The height or type of building isn’t what decides pile foundations, or rather they are secondary reasons (the weight of the building). The quality of the soil on which it is placed is the primary reason.
If the weight of the building exceeds the bearing capacity, has a geologic hazard, or provides an unsuitable layer with an acceptable shortly below piles are one of the solutions.
Keep in mind that if your engineer(s) are doing piles it isn’t because they want to use them (they require quite a bit more work for them).
MKDesign 