In response to Melbourne’s rising commercial vacancy and growing housing demand, Plus Studio has developed AdaptAbility, a data-led tool that identifies underutilised commercial buildings across Melbourne with genuine potential for adaptive reuse.
Drawing on existing data, AI-assisted analysis and Plus Studio’s decades of design, planning and adaptive reuse experience, AdaptAbility helps developers and local government identify which commercial-to-residential opportunities warrant further investigation before committing to detailed due diligence.
The tool supports a more targeted approach to urban renewal at a time when Melbourne’s CBD office vacancy remains among the highest in the country and policy frameworks such as the City of Melbourne’s Retrofit Melbourne Plan already support a shift towards reuse. The opportunity is there, but too few projects are progressing from possibility to delivery.
AdaptAbility uses inputs such as floorplate depth, servicing capacity, planning controls, access to transport and nearby amenity to assess buildings across the office, retail, industrial and hospitality sectors. These variables are tested against multiple residential typologies to evaluate not only whether a building can be adapted, but what kind of residential outcome it is best suited for.
Adaptive reuse also responds to the environmental and urban challenges facing Melbourne’s CBD. By retaining and reworking existing building fabric, projects can reduce material waste and embodied carbon while supporting new uses within established locations. For commercial buildings that are no longer performing as intended, this creates an opportunity to support new housing, street-level activity and more efficient use of existing infrastructure.
Plus Studio Director Ian Briggs said AdaptAbility was created to give developers and city stakeholders a clearer starting point, while reinforcing the role of architectural expertise in turning early potential into viable projects.
“Melbourne does not have a shortage of opportunity. It has a challenge in knowing where that opportunity sits, and how to unlock it,” said Briggs.
“AdaptAbility gives us a faster, more informed starting point, but the real value comes from the architectural thinking that follows. A tool can identify potential, but it takes experience, collaboration and design judgement to understand whether a building can genuinely become housing, how it should perform, and what it can contribute back to the city.”
Existing research has identified circa 85 to 90 buildings in Melbourne’s CBD as suitable for conversion. AdaptAbility points to a significantly larger pool of candidates, suggesting the city’s adaptive reuse potential has been materially underestimated.
AdaptAbility is already being used by Plus Studio to support private developers and inform discussions with local government, including the City of Melbourne. For developers, it provides an earlier read on which assets warrant further investigation. For councils, it offers a clearer way to understand where underutilised buildings could support housing, activation and long-term city resilience.
“As demand for adaptive reuse grows, the next step is not just identifying more buildings. It is bringing the right people into the conversation earlier, so viable opportunities can move from data to design, and from design to delivery,” said Briggs.
Plus Studio’s longstanding commitment to adaptive reuse in Melbourne is reflected in a number of the practice’s projects, including Swann House and Invicta House on Flinders Lane for ST Real Estate and 623 Collins Street for Sterling Global.