Adaptive Reuse in Architecture: Balancing Safety and Sustainability
Adaptive reuse is a transformative process that repurposes existing buildings, navigating the complexities of current safety codes while promoting sustainable architecture.
Since the 1970s and 1980s, numerous revisions have been made to building codes, with over a dozen updates to date.
These changes aim to strengthen regulations, enhance public safety, accessibility, and building performance, often prompted by lessons learned from tragic building incidents.
Updating the code is an important, ongoing endeavor—one that continually engages professionals and investigative bodies to reflect on shortcomings, strengthen regulations, and produce a more comprehensive, protective, and generally beneficial framework for public safety, accessibility, and building performance.
Examples of code updates include periodic revisions to the International Building Code (IBC) in the United States and successive legislative amendments in jurisdictions like Hong Kong.
Author's summary: Adaptive reuse transforms buildings by balancing safety and sustainability.