Over the past half a century, as towers for human dwelling have grown taller; limited thought has been spared to the space that connects private units to public streets. Tower development has fixated wholly on Efficiency: How to maximize the percentage of rentable area.

In a similar fashion to how sustainability concerns have drastically shifted tower designs, so too social concerns are in the process of doing the same. People are coming to expect more from their buildings than lifeless elevators and endless corridors that connect their homes to the city. And architects are beginning to respond by building places that nurture community by providing natural avenues for socialization.

Following new research in Germany and Denmark, this paper explores ways that community enabling design can permeate into mid and high rise residential architecture. On three scales [macro, micro, and human] this research delves into potential design solutions that forms social space.