The tragedy which unfolded recently at Champlain Towers South, has also exposed some basic problems regarding shared ownership for physical properties. When it comes to shared ownership: the larger the relevant structure, and the closer its proximity to other installations, the more difficult it may be for all involved to resolve maintenance issues.
Many who have paid close attention to these events in Surfside Florida, are at least gaining a better understanding re complexities in shared ownership responsibilities. As it turns out, when maintenance delays accumulate exponentially, the situation will sometimes prove impossible to successfully resolve. For instance, in the case of Champlain South, due in part to "extensive concrete deterioration and corrosion of reinforcement", Morabito Consultants indicated it would not be able to perform some much needed remediation that had been deemed necessary. There were also questions in this October 2020 assessment, whether full repairs might negatively impact nearby structural features.
Hence Champlain Towers South became "a catastrophe in slow motion". An article from CNN discusses some of the relevant ownership issues:
The disaster appears to have exposed some of the limitations of condo associations, which are made up of condominium owners with a vested interest in the property but that seldom possess much expertise in structural engineering. And it has raised questions about whether other residential structures could be at risk in Miami-Dade County, where sea levels are rising, the salty air is corrosive and nearly two-thirds of all commercial, condo and apartment buildings are as old or older than the 40-year old edifice that went down.
Granted, the collapse doesn't necessarily mean excessive risk elsewhere, since much also depends on the degree of ongoing maintenance. Nevertheless, as Peter Dyga, the president of Associated Builders and Contractors noted,
We're probably going to overreact. But it's understandable--people want a level of assurance that their building is safe.
It's being said this is a "wake up call on many fronts" - one which basically translates into more laws, regulations and building inspections. But might this be our only societal response? How will additional regulations accomplish what is truly needed in this instance? Already, the condo residents were quite aware of ongoing problems due in part to regulations already on the books, not to mention ongoing inspections. Chances are, the main problem was finding a "meeting of the minds" in a timely manner. Of course, what would have been timely, given the extensive concrete issues?
These shared ownership issues are problematic in much of housing in general. Only considered for instance, how shared family ownership in single family housing (which may be further undermined by family law rigidity), often results in extensive housing deterioration. Clearly, the difficulty of achieving "meetings of the minds" can mean maintenance breakdowns for shared ownership in every capacity imaginable.
For one thing, proactive market frameworks are needed which leave more room for individual decision making as to ongoing maintenance. In other words, more promotion of home ownership specifically for individuals. However, this post is primarily about problems in shared ownership and how they might be addressed. Perhaps the best possibility is a "meeting of the minds" in free market building innovation, to reduce need for intensive long term maintenance, altogether. Only consider that when ongoing maintenance is neglected, that often leads to a costly "starting from scratch" at some point.
Meanwhile, we've been learning some hard lessons about basic 20th century innovations. Concrete maintenance is beginning to emerging as an important issue. Equally important however, are the long term maintenance problems of today's plumbing and electrical systems. Even though 20th century plumbing brought tremendous gains in health and public sanitation, much of it was constructed in ways which pose additional stressors for buildings of all kinds. Some of what is becoming obsolete, is not easy to remove and replace without compromising structural integrity. Equally important, is how the fact plumbing pipes and electrical wiring were installed behind walls and interiors, makes it difficult for lower income groups or (many) senior citizens to participate in basic maintenance responsibilities.
Even when monies are available for extensive renovations in older structures, it sometimes proves impossible for people to live normal lives (in place) in these buildings, once extensive maintenance needs arise. For example, consider how even the desire of condo owners in Champlain South to keep their pool in use, is one factor which made complete renovations impossible. It's not difficult to extrapolate this example to deterioration in older homes that are continuously lived in and essentially co-owned by multiple family members, once electrical and plumbing systems near the end of their useful lives. Often when completely new beginnings are required for these systems - especially if they have otherwise damaged the buildings in some capacity - it may prove impractical to live in the affected buildings for at least a full year.
Ultimately, greater flexibility is needed. It's time to design external home components for plumbing and electrical which can be changed out as needed, so we won't routinely have to take jackhammers or axes to "permanent" building fixtures. Doing so is almost always a major inconvenience! As it turns out, much of our so called building permanence since the 20th century has been largely an illusion, especially in a time of climate change. The need for greater building component flexibility should be obvious to everyone by now, since the short life cycles of plumbing and electrical systems in interior walls are becoming more evident by the day - let alone what occurs when concrete and steel are exposed to the elements! Let's build in the future, so that both interior and exterior mini-demolitions will become less necessary - likewise the major demolitions that can be such a relief, once failed notions of permanence get out of hand.
