Name Instructor Course Date of Submission: The Grenfell Tower 1) Summary The Grenfell Tower fire tragedy is presumed to have claimed 79 lives. Initially, the local council authorities were blamed for approving the construction of substandard high-rise buildings that threatened public safety (Scott p.1). On the contrary, it appears most of these assumptions were flawed, since additional revelations were exposed. For example, construction experts blamed the rapid spread of the fire on the of the 1967 archaic design standards. In addition, the failure was attributed to the external cladding that had been installed in the £10 m refurbishment. 2) The Paradox Despite the efforts by council authorities to impose central cuts, the Royal Borough of …show more content…
4.1) Low Wages and Lack of Capacity Low-cost houses can be found in some parts of the U.K. Unfortunately, the wages are too low, thus leading to the collapse of property ownership. The construction of more homes has been limited by inadvertent construction where few people have the interest and capacity to build new structures. In addition, private developers bid for land based on the price they intend to sell the newly constructed houses. Therefore, the construction activities reduce once the prices fall. 4.2) Engineering Restrictions and Anti-engineering Campaigns To keep pace with the growing demand of houses in the U.K, at least 250,000 houses should be built annually. However, bureaucratic engineering approvals, land restrictions, and stringent rules governing the design and construction of tall buildings including the Grenfell Tower, are drawbacks to the speedy construction of housing units (Scott p.1). After the inferno, the Friends of Richmond Park, and residents of the west London suburbs, actively campaigned against the construction of tall buildings. Although the restrictions and campaigns were meant to safeguard the safety of the occupants, they gradually contributed to the housing shortage currently