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MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1984
THE IMPACT OF HIGHRISE LIVING VARIES FROM COUNTRY TO COUNTRY. WE HAVE LEARNT OF THE SOCIAL PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED BY SOME PEOPLE IN THE U.K. WHEN HOUSED IN TALL BUILDINGS, BUT IN HONG KONG THE MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION HAVE ADAPTED REASONABLY WELL TO HIGHRISE LIVING, AND EXHIBIT FEW OF THE PREJUDICES TOWARDS IT, SUCH AS THOSE FOUND IN THE U.K., HE SAID.
MR CHAN ALSO SAID IT WAS ESSENTIAL THAT SERVICES COULD BE FULLY EXPOSED TO PERMIT ROUTINE SERVICING, INSPECTION AND REPAIR AND THAT ACCESS TO THEM BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL WAS AVAILABLE, AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, WITHOUT DISTURBING THE BUILDING'S OCCUPANTS.
DESIGNERS HAD TO SHOULDER GREATER RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE SAFE-AND-EASY-TO-USE ACCESS TO EXTERNAL ELEVATIONS AND SERVICE DUCTS, BECAUSE THERE WAS A NATURAL TEMPTATION ON THE PART OF WORKERS TO IGNORE SAFETY MEASURES IN PREFERENCE TO EXPEDIENCE.
ACCESS ROUTES TO PERMIT REFUSE TO BE CLEARED QUICKLY AND WITH MINIMUM INCONVENIENCE AND NOISE HEADED THE LIST OF NEEDS FOR EFFICIENT BUILDING MANAGEMENT. THE PROVISION OF ADEQUATE ACCOMMODATION FOR STORAGE AND SERVICE STAFF SHOULD ALSO BE CONSIDERED.
+TOO OFTEN THIS ACCOMMODATION IS INADEQUATE RESULTING IN MATERIALS BEING STORED IN INAPPROPRIATE PLACES AND MAINTENANCE WORK, WHICH SHOULD BE DONE IN AN AREA WELL AWAY FROM THE NORMAL OCCUPANTS AND USERS OF THE BUILDING, BEING CARRIED OUT WHERE NOISE AND DIRT CAUSE ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS, + MR CHAN SAID.
AN IMPORTANT PROCESS WHICH MIGHT BE EASILY NEGLECTED WAS THE LIAISON BETWEEN THE DESIGNER AND THE FUTURE MAINTENANCE AUTHORITY.
MAINTENANCE WOULD BE QUICKER AND EASIER IF MAINTENANCE MANUALS WERE PROVIDED WITH COMPLETE SETS OF +AS-EBUILT+ DRAWINGS NOT ONLY FOR THE BUILDING STRUCTURE BUT FOR ALL THE SERVICES, ALONG WITH DETAILS OF THE SUPPLIERS OF SPECIAL MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT INSTALLED.
+EARLY CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE DESIGNER AND THE MAINTENANCE STAFF WILL BE PROFITABLE IN TERMS OF FUTURE CONVENIENCE TO THE BUILDING USERS AND KEEPING DOWN THE COST OF MAINTENANCE AND MANAGEMENT, HE SAID.
FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS, BUILDING AUTOMATION SYSTEMS, LIFTS AND ESCALATORS WHICH WERE BECOMING INCREASINGLY COMPLEX, WERE INFLUENCING ACTUAL BUILDING FORMS, MR CHAN SAID.
THIS WAS PARTICULARLY SO WHEN THE DESIGNER WAS CONSIDERING THE THERMAL ENVIRONMENT FOR THE WORKING COMFORT OF THE OCCUPANTS.
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