Adaptive reuse refers to the process of reusing an existing building for a purpose other than which it was originally built or designed for. It is also known as recycling and conversion. Adaptive reuse is an effective strategy for optimizing the operational and commercial performance of built assets. Adaptive reuse of buildings can be an attractive alternative to new construction in terms of sustainability and a circular economy. It has prevented thousands of buildings' demolition and has allowed them to become critical components of urban regeneration. Not every old building can qualify for adaptive reuse. Architects, developers, builders and entrepreneurs who wish to become involved in rejuvenating and reconstructing a building must first make sure that the finished product will serve the need of the market, that it will be completely useful for its new purpose, and that it will be competitively priced.
An abandoned building in Washington, D.C. being converted into luxury condominiums.
The Kelso Home for Girls in Baltimore, Maryland was a typical candidate for adaptive reuse, but it was razed to accommodate parking for a new athletic facility when the cost of conversion was found to be too great
Toronto's Distillery District was a former whiskey distillery
Pratt Street Power Plant in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, converted into retail, restaurants, and offices.
McEwen School of Architecture
The McEwen School of Architecture, formerly the Laurentian School of Architecture, is an architecture school belonging to Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. The school opened in September 2013, and was the first new school of architecture to open in Canada in 45 years. It is also the first school of its kind in Northern Ontario, and the first in Canada outside Quebec to offer courses in French.
McEwen School of Architecture
