Sustainable development is defined as: “Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
The words sustainable, green and environmentally friendly are used by many to promote buildings. All buildings, high-rise and low-rise, could be more sustainable in terms of their design, the construction process, their operation and the impact on the surrounding community.
There is no doubt that sustainability considerations need to be incorporated into building design for both legislative and moral reasons.
At the same time, high-rise buildings are required for sound commercial reasons such as, in the City of London:-
- A requirement for more space
- Their efficiency with respect to land use
- The ability to serve many people from existing transport and services infrastructure
- Occupier demand for prestigious locations
This leads naturally to a demand for sustainable tall buildings to satisfy both of these requirements.
Positive aspects relating to a sense of well-being associated with all building types are the availability of daylight, connection with the outside world, and the view. The ability to control the immediate environment also improves overall satisfaction. In high-rise buildings, whilst there may be advantages in terms of daylighting and views out, openable windows may not be possible on safety grounds or due to wind effects.
“86% of productivity problems reside in the work environment of organizations with 73% of office workers surveyed stating natural daylight was extremely important”
Journal of Business Management March 2010
LC SmartGlass “On” LC SmartGlass “Off”
LC SmartGlass when switched “On” allows 76% light transmission & when switched “Off” allows 67%.
LC SmartGlass provides efficient utilization of space for office interiors, offering instant privacy on demand at the flick of a switch. LC SmartGlass provides simple, instantaneous and reversible states of transparency with no alteration of light level making it an ideal solution for office interiors where ample lighting is fundamental.
The quality and simplicity of LC SmartGlass provides the ideal environment of privacy for office interiors and conference rooms.
LC SmartGlass can create small subdivisions of office spaces delivering instant privacy to carry out important meetings and presentations, without distractions from onlookers, and co-workers eliminating the “goldfish bowl” effect.
LC SmartGlass offers a sleek, sophisticated interior solution eliminating the need for curtains/blinds which can look dated and unpleasant.