MIXED USE BUILDING DESIGN CONSIDERATION

Mixed-use high-rise buildings are increasingly becoming a popular

choice for urban development due to their ability to accommodate various
functions within a single structure. The design considerations and guidelines
for mixed-use high-rise buildings are crucial to ensure that these structures
are functional, sustainable, and visually appealing.

Site Assessment & Alignment with Regulations:

The first consideration is to conduct a thorough site assessment, taking into
account the location, topography, and zoning regulations. The building
design should comply with local regulations and building codes.

Structural Integrity:
The building's structural design should be robust enough to support the
various functions it will house. The structure should be designed to withstand
natural disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes.

Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) Systems:

MEP systems should be designed to accommodate the various functions of
the building. The HVAC system should be efficient and designed to provide
adequate ventilation and temperature control.

Fire Safety:
Fire safety is a critical consideration in high-rise buildings. The building
should be designed with fire safety systems such as fire alarms, sprinklers,
and fire escapes.

Accessibility:
The building should be accessible to people with disabilities. The design
should comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations.

Sustainability:
Sustainable design practices should be incorporated into the building's
design. The building should be designed to minimize energy consumption,
water usage, and waste generation.
Building Height and Form:
The building's height and form should be designed to ensure that the scale of
the building is compatible with the surrounding area. The taller portions of
the building should be located away from adjoining residential properties to
provide height transitions between taller and lower buildings.

Building Materials:
The building materials should convey a sense of durability and permanence.
High-quality materials that will last for the life of the building should be used.
The building facades should not stain or deteriorate quickly.

Ground-Floor Height:
The ground floor height should be at least 15 feet to best support retail and
office uses.

Office Depth:
Ground floor office space in a mixed-use building should have a depth of
between 45 and 60 feet.

Retail Depth:
Ground floor retail uses in a mixed-use building should have a depth of at
least 45 feet.

Pop-Up Retail:
Small pop-up retail spaces should be provided where the minimum depth for
commercial uses is not possible.

Site Planning - Commercial Use Considerations:

The site planning should consider commercial use considerations such as
step-backs, blank walls, and entrances.
Step-Backs:
At least 50% of the third floor exterior walls should be stepped back an
additional 10 feet from the minimum required setback to break up building
bulk.
Blank Walls:
Any unarticulated/blank building wall that exceeds 10 feet in length should
be discouraged. Building articulation should be encouraged to provide
architectural design interest.

Entrances:
Multiple commercial and residential entrances into buildings, particularly into
ground-floor uses, should be provided.

Ground-Floor Building Transparency:

Transparent windows or doors for ground floor commercial spaces are
encouraged. Ground floor transparency should offer views into the building
for at least 60 percent of the building’s length along primary and secondary
frontages.
In summary, the design considerations and guidelines for mixed-use
high-rise buildings are crucial to ensure that these structures are functional,
sustainable, and visually appealing. The design should comply with local
regulations and building codes, be structurally sound, have efficient MEP
systems, be accessible to people with disabilities, and incorporate
sustainable design practices. The building's height and form should be
compatible with the surrounding area, and the building materials should
convey a sense of durability and permanence. The site planning should
consider commercial use considerations such as step-backs, blank walls, and
entrances.
DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR A HIGH-RISE BUILDING
Landmarks
Landmarks provide similar
opportunities and benefits
to that of gateways.
Landmarks enrich the
visual reference and
orientation, create urban
legibility, and enhance the
visual experience and
imageability of the city.
Because of their sheer
size and height, tall
buildings can create dis-
tinct landmarks.

Spatial layout
Spatial layout in relation to views, wind, and natural light. Layout increases
shadow effect and prevents or dimi- nishes accessibility to desirable views,
blocks air flow in one direction and creates wind tunnel effect between rows
of densely packed buildings in the other direction (left). Layout is pleasing
and non-obstructive to desirable views, improves air flow among the
buildings, and reduces shadow effect; this arrangement of buildings
disperses the wind and decreases wind tunnel effect (right).
Fit and transition in scale
Ensure tall buildings fit within the existing or planned context and
provide an appropriate transition in scale down to lower-scaled buildings,
parks, and open space.

a. Apply angular planes, minimum horizontal separation distances, and

other building envelope controls (such as stepping height limits,
building setbacks and stepbacks), to transition from tall buildings down
to lower-scale buildings and to maintain access to sunlight and sky
view for surrounding streets, parks, public or private open space, and
neighbouring properties.

b. At the broader district or city scale, encourage fit and transition in

scale in the following ways:
 when a tall building or group of tall buildings is proposed within an
identified growth area, design towers nearer to the edge of the growth
area to be progressively lower in height than those in the “centre” –
the location of greatest intensity and highest order transit;
 when a tall building or group of tall buildings is proposed on a site
surrounded by other tall buildings of consistent height, relate the
height and scale of the proposed tower to the existing context.

Figure 1: A
conceptual illustration
of a progressive
transition in the height
and scale of tall
buildings from the
centre of a growth area
down to a lowerscale
area.

Figure 2: A conceptual illustration of a new tall building fitting within an

existing context of
other tall buildings of
consistent height.
 Figure 3: A
conceptual illustration
of horizontal
separation distance
and a change in base
building height and
form to support tall
building transition
down to a lower-scale
area.

Figure 4: A
conceptual illustration
of an angular plane
and direct relationship
in base building height
and form to support
tall building transition
down to a lower-scale
area.

Building placement
Locate the base of tall buildings to frame the edges of streets, parks,
and
open space, to fit harmoniously with the existing context, and to provide
opportunities for high-quality landscaped open space on-site.
 a. In general, build parallel to the street and extend the base building the
length of the site along the edges of streets, parks, and open space.
b. Where the existing setback pattern is consistent and not planned to
change, align new base buildings with neighbouring building frontages.
c. When existing setbacks are well-established, but vary on either side of
a tall building site, locate and design the base building to resolve the
differences. Avoid blank side walls visible to a street.

Publicly accessible open space

Provide grade-related, publicly accessible open space within the tall
building site to complement, connect, and extend the existing network of
public streets, parks, and open space.

Locate and design publicly accessible open space to:

  read as a public place
and include features
and programming
opportunities to
encourage year-
round use;
 provide direct visual
and physical
connections to public
streets, parks, and
open space, including
adjacent pedestrian
and cycling routes;
 complement and
connect with publicly
accessible open
space on
neighbouring
properties, where possible create attractive views and focal points; and
 maximize safety, comfort, and amenity, including access to sunlight,
clear views to and from adjacent streets and buildings, universal
accessibility, pedestrian-scale lighting, four season landscaping,
seating, public art, and protection from wind and inclement weather.

Base building scale and height

Design the base building to fit harmoniously within the existing context
of neighbouring building heights at the street and to respect the scale and
proportion of adjacent streets, parks, and public or private open space.
 a. Where there is an
existing context of
streetwall buildings
with consistent
height, align the
new base building
with the height of
the streetwall.

b. In the absence of a consistent streetwall height context, provide a

minimum base building height between 10.5 metres and 80% of the
adjacent street right-of-way width, up to a limit of 24 metres* in height.
Additional base building height may be appropriate with a stepback of
at least 3 metres, provided that the total height does not exceed 100%
of the adjacent street right-of-way width, up to a limit of 24 metres* in
height.

Tower placement
Place towers away from streets, parks, open space, and neighbouring
properties to reduce visual and physical impacts of the tower and allow the
base building to be the primary defining element for the site and adjacent
public realm.
a. Coordinate tower placement with other towers on the same block and
adjacent blocks to maximize access to sunlight and sky view for surrounding
streets, parks, open space, and properties.
b. Step back the tower, including balconies, 3 metres or greater from the
face of the base building, along all street, park, and open space frontages
(including publicly accessible or private shared open space and rooftop
amenity within the site).
c. Tower stepbacks greater than 3 metres are encouraged and may be
required for tall buildings to fit harmoniouslywithin an existing context,
including sites that contain or are adjacent to heritage properties.
d. As an option within the stepback, up to one third of a point tower frontage
along a street or open space may extend straight down to the ground. At
these locations, provide permanent building features, such as canopies and
overhangs, to help mitigate pedestrian-level wind.

Tower top
Design the top of tall buildings to
make an appropriate contribution to the
quality and character of the city
skyline. Balance the use of decorative
lighting with energy efficiency
objectives, the protection of migratory
birds, and the management of artificial
sky glow.

a. Integrate roof-top mechanical or

telecommunications equipment,
signage, and amenity space, where
appropriate, into the design and
massing of the upper floors of the tall
building.
b. Where decorative lighting is included
within the tower design, use energy
efficient fixtures (such as LEDs), avoid
uplighting and overlighting, and include
programmable fixtures which can dim
as the evening progresses or turn off
during migratory seasons.