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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex Mackinnon
So, you're saying that towers are a crappy built form because people like windows; and tower developments generally don't go triple pane. That is all you're saying here.
There is nothing inherent about a tower that means it has to be floor to ceiling glass. Just people spending money on that kind of thing expect it.
If you included as much window area on a townhouse, it would be even less efficient because it would lose heat out the floor and out the ceiling in addition to the exterior walls.
Also key point of a 105 year old house is that it's pretty much made of holes. Original windows, lack of real insulation, etc.
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Being in the business I am going to weigh in and say that towers are much more economical. You really need 100 units+ to achieve economies of scale with regards to maintenance fees...its the buildings less than 20 units that suffer big time when say their elevator breaks down. $200,000 over 100+ units is much easier to pay then $80,000 over 20. Plus landscaping most towers is about the same as landscaping a small townhouse complex. You also get a building manager in towers which is required given the current crime situation downtown.
I'll also point out that insulation is great, but you need to beware new technology. Most new HVAC systems are crap, they don't operate according to specs. Old buildings that put a new system in tend to get screwed. I'm very disappointed that engineers have signed off on systems in new buildings they should know won't work (I suspect the developer pressured them).
Another example of poor new technology is that single pane windows tend to last close to forever (its the panes and the building that shifts and eventually causes them to need repair/replacement) but double pane windows will have the seal fail and eventually require replacement. At $300-600 a window this really adds up plus the replacement then fails and requires replacement.
Generally the more surface area you have on the outside of a building the more you pay (as you'll find in townhouses). Plus townhouses tend to be made of wood which requires constant maintenance as opposed to concrete. Finally, you can fit 100's of people in a condo building and as Alex pointed out this takes up alot less land space compared to fitting the same amount in townhouses.