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The movement of the city from an industrial, working class area into a gentrified area with high home prices has helped a number of adaptive reuse sites to exist within such an area. In Australia, there have been a number of adaptive reuse projects as the main cities have turned from industrial areas into areas of high value and business areas. Its adaptive reuse preserves industrial features while offering green space, public art, and city views. 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. As a comparatively young country, adaptive reuse is not the norm in Canada, where redevelopment has typically meant demolition and building anew.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
According to Chusid’s “urban ore” concept, existing buildings that are fast approaching dilapidation or disuse are a “mine of raw materials for new projects”. Parameters to prioritise historical buildings for adaptive reuse and the characterisation of adaptive reuse stakeholders are also noted. Revitalizing the existing built fabric by finding a new use or purpose for obsolete buildings can be a wonderful resource to a community by “keeping neighborhoods occupied and vital”.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Proponents of adaptive reuse say that one of their biggest hurdles is local zoning laws. In such cases, buildings also tend to be part of mixed-use neighborhoods, where businesses, homes, and community spaces sit side-by-side. If you\u2019re reading this, you probably appreciate the character that historic buildings lend to a city, town, or neighborhood. Even when older buildings can\u2019t be saved in their entirety, reusing building materials can still bring environmental benefits. It will also become home to Blue Oyster Environmental, a company dedicated to sustainable aquaculture, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, and a workforce development incubator. With the strategy of adaptive reuse, MA Studio transformed a 1960\u2019s warehouse into a craft brewery, restaurant, commercial kitchen, and bar, with a courtyard and outdoor dining area.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
WXY and Edward Tucker Architects are designing a major adaptive reuse project along with SB Friedman for the community-based group Coalfield Development. While the term may have only originated in the mid-1970s, adaptive reuse as a practice is nothing new; it simply refers to the process of refurbishing a building for purposes other than those that it was originally built for. Austin Community College\u2019s Highland Campus is an adaptive reuse project that resides in the shell of a defunct shopping mall. Adaptive reuse is the sustainable idea that old buildings can be renovated rather than demolished once they\u2019ve outlived their original purpose. If you\u2019ve ever seen or been inside a building that serves a different function than it once did\u2014say a former aviation hangar turned office space or shopping mall turned community college, you\u2019ve witnessed the long-standing architectural practice of adaptive reuse.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Wooden members of the structural system should be especially checked for rot or termite infestation. In some case, when the building drawings may not be available, engineers may have to scrape off the plaster to reveal the underlying structure. Analyzing the structural strength requires expertise and is one of the most crucial in terms of occupant safety. The architect and engineer may look for signs of cracking of masonry wall or the settling of basement floors or upper floors which direct them to a problem in the foundation. Tax incentives or grants from governments on donors also makes adaptive reuse more viable when available. The existing building codes and regulations for fire safety and building access to people with disabilities can make it difficult to adaptively reuse some older buildings.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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