Should Australia Look Closer at 3for2 Commercial Building Designs?
TPM Builders/blog/Should Australia Look Closer at 3for2 Commercial Building Designs?
In Singapore, 3for2 designed buildings are all the rage. The structures, which fit three storeys into a space usually used for two, are innovative, but yet to be fully embraced in Australian commercial building design. Here are just a couple of local reasons why our nation’s commercial construction industry should build more 3for2 properties.
Most hesitations around 3for2 design centre around one key concern: People worry the buildings will feel cramped. However, while 3for2 puts more storeys into a smaller space, studies show there’s no impact on perceived floor-to-ceiling heights. That’s because 3for2 design focuses more on reducing the height from the ceiling to the next floor, which is normally occupied by structural elements and technical systems, rather than the floor to ceiling.
3for2 Design Reduce Energy Consumption
It makes sense that traditional buildings with large floor-to-floor heights aren’t energy efficient, because they have large spaces to heat or cool. Studies show that an office block constructed using 3for2 design principles could potentially use 40 percent less energy than a comparable building.
That’s not just because floor-to-floor heights are reduced, but also because the buildings have less ceiling to floor space. With less space to work with, they can’t accommodate oversized air-conditioning systems that overcool the supply air to regular humidity levels. Therefore, designers must look to more space-saving contemporary alternatives, like the eco-friendly water-based LowEx heating and cooling system.
