SOPAC Structures of permanence and change – evidence-based mapping of adaptability based on reused modern buildings.

The load-bearing structure of a building is not only the most permanent layer of a building, it is also the most energy intensive. It should thus be designed and constructed to serve not only a first lifespan of a building but also enable its reuse and allow adaptations for new functions. To understand how structure are most likely adapted and they are allowing or preventing change around them, this project studies reused and adapted modern buildings. Following this evidence-based approach, it also discusses the design paths of the stakeholders in the renovation process to connect the structure with its context as well as the desired and undertaken changes. The findings of these object histories will be mapped in spatial CAD models and, eventually, formalized in schematic diagrams with zones of adaptability related to functions and the structural layout. Providing a novel modeling approach of permanence and change in a building, the general findings can further used for new design process of fundamentally adaptable buildings and further research into adaptability modeling.

Keywords:ARCHITECTURE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION HISTORY, SUSTAINABILITY, BUILDING INDUSTRY

Disciplines:Structural design, Sustainable building, Architectural engineering not elsewhere classified, Built heritage and renovation, Sustainable buildings and cities, Design innovation, Sustainable design