Guest editorial

Citation

Johnson, T. (2002), "Guest editorial", Property Management, Vol. 20 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/pm.2002.11320aaa.001

Guest editorial

This is the first issue to appear since that 11 September day. It has been variously said that the world will never be the same; it was a defining moment in the history of mankind; it was apocalyptic. Certainly, for the relatives of the victims, there is no exaggeration in such an emotional response.

At one level, it seems that matters of everyday life are now trivial, and complaints about discomforts positively insensitive – so you stood in the crowded train to work, the weather was wet, your boss snapped at you (the overpaid idiot), you are hedged around by yet more petty regulations – but you're alive, and you came home this evening.

All this notwithstanding, everyday life does continue, and even if what you do now seems less important than it used to, it is still imperative that it is done well – even property management.

Indeed, the Trade Centre disaster has itself brought several property management issues into focus, in particular the design, safety, value and appeal of tall structures.

Buildings have been designed in the past to withstand fierce physical impact such as from the natural power released by an earthquake. They can be made to withstand the impact of a bomb or shell. But the use of a fuel-laden aeroplane as a rocket was not considered or, if so, rejected as fantasy. Engineers can no doubt produce new designs which will minimise the effect, but at what cost? In any event, this may be fine for new buildings, but it is inconceivable that the huge number of such buildings that already exist can be made safe.

It is too early to say how people will react to the occupation of tall buildings, particularly if another is attacked in some way. The total amount of space involved precludes any full-scale flight from the use of tall buildings, but even a modest withdrawal could lead to significant falls in value. The knock-on effect on share prices, pension funds, and city centre dynamics would create severe problems.

Quite apart from the possibility of terrorist attack, which logically, in respect of any single building, must be tiny, the disaster was a reminder of the problems with tall buildings of fire control and evacuation. The picture of a fireman walking upstairs to deal with a fire many floors above was poignant, because it was a brave but, at the same time, futile act. And whilst the fireman walked up the stairs, others were escaping successfully by descending in lifts, contrary to all rules of evacuation.

Fire control and evacuation problems are inherent in the design of a tall building. Engineers can address these issues and find better solutions, but the premium value of the top floors might well disappear. The reverse could come about, with values falling as the storey number rises.

At worst, a reaction against tall buildings could lead to a form of stigma that Smart Gronow in his earlier articles in this journal on contamination never had in mind.

So, an examination of tall buildings from the many aspects of property management is necessary. Not everything is negative. Whilst some will no doubt reject tall buildings, others will continue to enthuse over their use. Right now, a planning inquiry is underway regarding the proposed construction of a new tall building in the City of London. The opponents are not against tallness in itself, but question whether a tall building is right in the proposed location on aesthetic and townscape grounds.

Equally, the RICS has responded to a joint consultation by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment and English Heritage by arguing that tall buildings can be "Reasons for regeneration". In its statement, it claims that "meeting business needs, encouraging sustainable and mixed-use development and using brownfield sites, can all be achieved by high quality tall buildings".

The most telling verdict might well be whether a new tall building will be built on the best known brownfield site in the world, ground zero in New York.

Tony Johnson