NLA’s annual tall building survey 2023 reveals a testing time for tall buildings. 

The survey started in 2014 and, like those that have come before it, continues to show a healthy pipeline of towers of 20 storeys or more. But the accompanying qualitative research compiled from a dozen-plus in depth interviews reveals a growing weariness from the public. In turn, this appears to be dampening tall-building enthusiasm among the boroughs. 

Like all housing development, tall buildings have been hit by the downturn in the residential market. Rising costs of borrowing have suppressed demand and made it harder for clients, including housing associations, to borrow money to make their sites viable. Viability has also been made harder by tougher fire safety requirements and other new building regulations. 

There is more activity in the commercial sector. Projects that were put on hold a few months back because of rampant cost inflation have bounced back to life. 

It means that the overall market is a mixed one. But changes in planning policies, and pressure on the sustainability and viability of schemes, is adding extra complexities to building tall. Together these issues are sparking debate about the future of tall buildings and whether they can provide innovative solutions that are financially, socially, and environmentally sustainable. 

When panellists at the launch of the new report were asked if tall buildings were still a viable option in London, the answer was a most definite yes. Their views reflected the underlying optimism for the typology in the report.

Shortage of land, combined with the need to increase densities and the fact that a more compact city is sustainable if viewed beyond the lens of carbon, are all seen as drivers for building upwards. The view from the panel was that tall buildings should be considered in the round. Panellists also felt that the social and economic value tall buildings bring could be enhanced through more mixed-use developments with multiple uses. 

But panellists also acknowledged that sustainability in terms of carbon emissions from embodied energy is now a major consideration and had climbed up the agenda since the last report in 2022. 

Dr Simon Hatherley, Senior Building Performance Architect, AHMM, one of the panellists, presented AHMM’s approach to reducing carbon emissions in large scale developments, including higher rise buildings, which has been distilled into new guidance Delivering net zero in use: a guide for architects. This uses their project at Canada Water as a case study. The high-density, mixed-use development was designed for British Land and received planning permission in summer of 2022.

Ender Ozkan, Vice President Europe, RWDI, told the audience that there are solutions for lowering embodied carbon, including lower carbon structural materials, like cross laminated timber, but they cost more and also had limitations. He thought that in future the trend will be to use more technology on towers to optimise performance and reduce the need for materials in both construction and operation.

Both Hatherley and Ozkan pointed to greater collaboration between architects and engineers and contractors as a key to delivering more sustainable structures. 

Panellists, who also included Ben Eley, Interim Head of Design, City of London  and Angie Jim Osman, Partner, Allies and Morrison, stressed the need to design tall buildings with greater longevity. That means making them more adaptable to different uses, with building components that could be re-used as part of a circular economy. Alongside that, they expect to see more retrofitting of existing structures. 

The story of towers will continue to evolve. Some of the current difficulties are likely to settle down over time. For example, new building safety legislation has created uncertainty – but should boost public confidence in tall buildings. 

London will continue to grow up, but the pace of this growth spurt is most definitely slowing down.

In the meantime, as the research concludes: