and more. For the architecture and design community as well as the construction industry it’s a test of their abilities – how far can the human mind go in making the impossible possible?

Iconic tall structures of the past used to be more structurally-driven,reminds us Rajendra Varma, director, Omkar Realtors. Changing lifestyles and advancements in design and technologies have led to the emergence of modern skyscrapers. “As design philosophy evolved, architects began to (experiment with) forms of the buildings. They conduct a huge amount of research to better understand how materials and structures behave, resulting in better ways of designing and engineering structures. Advancement in design and construction techniques allows engineers to assist architects to create buildings that would have been unimaginable a few decades ago,” adds Varma.

Globally, tall structures were mainly built as commercial premises, now modern skyscrapers are mixed-use buildings housing offices, retail, hotels and even residences.

“The taller residential buildings have changed the aesthetics all together and these buildings are designed with full-height curtain glazing replacing traditional wall and windows,” explains Deepak Chitnis, president – Design, Lodha Group. “As buildings go tall, the shape and form of the structure plays a very important role in reducing the weight of the building materials.”