Revitalizing Urban Spaces

Introduction

The adaptive reuse of industrial heritage is a common practice in the modern architectural scene. Nearly all cities in the world have witnessed an exponential growth of the dwellers. In many cases, cities were initially small or rather centralized, with factory buildings in or in close proximity to the central business district. As the population grows and cities get bigger, the industries are continuously getting pushed to the periphery of the cities. The old industrial buildings get abandoned because they can no longer house the industrial operations they used to. In most cases, the old factory buildings become caged up right in the middle of residential areas or office blocks. Government policies may render such buildings unusable because of the pollution and safety concerns that surround industries. For instance, a steel factory may be too noisy for the surrounding dwellers. A cement factory may produce dust to unhealthy levels and threaten the health of the surrounding communities. A dye factory may release poisonous fumes into the air, and this is not safe for the surrounding population. In addition, for reasons of sustainable development and architecture dissertation help, it is not wise to demolish such buildings. Where possible, the old buildings can be refurbished to suit some new use. A factory may be turned into a restaurant or a church, a museum or even a residential house.

One of the major reasons for maintaining and reusing old buildings this way is maintaining the cultural and historical heritage of a given people. Such adaptive reuse also maintains the identity of locations. It is an important aspect of city planning to help the residents find their way round. Historical buildings are one of the most popular landmarks that help residents and visitors of a city find direction easily. In addition, adaptive reuse is economical and very beneficial to the populace of the city in question. Among the economic benefits is the revenue from tourists who visit the city to see such buildings. For these reasons, adaptive reuse is now a concept on the rise in many cities of the world. Over recent years, many industrial buildings have been converted for other uses. The refurbishment process may however be quite complicated due to the aspect of maintaining the old features of the building. The facade of the building is actually what's the cultural and historical value to the building. Completely changing the building would do away with the image that people so want to see. Therefore, a delicate balance has to be striked on what needs to be changed and what needs to remain the same.

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Aims and objectives

The main objective of this research is to explore the negative and positive impacts of the adaptive reuse of Industrial heritage. This major goal shall be achieved through a fulfilment of the following specific objectives.

1. Investigating the connection between the old use and the new use of the industrial heritage.

2. Analyzing the economic benefit realized through the adaptive reuse of industrial heritage as opposed to fresh construction of new buildings

3. Exploring the effectiveness of the nominal process of conversion of industrial heritage buildings.

Precedent studies

Various researchers have previously explored the concept of adaptive reuse in different angles. One notable research by Carlisle (2007) was titled Adaptive Reusing - An architectural solution to poverty and homelessness. The researcher focused on the abandoned Hostess factory on 7th and S Street NW Washington. He asserted that adaptively reusing the factory as a vocational school would help turn around the impoverished lifestyles of the local dwellers. The researcher sees knowledge as the only way to get out of poverty and homelessness, and therefore proposes the conversion of old industrial buildings into vocational training centres. Educating the adults in such manner provides opportunities for the population to exit the poverty cycle.

Renga (2016) argues that adaptive reuse is a sure means of saving the environment from the negative impact commonly experienced as new buildings come up. Statistics show that the construction industry alone contributes over 40 % of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Setting up new buildings only adds up to the carbon footprint. The old industrial buildings have a certain amount of embodied energy since they were constructed using both human and physical resources. Destroying such buildings is not a sustainable approach to development. By converting them for other uses, energy is adequately preserved, which is one of the goals of sustainable development.

Thakarr (2018), investigated the various parameters of adaptive reuse in different heritage buildings. The researcher delved into the importance of heritage interiors, and therefore sensitized the architects on the need to approach adaptive reuse in a sensitive manner that preserves the heritage rather than destroy it. The researcher cites a number of adaptive reuse projects that have completely overhauled the heritage interiors of buildings, with the result being a somewhat new development with no connection to the past. He attributes this to falling architectural standards and increased profit motivation. He further upholds heritage conservation as a movement and not a mere subject. This movement aims to spread awareness and preserve as many historic buildings as possible. As much as they are in a deteriorating condition, architects can breathe new life into them and recreate their importance. According to him, heritage conservation is both past and future oriented.

The current research will advance this thought of heritage conservation. Below is a list of the top questions that the research will answer.

Research questions

1. What was the industrial building initially used for?

2. What is the current structural soundness of the building?

3. What are the prominent features of the building both on the interior and exterior?

4. In what historical era was the building built?

5. What is the current use of the building?

6. What is the connection between the old and the new use?

7. Was the conversion process adequately efficient in terms of energy use and energy conservation

8. What historical features were destroyed during the conversion?

9. What historical features were preserved during the conversion?

10. What is the general take and feeling of the community about the new building?

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Methodology

To achieve the objective of this research, the case study has been proposed as the best tool to use. This is because of the investigatory and exploratory nature of the subject. Also, the fact that it is impractical to control the participants if the research makes the case study the best tool. The research will focus on 4 buildings in the UK that have undergone adaptive reuse. The proposed buildings are:

1. Grange Hall

2. The Egg Shed Heritage and Community Centre

3. The river building

4. The Department Store

These four are seen to be a good representative of adaptive reuse projects as they cover a mixture of uses both in the past and in the present. The buildings were also initially constructed in different historical eras. The buildings are also located within or in close proximity to London, which makes it convenient for the researcher to carry out the study.

For data collection, the following three main methods shall be used:

1. Direct observation

2. Direct interviews

3. Use of secondary sources, i.e. written critiques related to the buildings in question

Dig deeper into Revitalizing High School Education with our selection of articles.

List of sources

Adaptive reuse. (2006). Washington, D.C.: Urban Land Institute.

Carlisle, E. (2007). Adaptive Reuse: An Architectural Solution to Poverty and Homelessness.

Conservation-led regeneration. (1998). London (23 Savile Row, London, W1X 1AB): English Heritage.

Gewirtzman, D. (2017). Adaptive Reuse Architecture Documentation and Analysis. Journal of Architectural Engineering Technology, 05(03).

Gorgolewski, M. (n.d.). Resource salvation.

Haskell, T. (1993). Caring for our built heritage. London: E & FN Spon.

Renga, P. (2016). Adaptive Reuse of Abandoned Buildings.

Thakkar, K. (2017). Rethinking Adaptive Reuse: A Sensitive Approach to Heritage Interiors.

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