Building Code Revision
The attacks of September 11 were some of the worst ever experienced in the history of the United States. These attacks generated a widespread feeling of insecurity and uncertainty throughout America, compelling the government to revise safety measures and protocol pertaining to the wellbeing of the United States. However, some aspects of security under modification, such as building codes, are being questioned by many. The collapse of the twin towers, due to the impact from the airplanes, spurred a movement focused on strengthening the integrity of skyscrapers and other high-rise buildings throughout the United States. Though the terrorist attacks proved to be a tremendous tragedy, the application of measures this great is not seen as a proven necessity. The circumstances of the incident proved to be so extraordinary that dramatic modifications to the structure of building should not take place because of such an event. Therefore, the building codes of skyscrapers should not be changed due to the terrorist attacks of September 11.
The modifications of existing building and the construction of new ones under the most recently proposed building codes would be too costly to implement. The billions of dollars would be required into order to perform the suggested renovations. Marolyn Davenport, a vice president at the Real Estate Board of New York and a member of the task force, states that, “Burdensome restrictions would make construction too expensive.” He goes on to say, “While you want to incorporate safety features, at the same time we have to compete with surrounding areas” (Qtd. in Chan 1). Buildings that would fall subject to the new building codes would be given an unfair advantage in the competitiv...
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...state and local governments to drastically revise the skyscraper building codes in the United States. It would cost far too much money to implement all of the standards that are being requested by state legislatures. In addition, there are many methods that have proven to be more effective means of reducing the threat of terrorism surrounding this country. Though some of the suggested codes have been passed and are now currently in the code, an instant change to building regulations is unlikely. The need for many of these modifications is still under debate and their fates are yet to be determined. Good has come out of the efforts to modify high-rise construction codes, but the potentially beneficial aspects are far outweighed by the negative. Skyscrapers stand tall despite the terrible events of 9/11 and should not be unnecessarily altered because of them.
...afety should have inspected the building prior to issuing permits for further renovation, especially knowing this structure was going to be housing 124 residents. It seems that lack of knowledge from prior owners and lack of responsibility of city officials are responsible for this collapse and sadly, the loss of 9 brave men in the line of duty. The Boston Fire Department could have worked closer with the owner/ construction crew at the Hotel Vendome, and the deficiencies would have been found, and they would have known the instability they were walking into on June 17. At that point, firefighting operations would have more than likely been defensive. The firefighters did not conduct pre-incident planning which would have let them know they were going to face the construction barriers while attempting to lay hose, maneuver hose, and get the hose to a water source.
Introduction On September 11, 2001, the World Trade Center buildings one and two were attacked. However, who we were attacked by and even if we were attacked is a hard decision to make. There have been many different claims about how everything on that fateful day happened. There are facts that we know are true, though; Flight 11 flew into the North Tower at eight forty- six in the morning.
Every culture left a mark of its quality on New York’s buildings that change over time: some are old, some are new, some are tall, and some are small. They might have a lot in common, but not one building is like the other. Diversity is what makes New York.
Imagine walking through a park and your eye catches something bright, and your turn to look and its steel gates wrapping through a park. If you decide to walk through Central Park you will pass under vibrant orange steel gates with matching fabrics draping in the wind.The beautiful oranges screamed out against the soft white snow creating a beautiful piece. Some people felt like this brought life back into New York since 9/11, giving the city a feeling of warmth and security, while others felt it was a nuisance and a disruption to the natural beauty of the park, even though the park is anything but natural. It is infact all man
Today technology allows us to construct structures that we would never have been able to make in the past. Some of the creations are impressive based on what they accomplish but others are masterpieces in themselves. Man’s capability to build such tall buildings, as the skyscrapers we are familiar with covering our cities today, is a major expression of the advancements we have made as a culture. The power necessary to build such tall structures inspired competition between architects to see who could build the tallest one. One skyscraper that has inspired many and served as a model, for high rise buildings that were created after, is the Chrysler Building. The Chrysler Building serves as an identifying mark to anyone that views the New York City skyline. The history surrounding the Chrysler Building is almost as intricate as the artwork and engineering of the building itself. Today it elicits a reaction from anyone who passes by just as it did when it was first created.
When thinking about the average American city a portrait of buildings of all shapes and sizes comes to mind. There are shops, houses, restaurants, businesses, parks, schools, and all of the other various amenities that come together to make a city desirable and convenient. This layout that city dwellers most specifically the ones that live in New York City have come to love is greatly indebted to a woman named Jane Jacobs. This woman of short stature was able to fight off wealthy men who wielded great influence in New York with the stroke of her pen, and a sign in her hand. Without Jane Jacobs New York City would be a vastly different landscape made up of ten lane highways, and vast tracts of empty space if men like Robert Moses and Ebenezer Howard had their way.
Phillips, Liz, and Tom Warhol. "Local Governments Should Place Strict Limits on New Building Developments." Points of View: Housing Developments & Water Shortages. 2013, P3-3. 1p. Points of View Reference Center, 1 Jan. 2013. Web. 16 May 2014.
et al., 2005). Urban reformers began to take action, thereby adopting zoning laws and building
Proponents of this idea argue the building was designed to force a middle-class, white lifestyle on a lower class population, without regard for the fact that lower class, rural black residents were not instilled with values like taking pride in upkeep in environment and were prone to destructive behaviors. This concept is based on the idea of defensible space, that certain “populations” unavoidably bring with them the behavioral problems that have to be designed against, which Pruitt-Igoe’s design failed to do. They argue there is a direct relationship between physical environments and human behavior, and Pruitt-Igoe had too much public space relative to private spaces that the residents didn’t feel a responsibility to maintain leading to vandalism and
Recently the use of historic preservation has also begun to be viewed by cities and towns as a means to economic development and urban renewal. According to advocates, historic preservation has aided in local economic and community revitalization, increased tourism and employment, and preserved regional history, culture, and pride. However, historic preservation has often lacked public support due to a negative reputation. Some see it, not as a means to revitalizing local communities, but rather, as simply driving the problems further under the surface or into other areas, namely, as a means to gentrification. This reputation is not entirely unfounded, as there have been instances when gentrification was exactly the intended goal.
Encourage low rise condominiums were possible as typically they have home owner associations which police their own home owners rather than relying on the city police force. This is not true of apartment building which rely on an apartment manager.
The Willis Tower is 110 stories tall and 1454 feet high. Visitors can see five states from its observation deck on a clear day. The building has the highest elevator ride in the world. Its base covers two full city blocks. One way often mentioned to envision its bundled tube design is to think of a pack of cigarettes with nine cigarettes rising above the others. Two are pulled out to a middle level with two more slightly higher. Then three are pulled even higher with the last two pulled out to complete the design. Each of these cigarettes is seventy five feet square. The exterior design is that of a steel frame and glass curtain as pioneered in Bruce Graham’s Inland Steel building. The exterior frame is covered by twenty eight acres of black aluminum. Other statistics barely convey the superhuman scale of the Willi...
Building codes in the United States were adopted as a result of understanding and acceptance of the present day crisis where some individuals misuse the freedom and put up shoddy buildings that pose danger to public he...
Thompson,M,. 2014. Architects Journal: London set for skyscraper boom. Available at: http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/london-set-for-skyscraper-boom/8660048.article [Accessed 22 May 2014]
One option to help with saving historical buildings is to turn them into apartments. Doing this is something that will save the history while resolving housing issues. This is an idea that will keep the history of a city without standing in the way of the growth of a city. Research done by the Preservation Massachusetts, a nonprofit historic preservation group, estimated there are more than 25 million square feet of historic structures that are not being used(Tsipis, Y. 2004). These buildings are structurally strong and could be used to grow a city while keeping the historical value.