Luke Hillson’s Post

The Size and Shape of Cities In a recent Dezeen article, Jason Barr presents a compelling argument that tall buildings are a necessity in the urban landscape. We wholeheartedly agree with this position. However, it's evident that skyscraper architecture is still somewhat primitive for several reasons. Firstly, modern architecture should view skyscrapers as vertical extensions of the city rather than monostructures - we shouldn't simply have an "office" or "residential" building. Needs will change over time. This approach can enhance their resilience and adaptability, making them better integrated into the urban fabric. Secondly, we have a long way to go in developing more dynamic approaches to heating, cooling, and powering skyscrapers. The valuable insights from passive house designs and green roofs are underutilized, yet they could significantly improve the environmental performance of skyscrapers. Embracing these technologies can make skyscrapers much better environmentally, aligning them with our climate goals. Lastly, creating connectors around transportation hubs and fostering growth around these arteries is essential. This integration can transform skyscrapers into more efficient and sustainable urban elements, improving accessibility and connectivity within our cities. The author’s most compelling argument, however, is that reducing urban height ultimately extends urban sprawl. This is the real issue here. By building upwards, we can better manage urban density, reduce the strain on infrastructure, and preserve valuable green spaces. As we continue to advance in urban development, it is crucial to innovate and improve the design and functionality of our skyscrapers to meet the demands of the future. https://loom.ly/EqFMPvE #buildings #architecture #urbanplanning

Cities Have Become Obsessed With Taller Buildings Seven times more buildings of 150 metres or taller have sprung up since 2000 than were constructed in the entire 20th century. Five decades ago, the height of the tallest building completed each year globally averaged around 250 metres (55-60 storeys). Nowadays, they are typically double that height. - Dezeen

Stumbled across this interesting article about the importance of well activated ground floor plinths (the ground floor level of a building) for community vibrancy. Many of the buildings developed in the past few decades in Toronto have ground floors with minimal entrance frequency, 'blind facades', grand lobbies, and very little eye-level interest. This is especially true on the Waterfront, where buildings frequently turn their back on the water where pedestrians wish to be, with only 9% of businesses within the Waterfront BIA boundaries having frontages on to the water. The article has a few interesting tid-bits in it: - Researching great streets in London, Paris, and Barcelona, they found that great streets have an average of a new unit every 10 meters, with a public function, house or office in it, with a minimum of every 15 meters. - The design of plinths should be flexible so that they can successfully change uses every decade or so as the economy changes. - The importance of interesting eye-level architecture for plinths "The ground floor may be only 10% of a building, but it determines 90% of the building’s contribution to the experience of the environment" STIPO https://lnkd.in/ge_nFcET

City at the Eye Level, also known as 'Urban Interfaces' or phenomenologically as 'In-between spaces', tells the story of my transition from architecture to interaction design. At the core of every design lie the fundamental principles of human factors, behavioral and psychological theories, and accessibility.

Seven times more buildings of 150 metres or taller have sprung up since 2000 than were constructed in the entire 20th century. Five decades ago, the height of the tallest building completed each year globally averaged around 250 metres (55-60 storeys). Nowadays, they are typically double that height. - Dezeen

Great insights here in the latest The Urbanist podcast with Monocle's Tom Edward and HOK's David Weatherhead. The two discuss the opportunities and challenges to repurposing office buildings, such as HSBC's soon-to-be-vacant Canary Wharf tower, for new and mixed uses. Empty office towers drain neighborhoods of street life and place investors and cities in peril by cutting off lease and tax revenues. Residential conversion is often touted as a solution, but not all office towers lend themselves to easy residential retrofit. So, what might be done to position the Canary Wharf tower for future use and a return to maximum occupancy? David explores the idea and potential solutions to transform the building—and others like it—into a vertical neighborhood with a mix of uses and occupants. https://lnkd.in/gfYnduXV #adaptivereuse #urbanplanning #architecture #retrofit

Think about the future: fully autonomous vehicles are common. Telecommuniting is not just an option of flexible working arrangement but more frequent or permanent. How could we respond the next pandemic? This podcast is a great place for designers to start thinking about and designing buildings with adaptivity, recyclability, and flexibility in mind.

The History of Toronto's Multi-Family Buildings 🏢 Toronto’s skyline wasn’t always filled with towering multi-family buildings, but over the years, the city has transformed into a hub for high-density residential living. From the early apartment developments in the 1920s to the boom of modern condo towers today, multi-family buildings have played a key role in shaping the city's urban fabric. 🔹 1920s–1950s: Early low-rise apartment buildings began to pop up to meet the housing demands of a growing workforce. 🔹 1960s–1980s: Toronto saw a rise in high-rise buildings as the city expanded rapidly, catering to both middle-class families and professionals. 🔹 1990s–Present: With a mix of new developments and repurposing of old industrial spaces, Toronto’s multi-family properties continue to diversify, meeting the needs of a modern, multicultural population. These buildings aren't just places to live—they are part of the city's identity, providing homes to thousands of residents and contributing to Toronto's rich architectural landscape. Looking to invest in multi-family properties? Understanding the city's history can help you see where the future is headed! 🚀 #TorontoRealEstate #MultiFamilyHistory #TorontoBuildings #InvestmentProperties #UrbanLiving #RealEstateEvolution #TorontoSkyline

This is the book that got me interested in urbanism. I'm less bothered by the stunning bits of architecture or state of the art transit systems. What's much more interesting is the lower hanging fruit. The bits of places and systems that someone has given up on, or said "that'll do" to. It's why I love to see photos and films of New York City in the 1970s, because compared to the city I lived in from 2014-2017, the transformation of neighbourhoods was night and day. Returning again now, I'll see significant, if less stark improvements. The Crap Towns book, and its sequels, featured quite a few places I grew up in and around in the UK. Britain really does do the full spectrum of urban life, from total dumps, to chocolate box scenes, to grand Victorian ambitions, and modern revitalisation schemes. What motivates me now though is that we can massively improve our urban environments with some relatively simple practices that place us in the minds of shoes of people who live, work and play in them. It's really a big shift in how we zone and measure. So roads aren't designed to be as fast as possible to drive along, and more places that you really want to stop and spend some time exploring. Or so kids can play safely nearby, or an older person can run their errands, or a pair of business types plan to set up a coffee meeting. Nobody ever designed towns to be crap from the start. Well, apart from Milton Keynes or Mississauga perhaps. But the places we want to work in, or take our family on holiday to, or dream of ambling around tend to have had a bit of care and attention to the emotion. And that's hard to measure. Which makes it hard to make. So all the more fun to try to change.