Are skyscrapers obsolete?
Since the Covid pandemic the world is quickly learning that service industry jobs can be done from home, making use of modern communications technology.
Is there still a need for big mobs of commuters to congregate on a central business district, to work in cubicles for the bulk of the day?
until the population declines significantly then the economies of scale achieved by high density cities would seem to be most favourable for environmental protection
SCIENCE said:
until the population declines significantly then the economies of scale achieved by high density cities would seem to be most favourable for environmental protection
Refs?
party_pants said:
Are skyscrapers obsolete?Since the Covid pandemic the world is quickly learning that service industry jobs can be done from home, making use of modern communications technology.
Is there still a need for big mobs of commuters to congregate on a central business district, to work in cubicles for the bulk of the day?
I mean sure you’d have to think that the need for them will diminish.
SCIENCE said:
until the population declines significantly then the economies of scale achieved by high density cities would seem to be most favourable for environmental protection
Right but skyscrapers are a bit beyond that.
Isn’t it also a time to reconsider ventilation and air conditioning methods?
A lot of the larger skyscrapers have residential floors so that the employees can live near their source of revenue.
From what I have read, a significant amount of the employees/residents do not leave the building for months at a time.
Covid has been the kick-start that the “working from home” concept needed. While (anecdotally, at least) production and employee satisfaction has increased in some businesses, I believe a shift back towards the traditional means of doing business will mean city office space will still be in demand, just less so.
Dark Orange said:
Covid has been the kick-start that the “working from home” concept needed. While (anecdotally, at least) production and employee satisfaction has increased in some businesses, I believe a shift back towards the traditional means of doing business will mean city office space will still be in demand, just less so.
I expect the WFH trend to continue even after lockdowns and the pandemic are past but wouldn’t dismiss the possibility that people will actually enjoy being allowed to get out and about and do mundane things like go to the office just for the hell of it.
Witty Rejoinder said:
Dark Orange said:
Covid has been the kick-start that the “working from home” concept needed. While (anecdotally, at least) production and employee satisfaction has increased in some businesses, I believe a shift back towards the traditional means of doing business will mean city office space will still be in demand, just less so.
I expect the WFH trend to continue even after lockdowns and the pandemic are past but wouldn’t dismiss the possibility that people will actually enjoy being allowed to get out and about and do mundane things like go to the office just for the hell of it.
People are studying it.
https://time.com/6088110/remote-work-structured-hybrid-research/
If more businesses do this, everyone will be back in the office, quick smart…
Google to cut employee pay 25 per cent for working from home
furious said:
If more businesses do this, everyone will be back in the office, quick smart…Google to cut employee pay 25 per cent for working from home
Seems odd to me, since the company could be making huge savings on office space and utilities if workers are paying their own rent/mortgages for the home office and their own internet and electricity.
furious said:
If more businesses do this, everyone will be back in the office, quick smart…Google to cut employee pay 25 per cent for working from home
So it looks like, employees who would have a long travel time travelling to work will have their pay cut for working from home, even though they didn’t pay them for the travel time.
Lucky Google management got rid of that rubbish about “don’t be evil”.
party_pants said:
Are skyscrapers obsolete?Since the Covid pandemic the world is quickly learning that service industry jobs can be done from home, making use of modern communications technology.
Is there still a need for big mobs of commuters to congregate on a central business district, to work in cubicles for the bulk of the day?
I was telecommuting back in 1984, I thought it was the future. But it never took off. People need direct same-room communication, even I do. And way too much distraction at home.
sarahs mum said:
Isn’t it also a time to reconsider ventilation and air conditioning methods?
For energy consumption and personal comfort? Or for transmissible disease reasons?
For energy consumption, the best idea I’ve come up with is for legislation requiring air conditioners to shut off every time it hits the set temperature, requiring a manual restart every time it shuts off. That would save about 2/3 of the total power bill for air conditioning, and many millions of dollars a year.
For transmissible disease, the Legionairres disease outbreak brought that lesson home to air conditioning manufacturers. The main requirement is proper regular maintenance. More of a disease problem than air conditioning is the disease spread through the use of open plan and cube farm offices.