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Reuse existing buildings can be energy efficient
Buildings are responsible for 36% of global energy consumption and 37% of greenhouse emissions. Many well-designed structures last generations. Thus, upgrading space to adapt the existing structure grids for a current lifestyle will help more sustainable development.
Issue of converting to housing units
Some office buildings in the old days (1960 to 1980) often used 20 feet column grids. Compared to 30 feet column bays, these narrower grids often face dilemmas when converted to residential units. Part of the reason is that the combining width of a standard living room and bedroom is about 22 to 24 feet. Twenty feet of spacing will unlikely give both living room and bedroom direct sunlight. On the other hand, the space between the columns at the parking level will make one parking spot less than 8 feet, which is also challenging to use. The good news is this type of building often comes with a higher ceiling. Therefore, a life/work unit would suit its structure grid.
Scenario 1: 20' by 20' column grid with 15' ceiling height
This type of space would benefit start-up residents or young couples with exploration-stage careers.
Program including: Living area, Bathroom, Laundry unit, Office zone, Sleeping area w/ closet, Lower storage, Kitchen, and Dining area
Scenario 2: 20' by 20' column grids with 10'-6" ceiling height
This type of space would be handy for short-term stays, such as monthly rental apartments or business suites for the extended traveler with fewer belongings.
Program including: Living area, Bathroom, Laundry unit, Office zone, Sleeping area w/ closet, Upper Storage
Additional Sustainable Credits
Other than making existing buildings adaptable to our current lifestyles, there are also actionable measurements that we can take to ensure we optimize reusing products and materials during the development process.
[MR] Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction
Option1. Building and Material Reuse: A project can earn up to 7 points if it maintains a certain percentage of the existing building structure, envelope, and interior nonstructural elements.
Option2. Whole-Building Life-Cycle Assessment: A project can earn up to 4 points by conducting a cradle-to-grave life-cycle assessment of the project's structure.
What’s Next?
"Let's stop building 40-year buildings, and let's build 1000-year buildings."-- Thomas Heatherwick
After reading the project, "1000 Trees," designed by Heatherwick Studio, I cannot stop thinking about this question; If we apply the principle to let every column capital carry the heaviest load, can we leave only existing columns when we raze an existing structure? If structures will last centuries and laying out a lifestyle to meet the structure limit is not an issue, how long can we reuse these buildings? Will the existing buildings be left with only the skeleton in the future? And what are the optimal sizes of column grids? Can we somehow squeeze modularized prefab units into these old frames?