Sustainable structure of tall buildings

Structure by its own nature is sustainable. It is all about doing more with less. Good structural engineering revolves around achieving efficiency and minimization of material. However, thinking will have to be broadened to accommodate the pressing needs of the environment. Structure can no longer stay on the sidelines and will have to be an active partner in the building-design process. Although the architect is usually perceived as the designer of a tall building, a partnership between him/her and the engineer will have to be established before any meaningful design process can commence. This paper presents an insight into sustainable structures within tall buildings. The elements that constitute such a structure, the strategies that confirm this approach and the proposed hypothesis for the structure-environment interaction are discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.