New lease of life for ageing buildings

There are a few things you can do to an ageing building: abandon it, live with it, knock it down or redevelop it to adapt to the times.

In space-hungry cities, the first option is rarely the solution. On the contrary, the scramble for a central location means that developers are willing to buy old buildings and rebuild it higher.

As developers build taller structures, should they also be building to last?

Ranhill Bersekutu mechanical services deputy director Arvind Menon notes the importance of building adaptability.

In his presentation at the Veritas Design Group seminar on tall buildings recently, he speaks of the need for foresight, to build for future use rather than only current needs.

“A building can stand indefinitely if it is maintained and or rebuilt as required,” he tells StarBizWeek. “Iconic towers such as the Chrysler building, over 83 years old, have remained functional.”

In a building’s life span, he says, the way it is used, viewed aesthetically and its adaptability towards technology ensures its survival.

“Great buildings and iconic structures can revive its surroundings when they are upgraded,” he says.

He gives a local example of the old Empire Tower which is now the landmark Intermark.

Arvind believes that all buildings regardless of usage should consider the provision to adapt for the future, although this is more so for commercial developments.

“Adaptability would be more important in commercial high rise than residential as residential developments have a fixed usage with residential amenities. Commercial building are usually built with higher floor-to-floor heights, which allows them to be converted to residential if necessary,” he says.

That said, there is no denying that the cost to maintain a building will also eventually exceed its functional value. However, a well-designed building with sufficient room for expansion would delay this eventuality.

Arvind points out that there have been few buildings in Malaysia that have “lived out” their life expectancy, unable to cater to the needs of the current times. The Pekeliling Flats and Wisma Angkasaraya are some examples.

“Both have been demolished to bring forth new development, but similarly there are also buildings, like the Empire Tower, which have had a new lease of life through new technology and risers,” he shares.

Under Ranhill’s portfolio, Arvind notes that its recently completed project, Menara Binjai, has provision for vertical and horizontal services expansion, “allowing the building to meet its tenant needs now and in the near future” as a land-scarce city continues to expand upwards.

As Veritas CEO David Mizan Hashim puts it: “We should embrace this evolving urban paradigm (building higher) that offers humanity the promise of an energy-efficient ecosystem wherein populations have migrated to dense and tall cities.”

The Star July, 13