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The sky’s the limit!

Activity 1 – history of skyscrapers

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Research a tall building. Draw or copy a picture of your skyscraper. Collect details about its circulation core, structural system and skin. Make a research poster or create an outline for a skyscraper paper. Use the library and the internet to collect at resources for your research. Write a three page paper or submit a poster to the gallery.


Activity 2 – Research Tall Buildings

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Cities all over the world compete to build the world’s tallest buildings. Research tall buildings today and read about new technologies that are changing their designs. Pick a few of the tallest buildings and compare their height, cost, construction time and design principles. Which one do you think is the most beautiful? Which one do you think will still be standing in one hundred years? With cities needing to provide more and more housing, skyscrapers can provide an efficient use of land to house many people; on the other hand, adding intense populations in small areas tax resources such as water, food, transportation etc.

The Sky’s the limit!

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Activity 3 – world's tallest buildings today

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Would you like to live in the sky? While “mile high” buildings have been conceptualized by architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, Jean Nouvel and others, today’s buildings are not yet there. Which building is considered the first true skyscraper? Who designed it and where was it built? What structural system was used? What materials were used? Research the history of skyscrapers and discover the inventions that made living vertically possible! Look at the tallest skyscrapers built and draw their silhouettes!

Would you like to live in the sky?

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Activity 4 – Build A Tall Building

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Activity 5 – Be a Skyscraper Architect

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Activity 6 – carbon neutral skyscrapers

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Skyscrapers make an efficient use of land by placing people and their activities (living, working, learning, playing) vertically. But the increased density of people also increases the need for and use of energy and resources. Architects and engineers are now working to design skyscrapers that use far less energy even to the point of zero energy towers. What can you imagine would collect water on tall buildings? How could tall buildings collect, store and use power from the wind? How can solar energy be harnessed for heating and hot water? How can the constant temperature of the earth be used to offset heating and cooling? Design a skyscraper that uses these strategies for lowering energy consumption and reducing the carbon footprint of a skycraper. Be sure to draw a section noting the energy saving details that you design into its foundation, skin and roof.


  • Define a skyscraper.
  • Wind load is:
  • Buildings over four floors must be supported by a:
  • Skyscraper comes from the nautical term for a:
  • Developments of skyscrapers happened because of:
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