Challenge: Minimise the space needed for elevators to increase leasable office space.
Solution: TWIN elevator systems reduced space needed for the elevators by 2,700 m² (29,000 square feet) – an increase of 6% of leasable space.
TWIN makes the case
The St. Botolph Building in London houses eight TWIN elevators, which is the world’s largest group. In the planning phase, it was determined that the 13-floor office building’s population of 5,000 people would need two groups of 6 to 8 conventional elevators and the construction of 14 shafts.
A double-deck installation was also considered. However, that alternative required a large amount of shaft head height, heavy cabins and meant that all the floors would have to be the same height. By using 8 TWIN systems, only 8 shafts were required and less power was needed to move lighter cabins. There were also fewer space requirements in the shaft head and machine rooms, which increased leasable space, required less energy and reduced construction cost.
Higher handling capacity, smaller core
In the drawing you can see the space needed for elevators in the building core – without (left) and with (right) TWIN systems. In the middle you see the first floor plan and the amount of saved floor space.
