Ahmad Faiz b. Abd. RashidDepartment of Quantity SurveyingFaculty of Architecture, Planning & SurveyingUiTM Sarawak

« « Building Morphology and Design Economics»Building Morphology and Design Economics»

This is you

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•Taxi?

•Friend?

•Walk?

Science of study of relationship between human & how they use their limited sources (Robin 1935 cited in Hillebrant 1993 in ‘Economic Theory and the Construction Industry’)

Selection of approaches to use or distributed sources (Khairani 2005)

How to manage things effectivelyeffectively with reasonable costreasonable cost

Being referred as construction economist

To be able to provide better judgment for cost effectiveness

To identify and eliminate/reduce unnecessary items which could help to reduce overall project cost

Building cost is affected by various factors from building design to type of finishing.

The main objective of design team is not to create the cheapestcheapest building but the most cost-effectivecost-effective building (Khairani, 2005).

The best building should be able to: fulfill the functions as it was proposed by the

clients have acceptable designs which suits its function provide value for money (Seeley, 2005)

Design Factor Building Plan Shape Collective Construction of Buildings Building Size Storey Height Total Height of Building Circulation Space

Site Factor Site Factor to Building Size Site Factor to Building Shape Site Factor to Plot Ratio Ground Condition to Building Design Site Location to Building Design

Building ShapeCollective Construction of Building

Building SizeStorey-heightBuilding Total HeightCirculation Space

The shape of a building determines how much it will cost

In general, the simpler the shape, the less it will cost

A B C

By using Wall to FloorWall to Floor ratio where wall area (m2) divide by gross floor area (m2)

A 11m2

B11m2

C11m2

Radius – 1.87m

Wall Height – 3m

Width – 3.31m

Length – 3.31m

Wall Height – 3m

Width – 2m

Length – 5.5m

Wall Height - 3

A B C

Floor Area = 11m2

Wall Area = 35m2

W/F ratio = 3.18

Floor Area = 11m2

Wall Area = 40m2

W/F ratio = 3.64

Floor Area = 11m2

Wall Area = 45m2

W/F ratio = 4.09

The most economical shape is round shape building (Seeley 1989), but is it practical?

Theoretically, a big square building is the most practicalmost practical (Seeley 1989), however it is ugly and not suitable for most buildings.

Hospital, Schools, Factory, Academic Buildings are mostly rectangular in shape? Why is that?

Rectangular shaped building: maximise its natural daylightingnatural daylighting to most part of

the building. CheaperCheaper than other irregular shape building Easier to plan out internal layout of the building

A large square building will have a poor lighting in the centre area.

Petronas Twin Towers

For aesthetic valueAttract people/customersFor prestigious purposes If you want to buy shoes, what are

the characteristics that you look into? Price? Quality? Durability? Design?

"Robot Building" – Bank of Asia, Bangkok

"135 Degree Angle" - Japan "Crooked House" – Poland

“Upside Downer" - Woodworks, Florida "Dancing House" – Czech Republic

More measurement, more foundation works, external wall, wall finishes etc

More complicated in construction procedure, need costly labourers

More electrical wiring, piping and air-conditioning system

Increase in maintenance cost

If a group of buildings is being erected together (terrace/link houses), there will be a cost saving because the party wallparty wall is share between adjacent buildings.

A party wall shall be shared by 2 units of buildings.

See example in page 219, Ekonomi Binaan, (Khairani 2005).

PARTY WALL

A B C

Not all people fancy link buildings. Why?

Discuss for 10 minutes in group of 5 and present your answers.

Some people willing to pay more for privacy rather than to share their wall with somebody else.

It’s all about money !!

Explain and illustrate by using simple sketches and calculations, what you understand about the affect of building shape OR collective building to cost.

Generally, increases in size of buildings usually produce reductions in unit cost, such as cost/m2 of floor area.

HYPERMARKET SCENARIOHYPERMARKET SCENARIO buy in bulk, the price per unit is cheaper compare to when you buy just one item.

ECONOMIES OF SCALEECONOMIES OF SCALE characterizes a production characterizes a production process in which an increase in process in which an increase in the scale of the firm causes a the scale of the firm causes a decrease in the long rundecrease in the long run average average cost of each unitcost of each unit

Rationally, certain fixed costsfixed costs such as transportations, erection and dismantling of site building, and compound for storage of materials, temporary roads etc may not vary significantly.

A larger project is often less costly to build as wall/floor ratio reduces.

See example in page 221 Ekonomi Binaan, (Khairani, 2006)

See also example Fig. 5.2 in page 87 Cost Studies of Building (Ashworth, 2004)

Figure 2.2 shows the effect of doubling the length of a rectangular building on the ratio of wall to floor area. The length of external wall per square metre of floor area is reduced from 3.83mm to 3.17mm, a reduction of 17.25% (Seeley, 1989)

A 6-storey office has 360m2 of floor area on each floor and served by 2 passenger lifts. The total cost of the project of RM928,000 is equivalent to RM430/m2 of floor area and the lifts cost RM54,000, equivalent to RM25/m2 of floor area.

If the floor area was doubled on each storey, the lift provision could remain the same and the cost shall reduce to RM12.50/m2.

Although the construction cost per unit is cheaper generally, it does not mean that the operational cost is operational cost is also cheaperalso cheaper.

It is more cost-effective to build a big building instead of building a few small buildings which have same floor area.

See example in page 222 &223, Ekonomi Binaan, (Khairani, 2006)

Changes in storey height cause changes in the cost of the building without without altering the altering the floor areafloor area.

Discuss for 10 minutes in group of 5 and present your answers.

Main elements that affected by this changes are walls and partitions together with their finishing. There will be also changes in other areas such as: Increased volume to be heated/cooled, higher level of

equipment Longer service and waste pipe to supply sanitary

appliances Electrical wiring and water pipe Staircases, escalators and lift Additional load could result enlargement of foundations Additional maintenance works

Constructional costs of buildings rise with increases in their height but these additional costs can be partly compensate by better utilisation of highly priced land

reduced cost of external circulation works.

Low cost flat are best to be low except in very high cost site locations where luxury rents are obtainable.

Office developments in tower form are more expensive in cost than low rise, however it can compensate by the rent obtainable which may more than the additional cost.

Discuss for 10 minutes in group of 3 and present your answer to En. Faiz

Provision of vertical transportation i.e. hoist & crane.

High operation & safety cost. Increase engineering services i.e.

lifts, garbage disposal, sewage pump, fire fighting and etc.

Provision for bigger foundations, structural frame, staircases and etc.

Higher circulation areas

Required specialist contractors – less competition (IJM is one of the best high rise building contractor in Malaysia)

Wind loading – construction difficulties

Changes in number of storey can be explained by example in page 226, Ekonomi Binaan, (Khairani, 2006) Similar example in Fig 5.5 page 92, Cost Studies of Building (Ashworth, 2004)

Summary of Outcome of Increment in Height of Building to the Cost of Building - Ekonomi Binaan, (Khairani, 2006)

1. Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan 2003 509 m (1,670 ft) 101 storey

2. Petronas Tower I, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1998 452 m (1,483 ft) 88 storey

3. Petronas Tower II, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1998 452 m (1,483 ft) 88 storey

4. Sears Tower, Chicago, United States 1974 442 m (1,450 ft) 110 storey

5. Jin Mao Building, Shanghai, China 1998 421 m (1,381 ft) 88 storey

When Burj Dubai, United Arab Emirates is completed, it will be the tallest building and architectural structure in the world at more than 800 meters (2625 feet). (Wikipedia, 2007)

Circulate means MOVEMENT IN CIRCLEMOVEMENT IN CIRCLE Circulation space entrance halls, entrance halls,

corridors, stairways and lift wellscorridors, stairways and lift wells. Circulation space can be regarded as

‘dead space’‘dead space’ which cannot be used for a $$ profitable $$ purpose and yet involves considerable cost in heating, cooling, lighting, cleaning, decorating and etc.

An economic layout for a building will have its main aims – reduction of circulation space to a minimum.

However, almost every type of building requires some circulation space to provide means of access between its means of access between its sectionssections.

In prestige buildings, spacious entrance halls and corridors add to the pride of the buildings.

If we reducing the width of the corridors to an extent that persons using the building suffer could not really be justified.

Corridors also act as an escape routes in case of fire.

So, cost is not the only criterion which has to be examined.

Aesthetic and functional qualities are also very important.

Circulation space requirements tend to rise with increases in the height of buildings and special consideration should be given when designing high rise building.

The circulation areas are different between types of buildings. Office blocks Office blocks 19%, Laboratories 19%, Laboratories 13%, 4-storey 13%, 4-storey Flats Flats 21% 21% (Seeley, 1989).

For example, an office block costing RM3,400/m2 of gross floor area with 20% circulation space is equivalent to RM4,250/m2 of usable floor area.

This is important in buildings such as office and factories, which may be erected for letting where rent is usually calculated on usable floor area only.

See example in page 228 & 229 Ekonomi Binaan, (Khairani, 2006)

See also example fig 5.3 in page 88 Cost Studies (Ashworth, 2004)

BUILDABILITYBUILDABILITY (refer Ashworth pg 94-95) The extent to which the design of a building

facilitates ease of construction, subject to overall requirements for the completed project.

Largely concerned with the work on site and the practicalities of producing a structure from design.

Design which require unnecessarily complex construction methods and procedures or fail to take into account of the mechanics of the work on site, fail in this respect.

Excellence in Design

TechnologyFunction Aesthetics

Materials Methods AppearanceComfortUsefulness

Cost

In 10 minutes in your own words, elaborate what you understand In 10 minutes in your own words, elaborate what you understand on the above chart.on the above chart.