Efficiency Proficiency: Today’s Floor Plans May be as Good as They Get

Thanks to relatively recent advances in building materials and architectural design, today’s towers are leaps and bounds more advanced when it comes to floor plans that maximize usable space — about 30 to 40 percent more efficient than mid-century designs…

Kenneth Lewis, a partner at the New York office of Skidmore, Owings & Merril, said office buildings constructed around mid-century are about 50 percent efficient, while properties today operate in the 80-90 percent range, with some examples going even as high as 95 percent. While these modern ratios leave relatively little room for improvement, even small gains are meaningful, he said.