In our overcrowded city centres, available land for building commercial, retail and housing space is at a premium. Increasingly, mixed-use developments are perceived as a practical and sustainable way to optimise land use and serve the city’s population, while creating dynamic new urban communities.
Today’s thoughtfully designed and visually striking mixed-use buildings are symbols of modernisation and regeneration. Unlike traditional single-use office blocks which draw in commuters during the day and then close at night, these people-centric developments bring a vibrant 24-hr lifestyle to sometimes run-down areas of the city.
Depending on its size a mixed-use building can incorporate offices, flats, retail malls, restaurants, cinemas, health clubs, plazas, galleries and gardens. Designed to complement the urban fabric and reflect the aspirations of the local community, they allow people to live, work and enjoy leisure activities at a single convenient location.
Mixed-use allows developers to tailor the blend of elements in order to make the buildings more economically viable – on the ground floor, for example, shops may provide a better return on investment than offices. Importantly, planners favour them for the social benefits they can provide, such as the potential to include affordable housing in the residential mix.
Usually built on brownfield sites, the buildings require complex infrastructure, including transport links, car parking and delivery access. To achieve sustainability, Buro Happold’s designs make use of sophisticated façade and external shading systems to provide natural light, warmth and ventilation – with big savings in energy costs.
Mixed-use presents many technical challenges: for example, the position of the load bearing structures has to change from level to level, going from the rigid grid of the underground car park to column-free retail space, then to residential room layout. Fire engineering is another key element in creating vibrant, attractive open spaces. Buro Happold uses computer modelling to design efficient smoke control systems and escape procedures.
