Planning and Design

een tiling on the tower, the risk ofdebonding would rise when Highcliffbends under heavy winds. Thecladding continues around thebuilding envelope withoutinterruption — there is purposely noreadily identifiable rear to the tower,which makes a difference toresidents living in adjacent buildings.Being the designer for bothHighcliff and the adjacent buildingat 41C Stubbs Road, the architectwas in a position to choose curtainwall colours suiting each tower to theenvirons. Taking into considerationthe height of Highcliff and the factthat the sky would reflect on theglass when looking up at the tower,the designers decided on a metallicblue that diffuses the visual impact.A complementary greenish tint wasdecided on for the project next door,in keeping with the green hillsaround the Stubbs Road area.One of the largest challengesfaced during planning was thenatural phenomenon of tall buildingsbending under wind load. Duringtyphoon conditions, a building maysway at a ratio of 1:500 — one footto the side for every 500 feet ofheight. While a similar effect appliesto office towers, it’s not asproblematic because floorplates aretypically larger and tenants stayhome during extremely badweather. In a residential building,however, people would be unnerved