Why do houses have shingles and slanted roofs, but most other buildings have flat tops?
In: 8443
From the engineering side, everyone is spot on. I didn’t think I would have anything to add, but I do.
Commercial buildings have the unique task of generating revenue for the occupants, whether they are owned or leased. Square shapes = maximum volume and usable area. A complicated roof structure (angles and what not) limit the available space inside the structure. Maximum ceiling heights without dead space ensure that you can fit in as much shit as the occupant needs.
In industrial buildings this means huge equipment, in commercial buildings this means maximum square footage with enough overhead (above ceiling) space for utilities. Next time you’re in a hospital, take a look at the ceiling, whether it’s a grid ceiling or drywall ceiling, just know that there’s anywhere from 4 to 8 feet or more of extra space above the ceiling and it is *jam packed* with wires, ducts, medical gas lines, air handling equipment, and sometimes tube systems. Every floor of the building is designed to hold as much *stuff* as possible. And when you get to the roof, that’s where a lot of the heavy mechanical equipment is, and at a hospital, the helipad. Flat roofs offer yet another way to maximize usable square footage.
Frank Gherry’s buildings are beautiful but so complex they have lots of water issues and result in a horrific waste of space. The flip side is that most commercial buildings are just sad looking yet efficient blocks.
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