Height and construction costs of buildings in Hong Kong

Abstract

The majority of buildings in Hong Kong come into the multi-storey category. The conventional wisdom of construction economics suggests that the cost of construction per square metre increases as buildings become higher. This paper summarizes earlier research on the subject and adopts a descriptive approach to present investigations into the cost-height relationship of buildings constructed in Hong Kong. Initial findings seem to suggest a different situation in Hong Kong - arguably the epitome of a ‘tall’ built environment. Possibly, there are factors concerning the design economics of tall buildings that are specific to those urban locations where they are more common. This point would suggest that a different set of criteria should be applied in the judgement of how height affects cost depending on the context and commonality of tall buildings in the location under consideration.

Keywords:

• Building
• Height-cost
• Economics
• Location