I think a big intractable part of the problem is the location of the windows (i.e. exclusively on the outside of the building). Big floorplates just don't have

I think a big intractable part of the problem is the location of the windows (i.e. exclusively on the outside of the building). Big floorplates just don't have enough windows to utilize the space well for residential, since building codes require all bedrooms to have windows, so your living area would be interior and have none. Like if you take a 1-2k sqft pie slice of the center-to-window of a floorplate it ends up being extremely awkward to lay out a desirable apartment on that. I'm here for the general idea of rethinking residential though; personally I think we do more harm than good by requiring all bedrooms to have windows. Cheap pod apartments could be strongly preferable for many working-class folks that presently commute 1.5+ hours into metropolitan areas. But making that work would require a deep rethinking of permitting and zoning.