How to Build a Skyscraper
summary
Skyscraper history yields concrete takeaways for software: Equitable Life burned despite "fireproof" claim shows brittle assumptions; Otis safety hoist demonstrates a small mechanical change that unlocks new value; steel frames like the Home Insurance and Flatiron cut weight and enabled odd footprints; the Chrysler Building wins a height race with a 185 ft hidden spire; Empire State rises in 14 months with five deaths; Taipei 101 uses a 728‑ton tuned mass damper and Burj Khalifa supplies refuge rooms every ~25 floors and pressurizes stairwells.
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chapters (11)
- 0:00Introduction
- 1:30The Equitable Life Building
- 7:56The Home Insurance Building
- 10:53The Monadnock Building
- 14:45The Fuller Flatiron Building
- 17:01Chrysler vs. 40 Wall Street
- 23:25The Empire State Building
- 31:44Climate control and the UN
- 34:04Wind resistance and structures
- 36:10Seismic engineering
- 39:57Safety and conclusion
