January 2012

Discussion on the commercial and economic viability of high-rise buildings in India came to the fore at the recently concluded one-day seminar: "High-rise Building Technology, as Applied to India’s Urban Growth Prospects" held in New Delhi, India. Organized by the CTBUH and Envac India, the seminar was attended by architects, planners, engineers and builders of global reputation and students of architecture. CTBUH Chairman and NBBJ Design Partner, Timothy Johnson welcomed the attendees and spoke concerning the current lack of tall buildings in Delhi and the need for a discussion on high-rise technology.

CTBUH Chairman and NBBJ Design Partner, Timothy Johnson welcoming the attendees
The seminar continued with a presentation by Dr P.S Rana, Chairman, IIUDC and Real Estate & Housing Working Committee, speaking on the efficient use of land in Delhi due to suitable incentives for high-density development.
		Mayank Gandhi, Secretary of ROMF, then gave a presentation on the role of ROMF in rebuilding Mumbai and showed a concept model for the redevelopment of 233 acres of land in the Kalbadevi and Chirabazar, which are some of the most congested areas of old Mumbai. The master plan for C-Ward has seeks to significantly increase open space while preserving the religious and heritage buildings. Currently, open space in this area of the city make up only 11% of the area.
Mayank Gandhi, Secretary ROMF, gave his presentation
An interesting perspective on "why tall" was shared by Mark Igou, Managing Director of SOM. While presenting the 412-meter-tall Al-Hamra Firdous Tower, which is the tallest building in Kuwait, he discussed the engineering and design of this iconic structure which appears to fold into itself, creating an efficient form designed to maximize views and minimize solar heat gain. CTBUH Advisory Group member Ahmad Abdelrazaq of Samsung C&T Corporation spoke on the utilization of skyscrapers for building an iconic city. He also discussed various other topics including new topologies in tall building development, technologies used for the construction of skyscrapers, the role of computer technology, and factors that influence tall building construction. The main sponsor, Envac India, presented its role as one of the leading environmental technology companies and the global leader in the vacuum waste collection industry. The operation of Envac systems was also discussed.
		Finally, CTBUH Chairman Timothy Johnson spoke on a new generation of tall building designs including NHN, the Samsung Building Centre, Korean Telecom, Samsung R5 and Tencent Headquarters. In his concluding remarks, he spoke about the Council’s role and mission, its presence in Mumbai and Delhi, and its ambition to become a larger presence throughout the region.
Attendees