Residential Adaptive Reuse in Post-pandemic Times

In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, the accelerated shift to remote and hybrid work modes has left many office buildings vacant. Meanwhile, many cities struggle with providing housing. Adaptive reuse (AR) is the process of giving an existing building a new life, typically through an extensive renovation and refurbishment. Residential adaptative reuse specifically refers to adapting for housing purposes. The aim of this study is to shed light on opportunities and enablers for AR, specifically from the perspectives of owner/developers and contractors. A multiple case study method, utilizing a desktop approach with secondary data sources, is employed to reveal key lessons learned from real-life residential AR cases from the Nordics. We include 6 cases of residential AR, of which four are from Sweden, and two from Finland. We find that prime location and structural integrity are prerequisites for AR. Daylight, accessibility, and indoor comfort were noted to be common challenges, which were overcome by experience from previous adaptation projects, as well as good collaboration within the project team and authorities. The cultural heritage status of a building appears to both make the building more suitable for adaptation and create a challenge with risks associated with the construction works. Working within existing urban structure was noted to be a challenge for construction site logistics, as well as a nuisance to neighbors, making the support from neighbors crucial. Yet, perhaps the most striking similarity between the cases was that the adaptative reuse projects were linked to either vertical extension, or horizontally extending the project as a form of urban infill development. The findings provide a useful checklist to real estate owners, developers, and contractors considering adaptation to residential use, or bidding for AR projects. An interesting challenge warranting further research is the valuation of commercial properties with expected rental income, despite high vacancy.