The pros and cons of transformation in construction
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In urban areas where housing demand is high, efficient repurposing of vacant buildings can offer a solution. "Real estate transformation," for example, involves converting vacant office buildings into homes. Transformation has advantages and disadvantages.
"Residential buildings, for example, have a different standard height than office buildings; office floors are generally higher than residential ones," explains Martijn van Gameren, partner and architect at Paul de Ruiter Architects. "If an office building has a certain height, it's possible that, due to those higher spaces, the residential building has fewer floors than would be the case with a new building. In that case, the return on the transformation is lower."
His colleague, architect Joris Korbee, points out the major advantage of transformation: "We can then reuse (some of) the existing structures and materials." He also mentions another clever way to manage space and materials: 'top-up' buildings. "By adding extra floors, provided the zoning plan allows it, we create more surface area without using new land. This optimally utilizes the existing infrastructure and uses fewer new materials. This results in a lower CO2 contribution. Moreover, in top-up projects, the building is often completely renovated, making it future-proof," says Joris.
It sounds simple, but these transformations require a high degree of creativity and flexibility from everyone involved, from designers to builders. Because there's a lot involved: from precisely understanding the existing systems to adapting the building's flow and reusing materials.
Joris: "For us as designers, that means asking, asking, and asking more questions. What pipes are there? Which cables can we reroute? Is everything on the construction drawing correct? Which materials can we reuse? What about the logistics? And is the infrastructure still adequate?"
Although more complex than new construction, real estate transformation and topping up reduce the environmental impact. These kinds of design and construction methods can significantly improve the sustainability of the construction sector in the coming years. The challenge is immense, but the satisfaction upon completion is even greater. Examples of transformation projects by Paul de Ruiter Architects include the renovation of the Vlieter Monument, Hotel Mama Shelter, DENISE, Sterflats Wageningen, and the Belastingflat Emmen.
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