Designing Tall Buildings: Structure as Architecture - Softcover

Sarkisian, Mark

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0367643855 ISBN 13: 9780367643850

Publisher: Routledge, 2026

Synopsis

This third edition of Designing Tall Buildings is an enhanced and accessible reference that guides the reader through the fundamental principles of designing high-rise buildings.

This new edition includes four new chapters, including initial concepts for tall building design, techniques for optimization, considerations for carbon, and the use of alternative materials such as timber. The third edition also includes 300 additional illustrations, and current code requirements and equations. Each chapter focuses on a theme central to tall-building design, giving a comprehensive overview of the related architectural and structural engineering concepts. Author Mark Sarkisian, PE, SE, NAE, LEED, provides clear definitions of technical terms and important equations, gradually developing the reader’s knowledge. Projects drawn from SOM’s vast portfolio of built high-rises, many of which Sarkisian engineered, demonstrate these concepts. The book considers the influence of particular site geology, wind conditions, and seismicity. With this contextual knowledge, the reader can develop structural systems best suited for a tower that are not only safe but constructible and economical. Sarkisian specifically addresses the influence of nature in design, urging the integration of structure and architecture for building of superior performance, sustainability, and aesthetic excellence.

This third edition is a must-have reference for students and designers.

About this title

About the Author

Mark Sarkisian is a Partner of Structural and Seismic Engineering at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in the United States. His research and practice focus on high-performance seismic systems, environmentally responsible structural design, adaptive reuse, and multidisciplinary collaboration in tall building design. He holds sixteen patents for structural and seismic inventions and has been elected to both the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Construction. Sarkisian teaches integrated design studios at leading universities and is the author of 'Designing Tall Buildings: Structure as Architecture'.

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0367643855
• ISBN 13: 9780367643850
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 422