Adaptive Reuse: Benefits and Challenges and How We Should
Properly Use Adaptive Reuse
Pratt Street Power Plant Source:
http://www.sourcewatch.org/
Adaptive reuse construction is one of the
latest trends in the structural engineering and urban revitalization industry.
It is the method of reusing an existing structure or an old site that is deemed
to have outlived its function, in order to recreate for new uses or functions
(or the uses or functions of the changing needs of today’s users) by
implementing structural changes. This method puts emphasis on sustainable
development since it conserves energy, land, and heritage. Construction of a
proposed structure is not on new land, therefore reducing urban sprawl and
increasing open space. There is no cost for demolition, so the cost of
demolition machinery, energy, waste, and labor can be eliminated from project
costs, as well as, the reduction of natural resources used in construction.
Most importantly, adaptive reuse conserves culture and heritage by protecting
structures with historical value and importance in the community. Our
generation and our future generations will then have an opportunity to gain a
sense of appreciation and understanding of history through the adapted
historical buildings.
Often times, adaptive reuse is used onto old
government buildings, commercial buildings, industrial structures, and
churches. Examples of successful adaptive reuse include Home Depot’s 23 Street
store in Manhattan, New York, Pratt Street Power Plant in Baltimore, Maryland,
and the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Tasmania, Australia. All three
of these structures were repurposed for new functions.
However, we should bear in mind that adaptive
reuse is not just a glorified idea that glamorizes sustainable development and
historical preservation. It can have some negative side effects too.
Hidden costs can be associated with adaptive
reuse where there are unknown contaminants within the site, such as asbestos,
which are harmful when inhaled. Additional ground investigative works and
mitigation procedures might have to be used, in order to determine the levels
of contaminants, adequate bearing capacity, and geological profiles of the
site. These preliminary remediation tests and procedures might be costly.
Moreover, cost and time must be spent to
determine the whole structural integrity of the building. There might be decay
or erosion of the existing structure, therefore maintenance must be done. Also,
there might be undiscovered structural flaws, such as the lack of reinforcement
placement or concrete spalling in some areas of the structure. To determine the
constructability of the structure, comprehensive investigative works need to be
done on the ventilation systems, lighting flow, spatial flow, structural
stability, settlement on foundation, etc. Initial maintenance must then be
done, or else, additional alterations and additions will worsen the building.
Cost and time are also to be spent on adapting
and modifying the existing structure to current building codes. For example, old industrial buildings cannot simply be
adaptive to become a residential building. According to current building codes,
old industrial buildings do not have sufficient ventilation flow, light flow,
and fire requirements that can be adapted to become a residential building.
There are also legal issues that might be involved, such as zoning requirements
that need to be met and certain permits that need to be obtained. It sometimes
takes immense creativity and problem solving skills to modify the structures to
fit today’s code.
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery Source:
http://www.gondwanastudios.com/
There is also the issue of satisfying the
community, the client, and the government. The client’s main concern is
profitability and function of the building. The government’s main concern is
the existence of any historic preservation laws and development ordinances that
may require strict review procedures. The community’s concern is the biggest
issue. Their questions will include whether the building is worth restoring or
even saving, which buildings should first undergo adaptive reuse, how much of
the building should be restored, etc. Nobody wants to have an old building with
little or no historic significance anymore in the community. If that useless
building undergoes adaptive reuse, the community will have to use that eyesore
for another life cycle of the building.
It seems that I have listed more complexities
and challenges of adaptive reuse than its benefits. But I believe that listing
these challenges will help us learn to deal with these issues for future
adaptive reuse projects. Although there are many challenges, adaptive reuse is
often times a good investment and an amazing tool for long-term environmental
sustainability and historic preservation. By reusing and modifying historical
buildings for our current use, we can both respect the past and progress into
the future. We just need to plan carefully amongst all parties and lay out the
development’s benefits and costs to determine whether adaptive reuse should be
used. Preliminary assessment and planning should be done to make adaptive reuse
successful. These include:
- Determining potential risks
- Identifying site conditions
- Researching whether development is viable
for current regulations
- Determining historical significance
- Determining the level of support in the
community and in the government
- Identifying structural integrity and
limitations
- Identifying costs of alterations and
additions
Working out these steps before even stepping
into scheme design really helps
with reducing cost and time of the project. Most importantly, it helps with
finding solutions to the problems that are foreseen in this planning stage.