6.1 KiB
| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adaptive reuse | 4/5 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptive_reuse | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T16:00:37.494275+00:00 | kb-cron |
==== Floor system ==== The floor system in old buildings is usually strong enough to satisfy present codes. If not, additional supporting members may be necessary. The floor and ceiling height should be able to accommodate additional stairways, vertical plumbing, electrical and HVAC. In some cases, an elevator may have to be installed.
==== Exterior walls ==== The building envelope should be examined thoroughly for cracks, watertightness (infiltration or leaks) and mortar joints. It is important to examine these exterior walls for future fenestration and air conditioning ducts.
==== Roof and waterproofing ==== Older building roofing systems generally comprise the roof, parapets and cornices. Projecting metal cornices are subject to corrosion. Parapets may be subject to cracks and degrading mortar joints. A careful examination of the top-floor ceiling may reveal water leakage.
==== Stairways and exits ==== The stairway requirement for a building should be derived from present-day building codes for fire and safety. Strategic placement of new staircases and layout for maximum access should be done in order to maximize space utility and minimize the burden on the structural system.
=== Designing to save energy === Redesigning the existing building for new use must accommodate energy conservation strategies. Some of the most important methods of energy conservation are, reducing heating and cooling loads through building envelopes, maximizing natural ventilation potential, using daylighting and energy efficient lighting fixtures. A building's envelope protects it from the external weather conditions. An exposed roof is the greatest source of heat loss during cold months and heat gains during hot months. Roof insulation can help with extreme climate conditions. If the bottom floor is a concrete floor slab on grade or built over a crawl space, insulation should be considered. The fenestration in an external wall assembly are often the biggest sources of energy losses through conduction, radiation and infiltration. Green building rating systems often focus more on energy consumption of buildings than other sustainable outcomes such as the recycling of building materials, reduced energy and water consumption off-site and reduced environmental impacts like global warming potential, lake eutrophication potential and ozone layer depletion.
== Disassembly sequence planning == Building owners and developers can take the potential advantage of adaptive reuse by taking away components from unused buildings and then repair, reuse or recycle its constituent parts. Disassembly is a form of recovering target products and plays a key role to maximize the efficiency of an adaptive reuse project. This disassembly planning sequence aims to reduce the environmental impacts caused due to demolition using a "rule-base recursive analysis system" with practical and viable solutions.
== By location ==
=== Americas ===
==== Canada ==== As a comparatively young country, adaptive reuse is not the norm in Canada, where redevelopment has typically meant demolition and building anew. Calgary and Edmonton are particularly known for their pro-demolition culture, but they are not unique in this regard. However, since the 1990s, adaptive use has gained traction. The conversion of former railway-centred warehouse districts to residential and commercial uses has occurred in Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, and Winnipeg. In 2025, the planned demolition of the old Provincial Museum Building in Edmonton was cancelled amid community opposition with the government soliciting proposals for potential adaptive reuse of the building. In Calgary, a city program to transform vacant office towers to apartments launched in 2021 had supported the construction of 2,450 apartments in the city's downtown neighbourhood as of 2025, including in the former Petrofina building. Other noted adaptive reuse projects in the 2010s have included the Laurentian School of Architecture in Sudbury, which is incorporating several historic buildings in the city's downtown core into its new campus, similar to the downtown campus of NSCAD University in Halifax, and Mill Square in Sault Ste. Marie, an ongoing project to convert the derelict St. Mary's Paper mill into a mixed-use cultural and tourism hub.
==== United States ====
Urban waterfronts, historically used as points for industrial production and transport, became popular as residences and mixed use. The greatest value of the adaptive use movement is characterized by the hundreds of abandoned schools, factories, hotels, warehouses and military posts that have been adapted for use as affordable housing, office buildings, as well as commercial, civic, educational and recreational centers. Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco was the first festival marketplace project in the United States, opening in 1964. Another notable example is the High Line in New York City, where a former elevated freight rail line was converted into a 1.45-mile-long public park. Its adaptive reuse preserves industrial features while offering green space, public art, and city views. Notable American museums adapted from defunct factories include the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MassMOCA) in North Adams; the Watermill Center in Water Mill, New York; and The Dia Art Foundation Museum (Dia:Beacon) in Beacon, New York.
Throughout the United States until the 1970s, the vast majority of gas stations also offered mechanical work. Converting the service bays into a convenience store in the 1980s and 1990s was common while still selling fuel. Many others stopped selling fuel and became shops or offices. Office-to-residential conversions are also common in the United States with office blocks in New York City, Washington, DC, and San Francisco slated for conversion to reduce the stock of vacant office blocks while addressing a housing shortage. Adaptive reuse has been identified as a viable solution to the U.S. affordable housing crisis, particularly in urban areas.
=== Australia ===