Adaptive Reuse Gains Ground Across Cities

Growing decarbonization goals are renewing interest in adaptive reuse, as retaining existing structures can avoid much of the embodied carbon associated with new construction while allowing upgrades to energy performance and comfort. The trend spans civic, educational and residential projects: Stockton has converted an existing building into a city hall, while architecture programs in Calgary and Birmingham have repurposed vacant downtown buildings as teaching spaces and catalysts for urban renewal. Firms say such transformations can also preserve landmarks and strengthen local identity, but converting older buildings to housing is becoming more difficult despite demand for town-center homes and net-zero commitments. Successful retrofits typically preserve a building’s structural “bones” and add measures such as insulation, air barriers and improved building envelopes.