General book help

[Spence]

I am looking for a book that contains illustrations on how a skyscraper is laid out. It doesn't have to be super detailed, but I have never been able to poke around a real one. An overview of something along the line of the Empire State building or another building of the same period. How are stores, offices, residences distributed? The elevator banks? I am slowly getting better at mapping and when I map out the Empire Club and the PC's headquarters, I would like to make it a plausable layout.

 

Thanks

[Narratio]

Re: General book help

 

Silly as this may seem, the basic design of a skyscraper is the same as a low rise. A central bank of elevators with a utility / winding room at the top. A pair of staircase (at least) seperated from the elevators as they are fire escapes as well as regular access ways. Toilets usually grouped near the elevators, that make location of utility cable and pipe ways easier.

 

A basement water pump system for the fire, waste and potable water systems. A roof mounted fire water tank system, fed from the basement is sometimes installed. Old buildings have no allowance for central air systems so there's lots of window mount units. Modern buildings will have a truly enormous plenum rising up the building with fire dampers in all ducting (another thing I hate about heroes crawling through a/c ducts. You can't do it!) and smaller ductwork for supply and return air snaking around the floors. The huge A/C units required for a central air system are usually roof mounted but may be basement mounted.

 

I can't think of any "architecture for dummies" type book on the subject. But most buildings plans are available from country or state planning commissions. Tried looking there?

 

http://www.greatbuildings.com/

 

This website has links which will take you to various 3D models and show architechtural plans of some of the more well known buildings. Hope it helps.

[Steve Long]

Re: General book help

 

Since I've researched this subject in some detail for my reworking of Harpcor Towers, I can recommend a few titles.

 

Sabbagh, Karl. Skyscraper: The Making of a Building.

Michael, Duncan. How Skyscrapers Are Made

Allen, Edward, How Buildings Work

Terranova, Antonino. Skyscrapers

Biesty, Stephen. Stephen Biesty's Incredible Cross-Sections (great diagram of Empire State Building)

 

Note that (a) some of these are children's books, and ( none of them are exactly what you're looking for. I've yet to find a "skyscraper layout and infrastructure for dummies" book of the sort that would contain the information that would be most handy for an RPG without the hard-core architectural details -- and believe me, I've looked and looked. You have to read through these books, sites like HowStuffWorks, and other sources and tease out useful details.

 

If and when I finish my new Harpcor Towers it will have a lot of these details boiled down and set forth for gamers' purposes, but that's not going to happen anytime soon.

[Spence]

Re: General book help

 

Thanks,

 

Steve: I am already using you suggestions to help search for more titles and am planning to hit the local bookstores this weekend.

 

Narratio: I looked throught sites but haven't been able to find a floor plan. Mostly external shots. I could probably make up any needed floor plan, but I am opening a Pulp that takes place in 1935 Hudson City. The PC's "secret headquarters" will be a hidden floor in the same building as the Empire Clubs Hudson City chapter. I am basing the building on the Empire State building and wanted to have the same feel for the layout. I was planning on mapping out the EC using the JI version and the ESB as a guide.