20
INDUSTRY VIEWFINDER
“What are the key challenges in balancing heritage preservation with innovative design in adaptive reuse projects?”
benefits of preserving an existing structure are a given. However the less tangible social and cultural value of retaining a locally loved building new or small, albeit in a new guise, is another major reason why more and more projects are going the reuse route. On the importance of sustainability, only 8% of our respondents said that it was the most important factor driving adaptive reuse, however a solid 53% said it was very important, and only 10% said it was not very important. In pure economic terms, as well as the savings on materials, there are also the major labour savings to consider, given the prolonged skills shortage in the UK. Turning derelict buildings into functional spaces means greater economic sustainability for urban areas, with schemes tending to attract businesses and raise property values. As well as reusing the building itself, many adaptive reuse projects involve futureproofing old buildings with measures such as improving building fabric, windows and doors, and introducing renewable technologies. This can involve installing new insulation, energy-efficient windows, and HVAC systems. Such upgrades not only reduce the operational costs of the buildings but also contribute to broader environmental conservation efforts. As urban landscapes change dramatically and quickly with new development, reusing existing heritage buildings can help to counter resistance among local communities to the more modern additions which are changing the familiar built landscape. Adaptive reuse projects can also breathe new life into neglected areas, addressing derelict buildings which may have been regarded as long-term eyesores which were a part of the areas’ challenges. Community cohesion can even be reinforced. Schemes from relatively modest conversions of church buildings into community centres to major mixed use schemes in former industrial buildings can give urban areas long term sustainability which by connecting to existing transport nodes, further supports carbon savings.
Challenges
Many of the challenges of working with existing buildings are self- evident – developers and project teams have to navigate complex regulations, and spend a large amount of design time on structural integrity, thermal upgrades and restoration where required. There is also the unpredictable risk of contamination issues in older
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
buildings’ sites, and unforeseen construction issues which may arise during a project.
In addressing existing building fabric and changing structures internally, it is essential that in attempting to improve building performance, design and construction teams do not introduce more problems. These could include additional interstitial condensation, and corresponding air quality problems, or user accessibility issues. Our survey saw a dead heat in the top responses to the options given on potential challenges. 88% of respondents chose “maintaining historical integrity” making it the top choice in line with “bringing old structures up to current performance and regulatory requirements.” In second place was “practical issues of incorporating contemporary design elements,” and we received some ‘verbatim’ comments on other key challenges, including ‘finding experienced professional partners,’ and ‘ensuring that the new use of the building will provide sufficient income to keep it in good condition.’
The most prevalent barrier for our respondents in the conversion of buildings deemed ‘heritage’ was achieving new levels of air- tightness, with 41% of respondents saying this presented a ‘major barrier’ and 32% a ‘moderate barrier.’ The fact that VAT was charged on refurbishment and not new build was the second highest, seen as a major barrier for 32%.
Moisture control was a major barrier for 18% of respondents, but also a ‘moderate’ barrier for 45%, and similarly large in the list of barriers was ‘local objections’ (18% major, 50% moderate). Slightly less problematic were ‘structural issues’ (only 48% said it was a major or moderate barrier), ‘client issues’ (36% major or moderate), and materials sourcing challenges (51% major or moderate). Possibly related to the air-tightness score, cooling was seen as a major or moderate barrier by 37%, and fabric upgrades were a significant barrier for many (half picked it as a major or moderate barrier). And incorporating renewable heating in heritage buildings was a challenge for 44% of respondents.
Solutions Performance goals
One positive result from our survey sample of architects was that nearly three-quarters (69%) were seeking to exceed Building
ADF OCTOBER 2024
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76
