Mechanical floors in tall buildings house building systems such as climate control, electrical panels, and elevator controls. They are not accessible by normal elevators and may require special access. They can also be used for storage and high-security equipment. Integrating them into building design can be challenging.
A mechanical floor is a floor in a tall building that provides space for building systems. An extremely tall building may have multiple mechanical floors to meet all of its needs. These floors are usually not accessible by normal elevators and stairways, because they contain sensitive systems. You may need to use service lifts or stairways, or a special key in a regular building lift, to reach the mechanical floor. This limits access to authorized personnel.
Skyscrapers need extensive climate control systems, telephone relays, electrical panels, elevator controls, and other systems to support their operations. The mechanical floor provides a centralized location for all of these systems, which can facilitate access and maintenance. This location can reduce space losses in other areas of the building. It also allows the architect to design ventilation systems that are appropriate for the environment, a problem with electrical systems, which can get extremely hot during operation.
Mechanical floors may also include storage of supplies that maintenance personnel may need, especially for floor operations. A business that rents multiple floors might have its own mechanical floor to manage servers and other systems relevant to its operations. That company’s staff could manage their own mechanical systems themselves, instead of relying on building maintenance personnel for these services.
This can potentially be a high security area. It may contain lines used for secure communications, as well as confidential servers and other equipment that could endanger building occupants if they were accessible to the general public. For this reason, some mechanical floors have high security measures to deter intruders and provide monitoring services for security personnel. The floor may use cameras, for example, to watch who enters and who leaves and to keep an eye on them as they perform services on the mechanical floor.
Also known as a mechanical level, mechanical flooring can be difficult to integrate into building design. Natural light isn’t needed on this floor, but ventilation is, and installing fans, louvres, and other ventilation options can ruin the exterior of the building. Architects can use a variety of techniques to disguise them or to integrate them into the building’s design so that they become part of the overall look. A building can twist or change shape at this plan, for example, creating a visual distraction that works well with the different exterior appearance.
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