If you’ve ever stood in a new build or a recently renovated mid-rise office, apartment complex, or even a boutique hotel, you’ve probably noticed something weird: that bulky, boxy room that used to sit on top of the building—you know, the one that housed the clunky elevator motor, all those wires, and the noisy control panels? It’s gone. Poof. Vanished into thin air. That’s the magic of machine room-less elevators (MRLs), and as a supplier who’s been selling these things for over a decade, I can tell you they’re not just a tiny upgrade to elevator tech. They’ve single-handedly changed how architects, developers, and builders design entire structures from the ground up. Let’s break this down like we chat at a trade show, no stuffy jargon or confusing spreadsheets, just real talk about what this actually means for everyone. Machine Room Less Elevators
First, let’s get the basics out of the way, because I still run into contractors who go, “Wait, you don’t need that big motor room? How does the elevator even move?” Fair question, because traditional elevators relied on a ton of weight to counterbalance the lift car: the motor pulled steel cables that were tied to a massive concrete counterweight, and all that gear had to live in a dedicated room—usually on the roof—so the noise and vibration didn’t annoy people inside the building. MRLs ditch that separate space entirely, and their tech is way smarter. Most use permanent magnet synchronous motors that are smaller, quieter, and way more efficient; they mount the motor right on the elevator shaft wall instead of sticking it somewhere else. No more 10×10 foot box on the roof eating into space. That’s the big one, right? Space. And not just any space—space that developers will pay top dollar for.
Think about it: a standard 10-story apartment building? The old way would require a roof machine room that’s, let’s say, 120 square feet. That’s 120 square feet you could’ve turned into a penthouse closet, a outdoor terrace, maybe even a tiny guest unit. For a mid-rise office building, that same roof space might be a rooftop patio for employees, a HVAC unit pad, or even extra parking if the building has a garage. I’ve had a developer client in Austin tell me that switching to MRLs on his 12-story luxury apartment build added an extra $15,000 in usable roof space—space he could rent out for events or, better yet, add two extra 1-bedrooms on the top floor. That’s pure profit, no joke. And it’s not just roof space, either. A lot of older buildings that want to add an elevator (wait, retrofits too! MRLs are perfect for that) don’t have room for a machine room inside, so they can squeeze the elevator into a tiny shaft that would’ve been impossible with a traditional lift. I helped a small boutique hotel in Portland add an elevator last year—they had a 3-foot wide stairwell gap they thought was useless, but MRL tech fit right in, and now they have accessible rooms on the 3rd floor that they were losing money on for being inaccessible. That’s a win-win.
Next up, weight. Traditional elevators are heavy. All that steel, the counterweight, the big motor room equipment—they add a ton of extra load to a building’s structure. Architects had to design thicker floors, beefier roof beams, even a stronger foundation to support all that weight. MRLs cut that weight by like 30-40%, usually. Let’s do the math: a traditional 2,000 lb lift car plus counterweight and motor room gear is around 10,000 lbs total. MRL version is closer to 6,500 lbs. That means less structural steel, smaller concrete pours, lower foundation costs. For a 20-story building, that adds up fast. I worked with an architect in Chicago who was designing a mixed-use building with retail on the first two floors and apartments above. Switching to MRLs meant he could cut 120,000 lbs of structural steel for the elevator and roof, which saved him around $45,000 in material and construction costs. That’s money he could put toward bigger windows, better insulation, or cheaper rent for the tenants. And hey, smaller structures are better for the environment too—less concrete means less carbon emissions, which is a huge selling point for green builds these days.
Noise and vibration are the next big thing, and this is where a lot of people get tripped up. Old elevator motor rooms were notoriously loud—if you stood near one on a top floor, you’d hear a low hum all day, and the vibration would make the walls shake. I’ve had tenants in old buildings complain about it keeping them up at night. MRLs move that noise right into the elevator shaft, which is usually a concrete box anyway, so it’s sealed in. The permanent magnet motors are way quieter, too—they run at like 50 decibels, same as a normal conversation, compared to 70 decibels for a traditional elevator, which is like a vacuum cleaner. Now, wait—does that mean no vibration? Almost. Modern MRLs have special anti-vibration mounts that attach the motor to the shaft walls, so even the tiny bit of movement is absorbed before it gets to the floors. I’ve been in buildings where you can’t even tell the elevator is running, and that’s a game-changer for places like hospitals, offices where people need to focus, or luxury apartments where quiet is everything. I did a project for a children’s hospital in Denver last year—they couldn’t have any noise or vibration near the patient rooms, and MRLs let them put the elevator shafts right next to the rooms without any issues. That’s not just a design win, that’s a healthcare win too.
Wait, let’s talk about accessibility, because building design isn’t just about looks or profit—it’s about following codes, right? The ADA (and similar codes around the world) require buildings to have accessible elevators, but a lot of older builds or small structures didn’t have the space. MRLs make accessible elevators possible in places where they never were before. A 5-story apartment building in a dense city center—no room for a roof machine room, no extra space for a bulky elevator. MRLs fit the shaft, meet accessibility codes, and let the building owner avoid fines or having to rip out walls to add access later. I helped a small library in Boston add an elevator last year—they had a tiny existing shaft that was only 4 feet wide, and traditional elevators couldn’t fit, but MRL tech shrank everything down, and now the library is accessible for everyone, not just people who can climb stairs. That’s a huge part of modern building design—creating spaces that work for everyone, not just able-bodied people.
Now, I know what some of you are thinking: “MRLs are new, so they must be bad for maintenance? That’s a design issue too, right?” Fair. When a building is designed, you have to think about how you’ll fix things later. Old elevators needed someone to access that roof machine room regularly to lubricate parts, check cables, adjust the motor. MRLs are designed with access panels right in the elevator car and the shaft, so maintenance technicians don’t have to climb a ladder to the roof or squeeze into a tiny room. They can pull a panel off the side of the shaft or the top of the car, and they’ve got full access to all the parts. That means less downtime for the elevator, which is a big deal for apartments, offices, hotels where people rely on elevators every day. I’ve had clients tell me that since switching to MRLs, their elevator downtime has dropped by 25%, because maintenance is way easier. That’s a design win because you’re not just building the space, you’re designing for the long-term use of it.
But wait, it’s not all sunshine and roses, right? Let’s be real. There are some design trade-offs with MRLs. For example, the cable system is different—instead of the traditional counterweight, a lot of MRLs use a traction system with steel cables that run through the shaft, so you have to make sure the shaft is reinforced enough to hold the tension. Also, if you’re building a super tall building—like 50 stories or more—traditional elevators might still be better, because MRL tech hasn’t caught up for super high rises yet. Most MRLs max out at around 20-25 stories, so for skyscrapers, you still need that old-school motor room. But for mid-rise and low-rise builds, which are like 80% of the new construction right now, MRLs are perfect. Another trade-off: some people worry about the tech being too complicated, but honestly, most MRL systems are super user-friendly, and parts are way more accessible than they used to be. I keep a stock of common parts in my warehouse just in case, so my clients never have to wait weeks for a replacement.
Now, let’s circle back to how this changes building design as a whole. Ten years ago, architects would design a building, map out where the machine room would go, adjust the roof layout around that, add extra structural support for the elevator, and that was it. Now? MRLs mean they can design the roof as a usable space, not just a utility closet. They can squeeze an elevator into a tiny shaft that used to be for storage or a stairwell nook. They can make the building lighter, more accessible, quieter, and cheaper to build. It’s not just a small adjustment to elevator design—it’s a complete shift in how the entire building is laid out. I’ve seen tiny boutique hotels with rooftop bars that wouldn’t exist if they had to have a roof machine room. I’ve seen apartment buildings that add 5 extra units because they don’t have to waste space on a motor room. That’s the ripple effect of MRLs.
Look, I know a lot of people (developers, architects, contractors) are set in their ways. They’ve been using traditional elevators for decades, and they think MRLs are just a trend that won’t last. But I’ve been in this game long enough to see trends come and go, and MRLs are here to stay. Every year, more and more builds go MRL, because the benefits are too big to ignore. You get more usable space, lower construction costs, better accessibility, quieter operation, easier maintenance—what’s not to like?
Panoramic Elevators If you’re an architect, developer, or builder who’s working on a new project or a retrofit and you’re not sure if MRLs are right for you, hit me up. I’ve worked on everything from 5-story boutique hotels to 20-story office towers, and I can walk you through the trade-offs, give you specs, help you figure out if MRLs will fit your design and your budget. No pressure, just real talk, same as we’ve been chatting here. Because at the end of the day, building design is all about making spaces that work for people, and MRLs are one of the best tools we have to do that better.
References
- Elevator World. "Machine Room-Less Elevators: Design and Application Considerations." 2022.
- American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Standards for Elevators. U.S. Access Board, 2021.
- National Elevator Industry, Inc. "Energy Efficiency Comparison of Traditional and Machine Room-Less Elevators." 2020.
- Smith, J. "The Impact of MRL Elevators on Urban Building Design." Construction Trends Journal, 2023.
- European Lift Association. "Machine Room-Less Elevator Technology for Mid-Rise Buildings." 2021.
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