Stroll down any urban street and you’re likely to find a movie theater turned restaurant; a courthouse turned hotel, or an office turned contemporary apartment building. ‘Adaptive reuse’, the process of repurposing a building for new use, is a tried and tested approach to regeneration and renewal.
The benefits of adaptive reuse are clear, from financial to cultural and ecological. Making use of existing buildings makes good economic sense, saving on the considerable cost of demolition and building anew. It also contributes to environmental sustainability, removing the significant carbon impact of a new build. Adaptive reuse allows urban spaces to evolve to best serve the communities of today, renewed for each generation, while maintaining a sense of shared history and community in the preservation of existing facades.
The last five years have witnessed a rapid shift in behaviors and evolution of community needs in urban and suburban areas. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated existing trends towards an increasingly digital lifestyle: such as a move towards online shopping and remote work.
This has led to dramatically increased vacancy rates, especially for retail and office spaces. In turn, this has created a significant challenge for city planners and organizations responsible for buildings that are now underutilized or completely vacant.
Introduction
Adaptive reuse
Stroll down any urban street and you’re likely to find a movie theater turned restaurant; a courthouse turned hotel, or an office turned contemporary apartment building. ‘Adaptive reuse’, the process of repurposing a building for new use, is a tried and tested approach to regeneration and renewal.
The benefits of adaptive reuse are clear, from financial to cultural and ecological. Making use of existing buildings makes good economic sense, saving on the considerable cost of demolition and building anew. It also contributes to environmental sustainability, removing the significant carbon impact of a new build. Adaptive reuse allows urban spaces to evolve to best serve the communities of today, renewed for each generation, while maintaining a sense of shared history and community in the preservation of existing facades.
The last five years have witnessed a rapid shift in behaviors and evolution of community needs in urban and suburban areas. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated existing trends towards an increasingly digital lifestyle: such as a move towards online shopping and remote work.
This has led to dramatically increased vacancy rates, especially for retail and office spaces. In turn, this has created a significant challenge for city planners and organizations responsible for buildings that are now underutilized or completely vacant.