Introduction: Change over time is unavoidable. While bringing down the old structures and building new might feel progressive, adaptive reuse goes against this definition of progression by making room for the new but at the same time retaining to the old. If we simply let our buildings age, they have no meaning instead why not use them as a part of storytelling and use them to inspire our future. Adaptive reuse is the process of repurposing buildings that have outlived their original purposes for different uses or functions while at the same time retaining their historic features. It can be implemented on any building, although it is most used when working with historic buildings [6] [1].

 

Historic Buildings: Adaptive reuse is a challenging process as one needs to preserve the existing character and the original fabric as much as possible and perform it for a new purpose. Many adaptive reuse projects bridge different worlds like, old factory becoming museum, churches becoming restaurants and more. Adaptive reuse is an important strategy for the preservation of heritage architecture as it transforms historic buildings into usable locations [4]. Historic buildings also add value to the cities as it attracts tourism and should be conserved as they link communities with their history. Sometimes replacing historic structures with a new structure might feel alien to the existing neighborhood hence in addition a historic building not only provides a sense of connection but also makes one curious to know about their history, people and culture that produced them [1] [5].

 

Significance of Adaptive Reuse: To understand the importance of adaptive reuse, one must first appreciate the value of historic buildings and architecture. The most attractive feature about adaptive reuse is not using the process of demolition much. In the process of adaptive reuse there are environmental benefits as it helps in reducing energy consumption which usually comes with demolishing a structure and building a new one to replace it. This is what makes adaptive reuse an important component of sustainable development. Adaptive reuse is a great example of how one can use creative options like recycling, reusing, and repurposing from existing resources. Adaptive reuse is not just about saving buildings, it is also about ensuring communities do not use or waste more materials [6] [2]. There are economic advantages to reusing a historic building such as land acquisition is often less expensive, there is very little, or no demolition required hence this helps in decreasing the cost of the project [5]. Other factors are to be able to use materials or recycle materials already on the location which allow for additional money to be saved and making it possible to create beautiful aesthetics complete with rich textures and unique features. The entire adaptive reuse process, from start to finish, protects the environment while also reducing unnecessary waste [6] [2].

 

Process of Adaptive Reuse: Adaptive reuse usually happens when there is some potential in the quality of the building and its environment [4]. Any adaptive reuse project begins by doing complete examination of the building, to ensure the structure can function in the future. One can look for unique attributes and characteristics that make the building special. These features can be highlighted in new and exciting ways. When looking for these unique elements one should see both beauty and value in it instead of demolishing it. This is what makes the building unique and this is a special quality of an adaptive reuse building [6] [2].

 

 

Case Study: Alembic Industrial Heritage and Re-Development – Karan Grover and Associates [3]