Adaptive Reuse

Rossana Galdini, Sapienza University of Rome

Definition 

Adaptive reuse refers to any changes to modify a structure’s or a space’s capacity, function, or performance, providing new meaning to meet contemporary conditions or requirements. This term describes a transformative process where a building is repurposed for a function that differs from its original intended use. 

Unlike simple reuse, which implies the repetition of previous use and primarily focuses on economic reasons, adaptive reuse implies a more significant change in usage. It emphasises “resemantisation”, or the change of purpose. Key elements of adaptive reuse include agency, finality, and creativity. This approach represents an alternative to demolition and reconstruction. It is implemented for various goals, such as reducing carbon emissions and conserving material resources, preventing urban sprawl, or preserving significant heritage values and, to some degree, the townscapes.

Adaptive reuse strategies for cultural heritage offer economic, environmental, and social benefits that align with the Sustainable Development Goals. More generally, adaptive reuse serves as a strategy for sustainable urban regeneration, extending the lifespan of buildings and public or private spaces, minimising demolition waste, and enhancing the value of heritage. A recent definition of adaptive reuse highlights the relationship between innovation and the preservation of earlier forms and expressions of knowledge and aesthetics in the creation of new works (Freschi & Maas, 2017). This process fosters economic and social innovation, promoting social cohesion and participation (Galdini, 2019).

Background information and contemporary debate

Adaptive reuse is as old as architecture. However, in recent decades, it has emerged as a distinct approach to the built environment (Plevoets & Van Cleempoel, 2019). Initially, adaptive reuse mainly was associated with a conservation-orientated approach to planning and architecture. In the 1960s and 1970s, architects began to apply innovative concepts of reusing urban public heritage for social, public, and creative purposes and intellectual production (Chiacchera & Mondaini, 2022). From the 1970s onward, the focus of adaptive reuse expanded beyond monumental structures to encompass broader urban contexts. As a result, it is now recognised not only as a means of protecting our cultural heritage but also as a strategy for creating “a good city” (Lanz & Pendlebury, 2022). Over the past thirty years, adaptive reuse has become increasingly influential. The term “adaptive” has an even deeper meaning, relating to the field of biology and suggesting a comparison with the ability of living beings to adapt to changes and face the challenges of a dynamic contemporary city. While early efforts concentrated on architecturally driven conservation and the reuse of heritage buildings, including former industrial sites, today’s adaptive reuse projects showcase diverse outcomes. These projects can vary from prestigious, high-profile preservation initiatives to more straightforward, temporary and art-based actions. Today, adaptive reuse encompasses creative actions within the built environment and in both public and private spaces. It now refers to tangible and intangible heritage, enhancing a new understanding of adaptive reuse as an architectural intervention and a transformative process. This re-appropriation and re-signification aim to enhance place valorisation through immaterial aspects such as memory, sense of place, identity, and behaviour. The final aim of adaptive reuse is to shape a built environment that safeguards heritage while dynamically contributing to the future, aligned with broader ecological and cultural challenges.

References

Chiacchera, F., & Mondaini, G. (2023). Another chance. Adaptive reuse of the built heritage strategies for circular creativity.  Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 7(2), 74–84. https://doi.org/10.25034/ijcua.2023.v7n2-5

Douglas, J., (2006). Building adaptation. Routledge. 

Freschi, E., & Maas, P. (2017). Adaptive reuse. Aspects of creativity in South Asian cultural history. Harrassowitz Verlag.

Galdini, R. (2019). Urban re-use practices in contemporary cities: experiences in Europe. Cities, 87. doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2018.12.026

Lanza, F., & Pendlebury, J. (2022). Adaptive reuse a critical review. The Journal of Architecture, 27(2-3), 441-462. https://doi.org/10.1080/13602365.2022.2105381

Plevoets, B., & Van Cleempoel, K. (2013). Adaptive reuse of the built heritage. Concepts and cases of an emerging discipline. Routledge.Yung, H. K., & Chan, H. W. (2012). Implementation challenges to the adaptive reuse of heritage buildings: Towards the goals of sustainable, low carbon cities. Habitat International, 36(3), 352-361. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2011.11.001