1. Building Core Elements and Design

2. The typical floor plate of the standard commercial office structure contains the following:
Vertical Circulation Core
Open Lease Space
Optional public corridor.

3. Building Core
Core

4. Lease Area
Core
Tenant Lease Space

5. Lease Depth
Core
Lease
Depth
Tenant Lease Space

6. Optional Corridor
Core
Lease
Depth
Tenant Lease Space

7. Tenant Lease Area

8. Elements of the Building Core

9. The Building Core of the Commercial building contains
Passenger Elevators & Lobby

10. The Building Core of the Commercial building contains
Passenger Elevators & Lobby
Service Elevator

11. The Building Core of the Commercial building contains
Passenger Elevators & Lobby
Service Elevator
Service Elevator Vestibule

12. The Building Core of the Commercial building contains
Passenger Elevators & Lobby
Service Elevator
Service Elevator Vestibule
Mechanical Room

13. The Building Core of the Commercial building contains
Passenger Elevators & Lobby
Service Elevator
Service Elevator Vestibule
Mechanical Room
Vertical Chase

14. Passenger Elevators & LobbyM W

15. Service Elevator M W

16. Service Elevator VestibuleM W

17. Mechanical Room M W

18. Vertical Chase M W

19. The Core also consists of
Fire Egress Stairs

20. The Core also consists of
Fire Stairs
Restrooms

21. The Core also consists of
Fire Stairs
Restrooms
Drinking Fountain Vestibule

22. Fire Egress Stairs M W

23. Public Restrooms M W

24. Public Restrooms M W

25. Core Location
The Building Core can take any of basic locations relative to the floor plate.
Central Core
Off- set Core
Exterior Core
Split Core

26. Central Core Location
In the central core the lease depth is relatively equal around the core of the building.

27. Central Core Location

28. Central Core Location

29. The Tenant can lease the entire floor plate
Central Core Location
In the central core the lease depth is relatively equal around the core of the building.
The Tenant can lease the
entire floor plate

30. Central Core Location
Core
Lease
Depth
Tenant Lease Space

31. Or the tenant can lease a portion of the floor plate.
Core Location
Or the tenant can lease a portion of the floor plate.

32. Central Core Location
Core
Lease
Depth
Tenant Lease Space

33. Bruce Graham John Hancock Bldg. Chicago, Ill.
Central Core Location
Bruce Graham John Hancock Bldg. Chicago, Ill.

34. Frank Gehry New York Times Headquarters
Central Core Location
Frank Gehry New York Times Headquarters

35. Central Core Location

36. Core Location

37. Off- Set Core Location
The off Set-Core places the core off center creating differing lease depths.

38. Off- Set Core Location
Lease Depth 1
Lease
Depth 2
Core
Lease Depth 3

39. This provides greater leasing options.
Off- Set Core Location
The off Set-Core places the core off center creating differing lease depths.
This provides greater leasing options.

40. Off- Set Core Location
Lease Depth 1
Core
Lease
Depth 2

41. Henry Cobb Electicite de France Paris, France
Off- Set Core Location
Henry Cobb Electicite de France Paris, France

42. Jean Nouvel Torre Agbar Barcelona, Spain
Off- Set Core Location
Jean Nouvel Torre Agbar Barcelona, Spain

43. Split Core Location
The Split core divides the core with a central space, all components of the core are accessed from this central space.

44. Split Core Location
Core
Core
Tenant Lease Space

45. Split Core Location

46. Off- Set Core Location
This eliminates the need for any peripheral access corridor and lease space can extend right up to the walls of the core elements.

47. Split Core Location
Tenant Lease Space
Core
Core

48. Murphy / Jahn, Deutsche Post
Split Core Location
Murphy / Jahn, Deutsche Post

49. Cesar Pelli International Finance Center II
Split Core Location
Cesar Pelli International Finance Center II

50. Split Core Location
The Split Core can be divided in any number of ways. It should be noted that this increases the depth of the core and therefore the size of the floor plate.

51. Split Core Location
Core
Core
Core
Core
Tenant Lease Space

52. Split Core Location
The lease area can here too be divided but access must still be maintained to two means of egress in case of fire.

53. Split Core Location
Tenant Lease Space
Core
Core
Core
Core

54. Split Core Location
Norman Foster Swiss Re

55. Split Core Location

56. Exterior Core Location
In the Exterior Core configuration the core is pulled either to one side or edge.
If the core is pushed to one side creating a ‘dead wall’ this can be used to advantage where poor views or party walls present a problem.

57. Exterior Core Location
Tenant Lease Space

58. Michael Graves Humana Bldg.
Exterior Core Location
Michael Graves Humana Bldg.

59. Exterior Core Location

60. Norman Foster Commerzbank
Exterior Core Location
Norman Foster Commerzbank

61. Exterior Core Location
Steven Holl 5th Ave. & 42nd

62. Exterior Core Location

63. Exterior Core Location
The Core can also be isolated as a separate mass element independent from the lease floor plate.

64. Exterior Core Location
Tenant Lease Space
Core
Core

65. Richard Rodgers, 122 Leadenhall St.
Exterior Core Location
Richard Rodgers, 122 Leadenhall St.

66. Richard Rodgers Lloyds of London
Exterior Core Location
Richard Rodgers Lloyds of London

67. Exterior Core Location

68. Elevator Configurations in Tall Buildings
Different banks of elevators serve different floors A B
1-20
21-40

69. Elevator Configurations in Tall Buildings
Unused Elevator lobbies are used to hold core elements such as restrooms or mechanical M M
Lobby W W

70. Elevator Configurations in Tall Buildings

71. Elevator Configurations in Tall Buildings

72. Elevator Configurations in Tall Buildings
Elevator banks drop out of the core as they are no longer needed.

73. Elevator Configurations in Tall Buildings
As elevator banks drop out the space becomes lease space or the floor plate is reduced
Lease Space
Lobby

74. Elevator Configurations in Tall Buildings
The reduction in the core due to the drop out of elevator banks allows for the increase of lease space or reduction of floor plate allowing the building to “taper”.

75. Elevator Configurations in Tall Buildings
It may become necessary to relocate the fire
egress stairs to maintain efficiency of the lease
space or for design purposes
Lobby

76. Elevator Configurations in Tall Buildings
Fire egress stairs can be are transferred horizontally

77. Elevator Configurations in Tall Buildings
To minimize the square footage of the core on very tall buildings architects can stack the elevator banks and use express elevators to sky lobbies. Banks of elevators service only a set of designated floors while movement between them is achieved by the express system.

78. Elevator Configurations in Tall Buildings
Minoru Yamasaki World Trade Center

79. Lease space can be arranged in basically two general configurations:
Lease Space Planning
Lease space can be arranged in basically two general configurations:
Perimeter Office
Executive Core

80. Their views make them prime locations
Lease Space Planning
The Perimeter Office
In the perimeter office, private managerial offices line the outside wall of the building.
Their views make them prime locations

81. Lease Space Planning
Core
Tenant Lease Space

82. Lease Space Planning
The corners of the building are then the most sought after. These are often reserved for the highest staff level. Architects often facet the buildings corners to create more corner offices.

83. Lease Space Planning
The Executive Core
Increasingly we see the introduction of the executive core which moves the executive offices to the center of the floor plate.
This allows greater light penetration and maximizes the number of people who get a view.

84. Lease Space Planning
Core
Tenant Lease Space

85. The typical residential core is smaller
Residential Cores
The typical residential core is smaller
because it will usually not require as many elevators and there is no need for the public restrooms.

86. The Residential Core consists of Fire Stairs
Residential Cores
The Residential Core consists of
Fire Stairs

87. The Residential Core consists of Fire Stairs Elevator Lobby
Residential Cores
The Residential Core consists of
Fire Stairs
Elevator Lobby

88. The Residential Core consists of Fire Stairs Elevator Lobby
Residential Cores
The Residential Core consists of
Fire Stairs
Elevator Lobby
Service Elevator

89. The Residential Core consists of Fire Stairs Elevator Lobby
Residential Cores
The Residential Core consists of
Fire Stairs
Elevator Lobby
Service Elevator
Vestibule

90. The Residential Core consists of Fire Stairs Elevator Lobby
Residential Cores
The Residential Core consists of
Fire Stairs
Elevator Lobby
Service Elevator
Vestibule
Mechanical Room

91. The Residential Core consists of Fire Stairs Elevator Lobby
Residential Cores
The Residential Core consists of
Fire Stairs
Elevator Lobby
Service Elevator
Vestibule
Mechanical Room
Trash Chute

92. Residential Cores

93. Residential Cores

94. It is common to push all major spaces to the perimeter.
Residential Layouts
It is common to push all major spaces to the perimeter.
Closed spaces such as bathrooms, closets mechanical closets, and kitchens are often pushed toward the core.

95. Residential Cores

96. It also allows for maximum light penetration
Residential Cores
This is because code calls for all major rooms to be accessible to the perimeter for fire rescue.
It also allows for maximum light penetration

97. Residential Cores