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I'm constantly amazed at how long large projects like buildings and skyscrapers take to design and build now compared to the 1930s. Is it just that the huge ef

I'm constantly amazed at how long large projects like buildings and skyscrapers take to design and build now compared to the 1930s. Is it just that the huge efficencies we've gained with things like CAD and project management tools have been dwarfed by the expansion of bureaucracy and regulation?

onlyrealcuzzo 10y ago
I always wonder how, with all the automation and efficiency gains in construction, with how much cheaper (inflation adjusted) materials are now, that the cost to build Skyscrapers per square foot (irrespective of land) has more than double inflation since the 1930s. Maybe this is it? And speaking of, is there any way software could automate this regulation? Seems like it could save a ton of money if so.
- ajmurmann 10y ago
  I think what makes this regulation problematic is that it's not exclusively the type of regulation where you read the regulation, understand it and now you are good to go. Instead it's largely the type of regulation where you need to write an application/proposal, send it to done government office, call in favors to get it processed in a somewhat timely fashion, argue about interpretation of regulation, update your plans, wait months, have no proper recorded, etc. I think that type of regulation is very hard to automate, unpredictable, very expensive and largely what gives regulations in general a bad rep.
- pizza 10y ago
  Regulation seems to be a Ω(n) process, where n is the number of people who have some method of influencing the project, i.e. as a member of a constituency or owner of some bridging piece of land. The rules part of regulation is probably the fastest, with civil engineering law firms probably having that aspect mastered.
pinot 10y ago
The buildings themselves are far more advanced. Forced air instead of steam registers, better plumbing, telco, seismic, increased floorspans, durable materials, energy efficiency etc etc.
ec109685 10y ago
There is a huge building boom of 6 to 20 floor towers in Silicon Valley, where low slung single story buildings are getting replaced by modern office towers. These projects are happening incredibly fast, so I can't imagine it really being less efficient than in the 1930s, when buildings of this magnitude where few and far between.

onlyrealcuzzo 10y ago

I always wonder how, with all the automation and efficiency gains in construction, with how much cheaper (inflation adjusted) materials are now, that the cost to build Skyscrapers per square foot (irrespective of land) has more than double inflation since the 1930s. Maybe this is it? And speaking of, is there any way software could automate this regulation? Seems like it could save a ton of money if so.

ajmurmann 10y ago
I think what makes this regulation problematic is that it's not exclusively the type of regulation where you read the regulation, understand it and now you are good to go. Instead it's largely the type of regulation where you need to write an application/proposal, send it to done government office, call in favors to get it processed in a somewhat timely fashion, argue about interpretation of regulation, update your plans, wait months, have no proper recorded, etc. I think that type of regulation is very hard to automate, unpredictable, very expensive and largely what gives regulations in general a bad rep.
pizza 10y ago
Regulation seems to be a Ω(n) process, where n is the number of people who have some method of influencing the project, i.e. as a member of a constituency or owner of some bridging piece of land. The rules part of regulation is probably the fastest, with civil engineering law firms probably having that aspect mastered.

pinot 10y ago

The buildings themselves are far more advanced. Forced air instead of steam registers, better plumbing, telco, seismic, increased floorspans, durable materials, energy efficiency etc etc.

ec109685 10y ago

There is a huge building boom of 6 to 20 floor towers in Silicon Valley, where low slung single story buildings are getting replaced by modern office towers. These projects are happening incredibly fast, so I can't imagine it really being less efficient than in the 1930s, when buildings of this magnitude where few and far between.