With the prevalence of urban sprawl worldwide, it’s become more important to explore alternative builtform developments that can increase the supply and/or density within areas of existing development.
Current common practice is to demolish and rebuild in place of existing underutilised spaces. James Leiper, Structural Project Leader from Pritchard Francis, recently released a paper presenting the Condor Tower project in the central business district (CBD) of Perth, Western Australia, as an example of adaptive building reuse through vertical extension as an alternative model.
The Condor Tower project involved adding 17 storeys to an existing 10 storey building, converting it from a derelict office building to a modern apartment complex, and thus significantly increasing the life of the structure. A detailed Life Cycle Analysis of the project is presented, highlighting the significant environmental benefits of this type of adaptive reuse, when compared with a full demolition and rebuild.
Outcomes included a 54% reduction in Global Warming Potential and saving 2,100m3 (approx 5,000T) of concrete wastage to landfill. Other examples of adaptive reuse from Western Australia are presented, demonstrating a variety of innovative solutions for reusing existing building stock.
To read the full paper see this link.