This paper is in two sections. The senior author discusses in the first section the reasons for some of the revised provisions in the current Ministry of Works, Structural Design Office, Code of Practice for the design of buildings, while the junior author deals in the second part with the application of these provisions to a reinforced concrete shear core building. He presents methods of designing and detailing a core for ductility and the effect of incremental damage to the spandrels in a coupled shear wall are examined.