Which is more environmentally friendly: A flat, wide warehouse or a skyscraper?

Midget40

The skyscraper 1) It uses less land for (usually) more floor space. 2) Most escaping energy does so through a roof which is smaller on a skyscraper. 3) Elevator travel (which is what skyscrapers use) is energy efficient as they move on pulley forces as opposed to shear horsepower. http://ww2.earthday.net/EJ/Your_Local_Environment_Final.pdf Apr 09 09, 3:09 PM

Baloo55th

There again, a flat warehouse uses less concrete (energy consumed in quarrying, processing and transporting, also in pumping to great heights, plus emissions for many years while curing), and costs far less in both financial and environmental terms to demolish. It also produces a more easily recyclable end-product - loose scrap iron. (Information from New Scientist - various issues which I can't find at the moment.) Apr 09 09, 4:08 PM