Speaking on the second day of the conference which took place in London, Woods Bagot New York Studio Principal Matt Stephenson presented a fresh perspective of how existing buildings can create value for both cities and owners while signalling a new wave of global adaptive reuse. “Breathing New Life into Old Buildings” presented a forward-thinking perspective on Place. 

Key points included:  

• Our cities spatial needs are evolving more rapidly than our urban fabric. 
• Adapting existing buildings for a second life creates value through building narrative and revenue generation.
• The carbon emissions savings from the reuse of existing building and structural materials can be substantial and could help achieve city housing requirements while significantly reducing carbon footprints. 
• W-B and ERA-co developed data analytics tools to aid in mapping out the best buildings suited for conversion. 
• The creation of a searchable set of data will facilitate discussions with owners, developers, and cities. 

Stephenson used project case studies from around the world to highlight the creative ways Woods Bagot is currently approaching adaptive reuse which we call AD-APT as well as new tools used to identify future adaptive reuse opportunities and thought leadership that speaks to converting the largest buildings in cities around the world.  

“One of the largest challenges reusing more modern buildings is unlocking the deep floorplate—which is complex, but not impossible. Converting the oversupply of outdated commercial space into residential units can have a meaningful impact on balancing the undersupply of housing in many cities around the world” says Matt Stephenson. 

Adaptive reuse supports a practice of ongoing care – for history, the built environment, the natural environment, and the future. While the deep floorplate comes with its own set of challenges, new approaches demonstrate how architects can reposition, reprogram, and redesign these under-utilized spaces to better fit future needs. It’s clear that the best, most sustainable path forward is reuse.  

A large part of a building’s embodied carbon footprint lies within the foundation, structure, and envelope. Therefore, any opportunity to salvage those elements within a repositioned building may help developers and investors with costs and reducing the footprint of continued development within urban cores. Ultimately, to embrace adaptive reuse is to adopt a different way of viewing the world – accepting that a second (or third, or fourth) life does not mean second best. 

Media enquiries
Agna Brayshaw
Content and Communications Leader (North America)