Tall Building in Development Countries

Anil Chotmarada

The advent of all buildings in developing countries was not an outcome of any functional or cultural, material or technical developmental need, but an act of the masters to stamp upon the colonies their technical and economic aura. In their effort to introduce their monumental stance on the natives it was necessary to build big and to build high. In the very few traditionally rich societies where multi-level or tall spatial organisations were used, these were of a symbolic nature and only for the purpose of paying obeisance to Lord God. The culturally rich societies, as it was, had nothing much to contribute towards the technicalities of the multilevel spatial organisations-- there was apparently no need to delve into this direction of space usage as all human activities were tied with natural phenomenon; and any elevation if necessary was done naturally-- by using a natural elevation like the crest of a hill.

The technological advancements and the economic boom in Europe and America, in the last century, which led to the generation and development of multi-storeyed buildings had very little effect on the “developing countries”. The third world was still struggling for survival, nurturing its dream of independence from the colonial masters. Technological backward, economically drained, socially and culturally either primitive or confused the present day developing countries came on the world scene in the middle of this century. These newly independent societies, rich in manpower and poor in modern knowhow looked towards the developed nations for direction, as technology seemed to be the key to nirvana.

In most areas of national growth borrowed technology helped pave the path to self-sufficiency, which later led to self reliance and in some cases even a situation of leading the prototype models. This growth pattern, as in the developed nations, the one aspect of modernisation which caused the greatest upheaval in these traditional societies as it effected the basic fabric of the community by changing the life style of the people. These were people who were used to living in the open with nature, using mother earth and its benevolence for not only sustenance but all aspects of life. Their social and cultural behavioural systems were tied to activities related to the natural phenomenon of the crop cycle and seasons. Their economics bound by the richness of monsoon and their technology the plough and sickle.

Independence to the colonies bought to its people the aspiration for a “better” city life with promises of white collared jobs, mere comfortable living and novel recreational facilities. The process of urbanization had started but technology, economy and social adjustments could not keep pace. The developed world became a model for urbanization on a ground where the basic infrastructure for such a development did not exist.

The contemporary tall buildings as a solution to some aspects of urbanization need a high level of technological and industrial backup infrastructure. It is expensive and is an added factor to real estate price escalation. As most manmade things it solves some problems and create some other, especially for an under developed society. There are a number of areas in which the developing world has to probe deeply before opting for the tall building as a solution to its problems of urbanization. These could be categorised as technical, economical and socio-cultural.

In technological advancements the third world lags way behind the developed nations and needs to borrow knowhow for most technical projects. The tall building technology if divided in the categories of structure, services and material has seen spectacular growth and development in all the three areas mainly in the developed nations of the world. The third world is still struggling with simple structures, primitive services and very basic materials to just put a roof over its teeming millions. Not much fundamental research is being conducted in the three areas for the priority sector is resolving is resolving the issue of economically viable building is resolving the issue of economically viable building technology in which category the tall building can play no role. In certain pockets where effort has been made to use imported structural and building service knowhow the escalation of real estate has rendered more homeless than it has housed. Apart from this borrowed technology generates numerous problems in maintenance and upkeep. Be it the advanced fire fighting system, computerised elevators or censor controlled louvers the maintenance and effective usage requires appropriate knowhow and a particular attitude to the use and maintenance of new equipment.

The growth and development of the tall building structure follows the improvement in structural material and method of construction. Most developing countries may be able to borrow the knowhow, but as they are lacking in manufacturing facilities of structural materials requiring high technology inputs and the machines required for constructing tall buildings, the whole process of design and execution of the tall building becomes by and large an imported affair which these countries can barely afford.

Building services for the tall building face the same constraint in the poor nations of the whole world. Especially beyond a certain height the effectiveness of the services forms the basis for the success of a tall building. Efficient water supply, disposal, lighting, ventilating, heating, cooling circulation and fire fighting systems require a high level of mechanization which is just not available in the developing world. Another area of failure lies in the prevalent rampant corruption where most industry tends to compromise on production quality. This leads to not only inefficient services but also compromises safety standards. Under these circumstances it becomes imperative for designers and planners to make absolutely certain that only when the materials and knowhow for installing and maintaining services is available that the tall building is recommended as an answer to any spatial problem.

Materials, too, pose a problem. Beyond certain number of floors the qualities required of building materials are specific and special. This is applicable especially to materials used structurally and the materials used for cladding. As these materials generally need to be manufactured to very accurate levels of specifications, an efficient and developed industrial infrastructure is required. In underdeveloped industrial nations these areas of manufacturing are rather low on the list of priorities as more pressing needs are to be met by the available resources.

Economically the third world is starved. Its large population has to be provided with the basic food, clothing and shelter in which there is no place for the money guzzling multi-storeyed development. The high-rise can never be a satisfactory answer to low cost shelter which is the immediate problem in developing countries.

In the few urban centres of the third world where the spatial restrictions necessitate vertical development, property prices around such buildings jump many fold limiting its use to the very privileged few. In such a situation while it may not be possible to reduce the cost of the high rise it could be made possible to create a situation where the pressure on land is reduced by reducing the growth of urban areas. This could be affected by providing effective opportunities in the rural areas and small towns. In the absence of proper planned urban hierarchical growth there is bound to be a lopsided demand on land in the few metropolises calling for the establishment of such economic monoliths.

In a lighter vein- these buildings have been quite aptly described as the piggy banks of the rich. The already wealthy invest in such structures to generate even more wealth out of them. In an economic situation where the largesse of the country is held in a few hands, it would make little sense to encourage such sources of multiplication of riches for the few.

Socially and culturally the people of the third world belong to an atavistic environment, tied closely to nature and mother earth. Most festivals and ceremonial occasions relate to the natural cycles, most economies based on the benefaction of nature. By nature a very gregarious, informal and untutored to the complexity of machines, these people do not have the western attitude of mechanical living. Where astrological signs determine the decisions effecting national policy, it is apparent that mechanical devices would be seen with awe and at times with suspicion. More important, the lack of a technical attitude towards mechanical devices does not permit an efficacious system of upkeep of equipment acquired from the more developed systems.

Unlike the western living styles the people of the third world have not, as yet, got into the throwaway culture; clinging to traditional values wishing to own and not hire and that too for all times to come. A little piece of independent land is for them more valuable than a comfortable apartment with shared facilities. In a social environ where gossiping across the boundary wall, collecting on the common green and children playing in the street, the locked cramped spaces interaction and healthy community living.

Certain activities which do not call for intense social interaction such as an office working space are also not satisfactory in the high-rise as the mechanical environment is alien and not conducive for long work periods. The whiff of fresh air, the shade of a tree and the green of grass are necessary interludes for a person so closely tied to the natural way of life. The hum of air-conditioners, the views of roof tops and the constant sight of only manmade products needs a mind futuristic and not atavistic.

The above mentioned arguments are not in any way suggesting that the high-rise be not used in the third world but only that due care and thought be given before opting for this form of development as an answer to the spatial ad ego problems. The best situation would be if there does not arise the need for such a building type that is a strong check on the process of urbanisation, whence the villages and the small towns provide all the facilities available in large urban areas. If, however, these need to be introduced then the blind copying from the western models would not be the right answer. While the technical aspects would have of necessity to be borrowed, the spatial and form components need to be based on the social and cultural outlook of the people for whom the high-rise buildings are designed.


Anil Chotmarada is a Faculty & Director in Gateway College of Architecture & Design, Sonipat-131001, India.