# Building construction **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 5, 2018, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-construction/805945 "2018-01-05T21:23:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2018, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-construction/805945/21 "2018-01-08T04:54:46Z")
I’m not sure how significant the difference is thought to be between acceptable sway for office buildings and for residential towers. I’ve also had some trouble nailing down what the _period_ of such drift generally is. But apparently the accepted wisdom among developers is that tolerances differ among those who make office lease decisions and those who choose apartments. That said, the more important factor is timing. Sometimes an office deal hinges on having the building ready for an anchor tenant in only 14-18 months, while for a residential project there’s no particular hurry. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2018, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-construction/805945/22 "2018-01-08T05:32:48Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > In commercial towers, people are working – they are looking at papers on their desk or at computer screens. In fact, generally the desks are arranged with their backs to the windows. Even in the boss’s corner offices, the desk usually has its’ back toward the windows. It’s just too distracting otherwise. That leads to computer glare, which is a PITEyes; on the other hand, a lot of modern office buildings are glass all around, which means people with external walls may have windows to multiple sides (open space floorplans can mean having them in all directions). A residential building is less likely to have all its external walls be glass. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-construction/805945.md?page=1)