GB2609916A

GB2609916A - A pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building

Info

Publication number: GB2609916A
Application number: GB2111663.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Saltykov Andrei; William Lacey Thomas
Original assignee: Lacey & Saltykov Arch Ltd
Current assignee: Lacey & Saltykov Arch Ltd
Priority date: 2021-08-13
Filing date: 2021-08-13
Publication date: 2023-02-22
Anticipated expiration: 2041-08-13
Also published as: WO2023017270A1; GB202111663D0; GB2609916B

Abstract

A pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building, comprising a plurality of said pair of floors vertically stacked are provided. The pair of floors comprises a first floor and a second floor. The first floor comprises a plurality of load bearing structures dividing the floor, while the second floor is substantially free from internal load bearing structures. A shared zone for services is also defined between the first floor and the second floor for housing one or more utilities that serve the first floor and one or more utilities that serve the second floor.

Description

A PAIR OF VERTICALLY-ADJACENT, NON-IDENTICAL, FLOORS FOR A BUILDING

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building. The pair of floors are suitable for a building comprising a plurality of pairs of vertically stacked floors.

BACKGROUND TO THE PRESENT INVENTION

Known buildings generally comprise a plurality of floors having various structural constraints to the usage of the floor. In particular, vertical structural constraints, such as the placement of columns and walls, which are generally used to support the vertical load of the building, can limit the potential layout of the floors and impact the corresponding potential uses.

Further, a known pair of vertically-adjacent floors in a building commonly has a service zone housing utilities per floor. The services zones are generally connected to each other vertically by risers running between respective plantrooms.

The inventors of the present invention have appreciated that these known pairs of floors in a building are not optimised and that there is a need for a novel type of pair of floor structure for a building. In particular, the inventors have appreciated a need for an improved floor pair configuration that increases environmental efficiency and utilisation of the available vertical and horizontal space.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect of the present invention, a pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building comprising a plurality of said pairs vertically stacked is provided. This pair of floors comprises a first floor comprising a plurality of load bearing structures dividing the floor; a second floor that is substantially free from internal load bearing structures; and a shared zone for services defined between the first floor and the second floor for housing one or more utilities that serve the first floor and one or more utilities that serve the second floor.

An advantage of the invention, in the first aspect, is that the shared zone for services between the first floor and the second floor may provide an improved ratio of the number of floors to the overall height of the building, further providing effective use of the space in the building. Compared to service zones of known buildings, the shared zone for services of the present invention may effectively provide a combined service zone that is narrower than the current overall space occupied by service zones per paired set of floors. The skilled person would appreciate this ratio can change depending on the site. Consequently, a building comprising a plurality of said pairs of floors according to the present invention may provide the advantage of creating an extra floor above a certain overall building height! number of floors within the same volume as a conventional building. This means that the use of the pair of floors of the present invention above a certain number of floors may provide a building that is cheaper per m2 compared to a conventional building, given its improved floor to height ratio.

The configuration of the shared zone for services has also been found by the inventors to provide more efficient heat exchange between the pair of vertically-adjacent floors.

Furthermore, the first aspect of the present invention may provide a more optimised pair of vertically-adjacent floors for a building which may provide effective use of internal space in the building. This is achieved by having vertically-adjacent pairs of floors where the first floor of a pair has structural constraints with load bearing functions allowing the second floor to provide a substantially open floor plate. In turn this may allow the second floor of the pair of floors to maximise floor space. As used herein, the term "floor plate" refers to the usable area of a floor for a building. The usable area of the floor, excludes the area of the floor used for features of the building core such as lifts, stairs, and the plant. The term "substantially open" in the context of the floor plate means the majority of the floor plate is open i.e. without structural constraints such as columns and/or walls.

Another advantage of the present invention, in the first aspect, is that the first floor and the second floor may have different usage types. This is because the first floor comprises a plurality of load bearing structures dividing the floor and the second floor is substantially free from internal load bearing structures which effectively provides a partitioned first floor and a substantially unobstructed floor plate on the second floor. Therefore, this configuration of the first floor and the second floor may provide a building with floor layouts that may be suitable for alternative uses. For example, the first floor may provide a space suitable but not limited to residential floors for example apartments, hotels and student accommodation. The second floor being substantially open may be more suited but not limited to spaces such as office spaces, retail spaces and civic spaces.

The second floor being substantially free from internal load bearing structures may also have the advantage of allowing more free range in the design of the floor plan.

Preferably, the first and second floor of said pair are vertically stacked such that the first floor sits above the second floor, when formed in a building. This configuration of floors may further allow the second floor to be substantially free from internal load bearing structures.

Further, this may provide the shared zone for services between the first and second floors of the pair.

Preferably, the first floor comprises a housing plant zone that serves both the first floor and the vertically adjacent second floor.

The positioning of the housing plant zone that serves the first floor and the vertically adjacent second floor may be site-dependent and will vary depending on the width of the floor plate.

Due to the freedom in the location of the housing plant, it may be desirable to situate the housing plate in the least valuable part of the floor. The least valuable part of the floor may be identified by the amount of light (e.g. placing the housing plant where there is limited daylight), or alternatively the least valuable part of the floor may be a region of the perimeter facing a significant source of expected noise or an undesirable view for example.

Further, the close adjacency of the first floor, the second floor, and the housing plate zone serving both floors may allow for effective heat exchange for a longer duration through the year.

Optionally, the shared zone for services is partitioned so that a volume for receiving utilities that serve the first floor is separate to a volume for receiving utilities that serve the second floor.

Advantageously, this may provide the option of maintaining the floor to height ratio advantage of the shared zone for services, while enabling separate access to the utilities serving each floor. This may be particularly advantageous where the pair of vertically-adjacent floors have different ownership and where the owners do not wish to share utilities. The partitioned shared zone for services may provide each floor with a separate volume within the shared zone for services for the corresponding utilities.

Preferably, in an alternative embodiment, the shared zone for services is configured to receive shared pipes and utilities which serve both the first floor and the second floor.

Advantageously, this may provide more effective heat exchange, as heat waste from one floor can be used to heat the vertically-adjacent floor. It may also advantageously reduce the fitting time for fitting the components of the shared zone for services as there may be a reduction in the total number of components required.

Preferably, the shared utilities comprise heating and cooling means, such that the air heat waste from one of the vertically adjacent floors can be recycled and used to heat the other vertically adjacent floor.

Advantageously, as described briefly above this may provide a more environmentally efficient building. The shared zone for services comprising shared utilities means that hot and cold air can be exchanged more efficiently between the first floor and the second floor. Further, this may provide the advantage of reducing the utilities running costs.

As mentioned above, one of the advantages of the non-identical, vertically adjacent, floor for a building is that it provides vertically adjacent floors suitable for different uses. This coupled with the shared utilities may further provide a more environmentally efficient building. This is because it will be well known to the skilled person that residential floors and office floors generally have a different demand for hot water consumption and space heating. Most of the water used in residential spaces is hot water opposed to office spaces where cold water is most frequently used. Therefore, the shared utilities comprising heating and cooling means may allow the rejected heat from cooling the second floor, for example an office space, to provide heating for the vertically-adjacent first floor, for example a residential floor. It may also be used for heating the water on both of the vertically-adjacent floors.

Preferably, the pair of floors comprises a false ceiling to conceal the utilities of the shared zone for services. In this manner, the false ceiling may cover the utilities from the point of view of an individual located on the second floor. This may provide a more aesthetically pleasing shared zone for services. Alternatively, the utilities can be uncovered / exposed.

Preferably, the first floor comprises water-consuming fixtures dispersed throughout the floor.

This may provide suitable means to have the first floor as a residential floor. All residential, hotel, student accommodation or other similar uses will have water-consuming fixtures, for example toilets, sinks, baths, and showers, dispersed throughout the floor.

Additionally, the first floor may comprise fittings dispersed throughout the floor for machines such as washing machines, dryers, and fridges which are all commonly used in residential 25 areas.

Preferably, the second floor comprises water-consuming fixtures concentrated in a portion of the floor. This may provide suitable means to have the second floor as an office/retail like floor for example. This also may advantageously allow the floor plate of the second floor to be maintained substantially open.

Additionally, depending on the size of the site, the second floor may comprise a plurality of concentrated water-consuming fixtures. This may be particularly advantageous for a comparatively large site, as it may provide accessibility to all occupants on the floor.

Preferably, the pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building, further comprises a plurality of load-bearing columns located around the perimeter of the vertically adjacent floors. The first floor of each of the pairs of floors may be supported by these load-bearing columns, for example by the first floors being attached to, or integrated into, the load-bearing columns. This may provide a means of withstanding the vertical load i.e. the weight of the building going down into the ground. Further, this may provide, or at least contribute to, the means that allows the second floor to be free from internal load bearing structures.

As will be appreciated, the columns may be sized and spaced in accordance with the required overall dimensions on the building and in accordance with the required total vertical load tolerance.

Preferably, the first floor comprises at least one corridor wall configured to transfer the vertical load to a building core. This may provide vertical load transfer while also providing an access channel through the building. Further, this may contribute to the means that allows the second floor to be free from internal load bearing structures.

Preferably, the at least one corridor wall comprises at least one opening to allow entry through the corridor wall. This may provide points of access into various areas of the floor and may connect the building core to the adjacent common spaces.

Preferably, the first floor comprises at least one cross wall configured to transfer vertical load to the columns. The cross walls are walls that may be precast load-bearing walls that are placed perpendicular to the lateral axis of the building.

Preferably, the at least one cross wall comprises at least one opening to allow entry through the cross wall. This may provide access into adjacent spaces either side of the cross wall.

Preferably, the second floor comprises a lightweight substantially self-supporting curtain wall cladding on the perimeter of the second floor. The purpose of the lightweight substantially self-supporting curtain wall cladding on the perimeter, may be to provide an external wall to enclose the space. The lightweight curtain wall cladding may have openings such as windows. Since the second floor is substantially free from internal load bearing structures, the openings of the lightweight curtain wall may be configured to maximise the provision of daylight to this second floor; for example by including openings that are large in size and/or a large number of openings.

The first floor may comprise external perimeter walls that may have the structural capacity to withstand lateral loads, such as wind resistance and adverse weather conditions, thus providing lateral stability. These perimeter walls may have windows.

Preferably, the first floor comprises a plurality of pre-fabricated units. This may provide an efficient means of providing accommodation units, for example, bed and bath units. The units can be pre-fabricated off site and then delivered to the site and placed in the required locations of the floors. Taking the bed and bath units as an example, these units may be spaced around first floor. The pre-fabricated units may be spaced with a gap between them.

This gap may define a space for the living room and/or kitchen areas for example.

The use of these pre-fabricated units may also advantageously provide more flexibility regarding the layout of the floor plan of each floor of the first type. The floors of the second type may also be provided with pre-fabricated units if desired. Further, the use of pre-fabricated units may reduce construction costs and time.

Preferably, the shared zone for services is formed within the second floor. In this manner, the shared zone for services sits within the second floor such that it is situated where the second floor meets the base of the first floor. Due to the second floor being substantially free from load bearing structures this may advantageously provide a substantially unobstructed shared zone for services. In known buildings the service zone and the structural zone are generally combined at the head (towards the ceiling) of each floor. In this arrangement, the services have to pass through the vertical constraints of the floor, which can reduce the structural integrity of those vertical constraints. These vertical constraints may also restrict the layout of the service zone, as it must conform to the available spaces within the structure. By providing the shared zone for services within the second floor of the present disclosure, the structural constraints, i.e. those present on the first floor, may be advantageously separated from the services. Consequently, providing the shared zone for services within the second floor, which is configured to be substantially free from structural constraints, provides a more efficient shared zone for services that is not dictated by beams and/or columns or other vertical structural constraints present on the first floor.

Preferably, the first floor has a use and the second floor has an alternative use. For example, the first floor may be residential use and the second floor may be office use, or the first floor may be for cellular office / meeting room use and the second floor may be for open plan office use. In this manner, the way that the floors are laid out, and in turn used, may vary, with the first floor being effectively cellular with a defined set of rooms and the second floor being substantially open plan.

In a second aspect of the present invention, a building comprising a plurality of pairs of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors according to the first aspect of the present invention and vertically stacked is provided. The first floor of a first pair of floors supports the second floor of a vertically-adjacent second pair of floors. In this manner, the building will comprise a plurality of first floors and a plurality of second floors, with the first floors and the second floors alternating.

Preferably, the building comprises a plurality of load-bearing columns located around the perimeter of the vertically-adjacent floors, with the first floor of each of the plurality of pairs of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors being supported by one or more of the plurality of load-bearing columns. In this manner, the plurality of load-bearing columns around the perimeter of the building support the first floors, and the respective second floors may be defined by the regions between adjacent first floors. Accordingly, the ceiling of a second floor may be defined by the floor plate of the first floor in that pair, which is located above (away from the ground) the second floor, and the floor plate of the second floor may be defined by the ceiling of the first floor of the pair below (closer to the ground).

An advantage of the invention, in the second aspect, is that it may provide a more space efficient building. The configuration of the building according to the second aspect of the invention may allow each second floor to have the ability to be substantially unobstructed from load bearing constraints. Consequently, more space may be provided on the plurality of second floors.

Any, some and/or all features in one aspect of the present invention may be applied to any, some and/or all other features of the same aspect of the invention, in any appropriate combination.

Any feature in one aspect of the invention may be applied to other aspects of the invention, in any appropriate combination. In particular, method aspects may be applied to apparatus aspects, and vice versa. Furthermore, any, same and/or all features in one aspect may be applied to any, some and/or all features in any other aspect, in any appropriate combination.

It should also be appreciated that particular combinations of the various features described and defined in any aspects of the invention may be implemented and/or supplied and/or used independently.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One or more example embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of the assembly of pairs of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building according to a first example embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of the assembly of the pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building according to an example embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of a pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building having a housing plant zone according to the first example embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4(a) illustrates an example configuration of a building core for small floor plate.

Figure 4(b) illustrates an example configuration of a building core and housing plant zone for small floor plate.

Figure 4(c) illustrates a variation of configurations of a building core and housing plant zone for a small floor plate for three different structures Figure 5(a) illustrates an example configuration of a building core for a medium floor plate.

Figure 5(b) illustrates an example configuration of a building core and housing plant zone for a medium floor plate.

Figure 5(c) illustrates a variation of configurations of a building core and housing plant zone for a medium floor plate for three different structures.

Figure 6(a) illustrates an example configuration of a building core for a large floor plate.

Figure 6(b) illustrates an example configuration of a building core and housing plant zone for a large floor plate.

Figure 6(c) illustrates a variation of configurations of a building core and housing plant zone for a large floor plate for three different structures.

Figure 7 illustrates the circulation and service distribution throughout a building according to an example embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 is a schematic illustration of the assembly when the vertically-adjacent floors have different uses according to an example embodiment of the present invention;

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Figure 1 provides an example section of a building illustrating three vertically stacked pairs of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Each pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building generally comprises a first floor 1 comprising a plurality of load bearing structures dividing the floor and a second floor 2 substantially free from internal load bearing structures. A shared zone for services 11 is defined between the first floor 1 and the second floor 2 for housing one or more utilities that serve the first floor 1 and one or more utilities that serve the second floor 2.

Figure 1, illustrates the load bearing structures and structural constraints of three vertically stacked pairs of vertically-adjacent, non-identical floors for a building.

It can be seen in Figure 1, within the building comprising three vertically stacked pairs of floors, that each pair comprises a first floor 1 and a second floor 2. The first floor 1 sits above the second floor 2. Further, it can be seen that the first floor 1 of a first pair provides a load bearing function to the second floor 2 of the second pair.

The section of a building shown in Figure 1 comprises load bearing columns 3 located around the perimeter of the vertically-adjacent floors of the building. The load bearing columns 3 run vertically and each column extends to the full height of the structure. The load bearing columns 3 are generally equally spaced around the perimeter of the building. As will be appreciated, the columns may be sized and spaced in accordance with the required overall dimensions on the building and in accordance with the required total vertical load tolerance.

The floors of the first floor 1 type can be seen to comprise corridor walls 4, the corridor walls 4 run down the centre of the floor providing a central corridor. Although the floors of the first floor 1 type illustrated in the example of Figure 1 show a singular corridor defined by a pair of corridor walls, it will be appreciated that embodiments of the present invention are not limited to having only one corridor and a plurality of corridors may be provided. The corridor walls 4 are configured to transfer the vertical load of the building to the building core 18.

The corridor walls 4 comprise openings 7, which allow access through the corridor walls 4 into the enclosed spaces adjacent to the corridor walls. In the example embodiment of Figure 1, the openings 7 in the corridor walls 4 allow entry into each cellular section, which may, for example, be configured for accommodation uses.

The floors of the first floor 1 type further comprise a plurality of cross walls 5. The cross walls 5 are generally perpendicular to the corridor walls 4 or generally perpendicular to the lateral axis of the building. The cross walls 5 are configured to transfer the vertical load of the building to the load bearing columns 3 around the perimeter. The plurality of cross walls 5 enclose the space either side of the corridor walls 4 to form cellular like spaces. The cross walls 5 comprise openings 8 that allow entry through the cross walls 5. In the example embodiment of Figure 1, the openings 8 in the cross walls 5 allow adjacent cellular spaces to be connected to provide access throughout the floor.

Along with the load bearing columns 3 on the perimeter, the first floor 1 has external perimeter walls 6. The external perimeter walls 6 may assist with structural stability of the building, however, this is secondary to the stability and support provided by the load bearing columns 3 and cross walls 5. The external perimeter walls 6 will generally provide protection from adverse weather conditions. The external perimeter walls 6 may have openings, as shown in Figure 1 in the form of windows 9. However, it will be appreciated that these structural openings may be closed by glazing for example.

The plurality of first floors 1 comprise pre-fabricated units. These pre-fabricated units divide the spaces defined by the corridor walls 4 and the cross walls 5. As shown in Figure 1, these pre-fabricated units can define an area for a washroom for example. The pre-fabricated units may be spaced with a gap between them. This gap may provide a space for the living room and/or kitchen areas for example. Optionally, the pre-fabricated units can also be used on the substantially open second floor 2 if desired.

These pre-fabricated units are generally of a size that they can be delivered to the site by a transport vehicle. Once delivered to the site the pre-fabricated units may be bolted or otherwise connected together to the adjacent walls and/or the floor.

The first floor 1 illustrated in Figure 1 has water consuming fixtures 12 dispersed around the floor plate. The generally divided floor plan of the first floor 1, due to the plurality of load bearing structures, is particularly suitable for uses such as residential use for example. Within residential spaces it is generally desirable for the water consuming fixtures 12 to be dispersed, such that each cellular space/accommodation has its own toilet, wash sink, etc. However, the number of water consuming fixtures may vary depending on the type of residential accommodation. For example some student accommodation may provide a shared wash area between a certain number of cellular spaces/occupants.

Although not shown in Figure 1, the water consuming fixtures on the second floor 2 may be generally grouped. On large sites having expansive floor plates, there may be several groups of water consuming fixtures on the second floor 2. Typical examples of water consuming fixtures that could be included on the second floor 2 include toilets and wash sinks. In this manner, the configuration of the second floor 2 may be particularly suitable for office like spaces.

The floors of the second type, are substantially free from load bearing structures and have a substantially open floor plate. As can be seen clearly in Figure 2, the second floors 2 are free from any permanent internal load bearing structures such as walls or columns or protruding overhead beams. The only internal vertical structural constraint is the building core 18, the building core 18 runs vertically through the building. The building core 18 houses services such as lifts, stairs, fire safety routes for example. The building core 18 generally provides lateral stability to resist wind load. The building core also houses essential services such as water and electricity, this is described in more detail with respect to Figure 7.

The floors of the first type, may comprise balconies 17 as shown in Figure 2. These balconies 17 can be protruding or recessed.

The second floors 2 may comprise a lightweight substantially self-supporting curtain wall cladding 10 on the perimeter. This primary purpose of this lightweight cladding 10 on the perimeter is to provide an external wall to enclose the second floor, rather than providing any load bearing function. The lightweight cladding 10 may comprise opening such as windows, to maximise the amount of daylight penetration onto the second floor The first floor 1 comprises the housing plant zone 19, as shown in Figure 3, that serves both the first floor 1 and the vertically adjacent second floor 2. The housing plant zone 19 contains essential systems that would typically consume space on every floor in a building, such as the air exhaust network, the air handling unit, and fresh air distribution network. These systems within the decentralised on floor plant serve both floors of each pair, this allows the second floor 2 to remain substantially free from internal load bearing structures and maintain a substantially open and unobstructed floor.

Figure 3 shows the housing plant zone 19 located centrally on the first floors, however, the positioning can vary depending on the site. It will be noted that Figures 3 to 6 show the housing plant zone 19 at different positions on the first floor. It is therefore clear that it is not essential that the housing plant be located in any one given location. Figures 4 to 6 illustrate some examples of the variation of the housing plant position on the first floor 1, which will vary depending on factors such as the site shape, size, sun-paths, other external conditions such as noise, and access requirements.

Figure 4 illustrates an example configuration of a housing plant zone 19 and a building core 18 generally suitable for smaller floor plates such as 800m2 -1,200m2 floor plates. In this example, Figure 4(a) illustrates the building core 18 being located outside of the floor, consequently maximising the open space of the second floor's floorplate. Further, Figure 4(b) illustrates an example location of the housing plant zone 19 on a floor of the first type. The housing plant zone 19 is placed in the effective 'dark space' of the first floor 1. The 'dark space' being the least valuable part of the floor with respect to access to daylight and sun paths. Figure 4(c) shows a further three examples of the building core 18 being located outside of the floor and placement of the housing plant zone 19 on a variation of smaller floor plates and building structures.

Figure 5 illustrates another example configuration of the location of the housing plant zone 19 and the building core 18 generally suitable for medium sized floor plans such as 1,200m2 -1,800m2 floor plates. As demonstrated by this example, for medium sized floor plans it may be advantageous to move the building core 18 to the centre of the floor plate but have the building core 18 offset to one half of the floor plate. In this case the vertical building core 18 is embedded into the horizontal floor plate, thus providing improved structural resistance to the wind. The placement of the building core 18 as shown in Figure 5(a) maximises the open floor space on the second floors. Further Figure 5(a) illustrates an example configuration where features such as the stair cases are located at opposing ends of the floor. The stair cases may be placed in these locations to provide accessible escape routes in the event of an emergency such as a fire. Figure 5(b) shows the first floor 1 according to this variation. The housing plant zone 19 can be split into two and be located either side of the building core 18, or as shown in Figures 5(c) the housing plant zone 19 and the building core 18 can be situated adjacent to one another. This principle can be adapted in many ways to conform to the specific site structure as shown by Figures 5(c).

Figure 6 illustrates a further example configuration of the location of the housing plant zone 19 and the building core 18 generally suitable for large sized floor plans such as 1,800m2 -2,400m2. The building core 18 is shown situated at the centre of the floor plate. This has been appreciated by the inventors to be structurally the most efficient and cost effective way of implementing the building core 18 into buildings with large floor plates.

Figures 4 to 6 provide illustrations of example variations of the location of the vertical building core 18 and the housing plant zone 19. It will be appreciated that the locations of the housing plant zone 19 and the building core 18 are not limited to these example configurations, and Figures 3 to 6 highlight that the nature of the present invention allows a variation of potential locations for the housing plant zone 19 and building core 18. Therefore, it is clear Figures 3 to 6 are merely examples of potential locations and configurations.

The housing plant zone 19 is generally located at the least valuable part of the floor. The least valuable part of the floor may be primarily defined by the amount of light, i.e. placing the housing plant where there is limited daylight or alternatively placing the housing plant on the perimeter to face a significant source of noise or an undesirable view for example. The first floor 1 is particularly suited for residential use as discussed above. In such residential usage, areas with little to no access to daylight, i.e. 'dark spaces', are particularly undesirable, and so it may be convenient to use these dark spaces to accommodate the housing plant zone 19, which serves both the first floor 1 and the second floor 2. This is effective as it results in the second floors 2 remaining substantially open and free of housing plant zones, as well as load-bearing constraints, while using areas of the first floors 1 that are not or not as valuable to the occupants or the specific use. The same applies to other conditions other than light such as noise.

Each pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building shown in Figure 1 comprises a shared zone for services 11 defined between the first floor 1 and the second floor 2 for housing one or more utilities that serve the first floor 1 and one or more utilities that serve the second floor. The shared zone for services 11 as shown in Figure 1 and 2, sits within the second floor and may be concealed by a false ceiling as shown in Figure 8, or left open as shown in Figure 1. The false ceiling may conceal the utilities from the point of view of an individual located on the second floor 2, and as such may be more aesthetically pleasing.

The shared zone for services 11 comprises utilities running laterally. The figures have captured the some typical services such as ventilation 14, heating and cooling 15, lighting 16, and the lateral foul drainage system from the first floor situated above 13. There are many other services that may be provided in these shared zone for services such as emergency lighting, fire and smoke detectors, sprinklers, PA systems; however, these have not been represented in the Figures for simplicity. It will also be appreciated that the exact nature of the services provided in the shared zone 11 is not essential to the present disclosure.

As the skilled person will be aware, there are many types of ventilation and heating and cooling systems available. The figures illustrate one example of a simple air duct distribution network for air supply and extraction and water collection drainage system; however it will be appreciated that any known ventilation, heating, and cooling systems may be used within the context of the present invention. The important factor is that the utilities are placed within the shared zone for services 11, this placement and configuration can be applied to an array of such systems.

The shared zone for services 11 being defined between the first floor 1 and the second floor comprising either shared utilities of individual utilities that serve the first and second floor 1, 2 may effectively provide a combined service zone that, in some examples, is approximately 400mm-600mm narrower than the overall space occupied by service zones per paired set of floors in known buildings, which comprise individual service zones for each floor.

The shared utilities between the first floor 1 and the second floor 2 enables the resulting building to use more effective and efficient heating and cooling systems. Figure 7 illustrates the circulation and service distribution throughout the building, particularly illustrating the circulation and service distribution for each floor type. The circulation runs laterally on each floor type due to the shared zone for services 11. It can also be seen that the circulation for both floors is served from the housing plant zone 19 situated on the first floor 1 of the pair.

Figure 7 provides an illustration of the service distribution 21 from the housing plant zone 19 to the pairs of floors. The essential service distribution runs generally vertically through the building core 18. The building core 18 provides vertical circulation represented by the arrows shown in Figure 7. The building core 18 generally does not comprise ventilation ducts as these are situated in the housing plant zone 19. This is because air services, for example the ventilation ducts, are known to consume a large amount of space compared to other services (for example water, electricity, and data services). To maximise the open space on the second floor, the building core 18 may house only a few services, and the space consuming ventilation/air services 14 may be located in the housing plant zone 19 on the first floor 1 while being configured to serve both the first floor 1 and the second floor 2.

Some known buildings have floors solely dedicated to housing the plant. Therefore, supplying the air services via the ventilation ducts from the plant floor to the floor furthest away can result in space consuming services covering a large distance and correspondingly requiring a larger duct diameter to supply each of the floors in between. Further ducting would also need to be supplied to transport stale air back from these floors to the plant. Therefore, in known buildings there is a large gross area on the floors that is lost from running the air services vertically, through the building core for example. Figure 7 illustrates that the air (circulation) of the present disclosure may run laterally/horizontally between the perimeter of the floor and the housing plant zone 19, through the efficient share zone for services. This, minimises the net area of the floor plate consumed with housing services and provides service risers having a reduced footprint.

Some buildings according to the present disclosure (comprising a plurality of vertically stacked pairs of floors) may have a lobby or retail space for example on the ground floor.

The building may have a basement plant and a roof plant 20.

Figure 8 illustrates a pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building with the first floor 1 and the second floor 2 having alternative uses. In this example embodiment, the first floor 1 is for residential use, specifically apartments and the second floor 2 is for civic use. In this example the shared zone for services 11 is configured to receive shared pipes and utilities that serve both the first floor 1 and the second floor 2. The shared pipes and utilities include heating and cooling means. In this scenario, the rejected heat from cooling the second floor 2, i.e. the office floor, may be used to heat the air on the first floor 1, i.e. the residential floor, and/or the water on the first 1 and second floors 2.

Further, the shared zone for services 11, extending laterally and defined between the first floor 1 and the second floor 2, enables water-based systems, such as under floor heating, to be used for the heating of the first floor 1.

The pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building, may comprise a partitioned shared zone for services 11 so as to provide a separate volume for receiving utilities that serve the first floor 1 and utilities that serve the second floor 2. The use of the partitioned shared zone for services allows the option of providing these utilities separate regions. This may be particularly advantageous in the event that the pair of vertically-adjacent floors are under different ownership.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but is instead defined by the following set of claims. The written description simply uses examples to describe the invention and to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.A pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building comprising a plurality of said pair of floors vertically stacked, the pair of floors comprising: a first floor comprising a plurality of load bearing structures dividing the floor; a second floor that is substantially free from internal load bearing structures; and a shared zone for services defined between the first floor and the second floor for housing one or more utilities that serve the first floor and one or more utilities that serve the second floor.
The pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building according to claim 1, wherein the first floor comprises a housing plant zone that serves both the first floor and the vertically adjacent second floor.
The pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building according to any preceding claim, wherein the shared zone for services is partitioned so that a volume for receiving utilities that serve the first floor is separate to a volume for receiving utilities that serve the second floor.
The pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building according to any of claims 1 or 2, wherein the shared zone for services is configured to receive shared pipes and utilities that serve both the first floor and the second floor.
The pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building according to claim 4, wherein the shared utilities comprise heating and cooling means, such that the air heat waste from one of the vertically adjacent floors can be recycled and used to heat the other vertically adjacent floor.
The pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building according to any preceding claim, further comprising a false ceiling to conceal the utilities.
The pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building according to any preceding claim, wherein the first floor comprises water-consuming fixtures dispersed throughout the floor.
8. The pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building according to any preceding claim, wherein the second floor comprises water-consuming fixtures concentrated in a portion of the floor.
9. The pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building according to any preceding claim, further comprising a plurality of load-bearing columns located around the perimeter of the vertically adjacent floors.
10. The pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building according to any preceding claim, wherein the first floor comprises at least one corridor wall configured to transfer the vertical load to a building core.
11. The pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building according to claim 10, wherein the at least one corridor wall comprises at least one opening to allow entry through the corridor wall.
12. The pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building according to any of claims 9 to 11, wherein the first floor comprises at least one cross wall configured to transfer vertical load to the columns.
13. The pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building according to claim 12, wherein the at least one cross wall comprises at least one opening to allow entry through the cross wall.
14. The pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building according to any preceding claim, wherein the second floor comprises lightweight substantially self-supporting curtain wall cladding on the perimeter of the second floor.
15. The pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building according to any preceding claim, wherein the first floor comprises a plurality of pre-fabricated units.
16. The pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building according to any preceding claim, wherein the shared zone for services is formed within the second floor.
17. The pair of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors for a building according to any preceding claim, wherein the first floor has a first use and the second floor has an alternative use.
18. A building comprising a plurality of pairs of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors according to any preceding claim, wherein the first floor of a first pair of floors supports the second floor of a vertically-adjacent second pair of floors.
19. A building comprising a plurality of pairs of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors according to claim 9, wherein the first floor of a first pair of floors supports the second floor of a vertically-adjacent second pair of floors; and wherein the first floor of each of the plurality of pairs of vertically-adjacent, non-identical, floors is supported by one or more of the plurality of load-bearing columns.