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To begin this discussion, frst take a look at the "As Build" and "Design Solution" plans at right. DESIGN CHALLENGES I found there were four major categories of design challenges associated with planning a new residence in a high-rise building: 1. Having a strategy to aggressively downsize person- al possessions (something a design professional can assist their client with in the early planning stag- es) to quantify the available storage space in the new home before the planning gets serious. 2. Understanding that construction constraints and in- stallation process changes must be identifed before the planning and estimating phases of the project begins, not after a design concept is prepared! 3. Solving the aesthetic challenge of maximizing the overall perceived visual sense of space in a smaller living area that may have few windows providing natural light. 4. Concentrating on creative storage systems in all parts of the living areas as a key focus of the fnal planning details. I will save a discussion of the frst challenge – helping the client understand the necessity of downsizing their pos- sessions to match the smaller footprint of their new home – for another article. Let me concentrate on the remaining three challenges in this article. CONSTRUCTION DETAILS When designing a high-rise environment, following are several key issues you must deal with during the layout and estimating phases of your proposal. • Typically, the building will be built with concrete pil- lars and ceilings. The concrete elements cannot be altered, and do not ofer space for recessed lighting. The condominium home often has various ceiling heights – some serving as HVAC chaseways, oth- er times simply empty softs, or as part of the con- crete structure. You need to know which is which! • Interior walls probably have steel studs that are 24" on cen- ter, resulting in narrower walls (do not try to put a pocket door in!) that need blocking or additional studs to facilitate cabinet installation and bathroom accessory placement. A much more detailed construction plan layout should b e prepared during the planning process for prop er estimat- ing. Extra preparation time for the tradespeople and drywall patching will be needed. If you plan on wood blocking, you will b e required to use specially treated wood products that are more exp ensive than typical building materials. • The building may have a sprinkler system – some- thing very important for all workers to be extreme- ly careful about! A "what to do if the sprinkler goes of " practice session with the building super- visor or maintenance man is a good idea. • Major electrical service upgrades are probably not possible. Additionally, all wiring may be run in con- duit. Therefore, your electrical rough-in will be more expensive than in a typical single-family home. • Other than a few inches, relocating plumbing drain lines may not be possible, either. It is important to LED lighting can be integrated into wardrobe poles. Photo: Courtesy of Häfele America Co., www.hafele.com/us 'As Build' Plan 'Design Solution' Plan April 2016 • KitchenBathDesign.com 41