Adaptive reuse
As our patterns of working and living evolve, the infrastructure and buildings around us must also adjust to meet the changing needs of our communities.
The adaptive reuse of existing buildings and infrastructure is fundamental to create a built environment fit for modern life, and essential to meet our principles of sustainability and net-zero carbon.
Every project is unique, and we approach existing buildings as layered and complex systems, often presenting project teams with historic and community considerations as well as layers of previous retrofits to navigate.
WSP provides a range of services from advisory at the front end to commissioning at closeout, and everything in-between. We are champions of the integrated design process and are adept at leading design teams to ensure maximum efficiency, working in close cooperation with our clients from start to finish.
Heritage buildings and Net-Zero
Reusing heritage buildings avoids unnecessary carbon emissions and preserves the fabric of our towns and cities. We need to reimagine them for a net-zero future.
Preserve the past and protect our future
Climate change threatens our past as well as our future. The principles of heritage conservation go hand in hand with sustainability goals of preserving and protecting our resources for future generations. Glenroy Community Hub is the first public building in Australia to achieve the Passivhaus energy efficiency standard. It is not an entirely new building but one that incorporates a heritage structure – one of the classrooms from a primary school that previously stood on the site. This has been transformed into a space for the local youth, with a jam room, recording studio, makerspace and games hub. But as it was originally constructed in the 1930s, was poorly insulated and very far from airtight.
The team explored ways to bring it within the Passivhaus envelope, but ultimately the decision was taken to exclude parts of it. Instead, a new lining was constructed within the existing structure to provide insulation and acoustic separation, so that it functions as a building within a building.
“We still did everything we could to apply the Passivhaus principles, to enhance the thermal envelope to reduce draughts and improve acoustics and energy efficiency,” explains Brenda Kingston, WSP’s project director for sustainability. “We de-risked the certification without throwing it out completely.”
Use bespoke solutions
Not all buildings can be upgraded to modern energy efficiency standards, but significant carbon savings can be achieved with bespoke solutions, particularly when the embodied carbon of the existing structure and the relatively short lifespan of new technologies are taken into account.
InterContinental Sydney with its 1851 heritage façade was a top-to-bottom redesign of the five-star property across guest rooms, public areas, restaurant and bar venues that skilfully integrates the aesthetics and functions of two buildings built 130 years apart. Awarded for Excellence in Design and Innovation at the 2023 Australian Good Design Awards, the hotel is a perfect marriage of old and new. The work included extensive heritage restoration, removal and replacement of the hotel’s cooling towers and new window upgrades in the 509 rooms and suites which were completely renovated for improved energy efficiency.
Work with the structure
Preservation strategies may not always be large-scale or intensive. We can prioritise historic value while minimising interventions. The heritage listed AIA Centre is Melbourne’s last remaining purpose-built building from the 1956 Olympic Games to receive critical maintenance work and preserving its original unique design. Now home to the Collingwood Football Club and Netball Club, it stands to be the only post-tensioned steel building in the state.
Taking a circular approach
Maintaining existing materials correctly and using traditional products, supports a circular economy approach too. The new elements of the building have their own legacy which has to tie in with existing structure. As much care needs to be taken with specifying the new elements as with preserving the existing elements. Fit-out and refurbishment projects actively contribute to the
circular economy by retaining the existing structure and making changes exclusively to the interior, instead of resorting to the demolition and construction of an entirely new building. The built environment presents a significant opportunity to shift from a Linear to a Circular approach. Leading the way in the transition to a circular economy through design choices, the Circular Design Guidelines for the Built Environment developed in collaboration with WSP’s Waste Management & Circular Economy team was released by the NSW Office of Energy and Climate Change.
Follow the science
Advances in building science and analysis are helping us to understand more and more about materials and how they perform over time. We should use science-based techniques to ensure we make the right decisions around net-zero impacts. In a net-zero world, retrofitting becomes the default choice for all development. What can conservation specialists teach us about making older buildings work like new? Explore more on Retrofitting: What Can We Learn From Heritage Projects.
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