Amidst the pressing need for more affordable housing worldwide, many countries are exploring innovative solutions to address the housing crisis.
One promising solution involves repurposing abandoned buildings into affordable housing units. By maximizing preexisting infrastructure, this strategy also offers a sustainable resolution to the issue of housing shortages.
(Photo : Pexels/Valeriia Miller )
Transforming Abandoned Buildings Into Affordable Housing
Rehabilitating abandoned buildings can be a more cost-effective alternative to the principal method that Housing Authorities and Associations continue to employ, which is the construction of new homes.
By adopting this strategy, the feasibility of expanding affordable housing in the municipality is enhanced while also optimizing the utilization of dilapidating infrastructure. While the rehabilitation of dilapidated residential structures may appear to be a self-evident course of action, its importance is heightened when abandoned commercial, institutional, or historical buildings are considered for social housing.
A research study entitled Repurposing Empty Spaces to Prevent Homelessness in Mainland Europe was undertaken by Habitat for Humanity in 2021. To address housing shortages, this study aimed to investigate the viability and availability of utilizing unoccupied areas held by the community.
As mentioned, the United Kingdom was selected as a pilot study location. The study in this area revealed that about 7,000 commercial and office spaces across England, Scotland, and Wales, now controlled by local authorities, have remained empty for more than a year on average.
It was reportedly predicted that these spaces could generate almost 16,000 residential units through the conversion of vacant office spaces and 3,500 residential units through the conversion of empty retail spaces.
Moreover, because of their sentimental significance for their communities, historic or iconic buildings frequently attract opposition when repurposing is proposed, which necessitates the development of novel architectural solutions.
An example of this would be the transformation of a historic chapel in Charenton-Le-Pont, France, by the architecture group Tectône into a thrift shop and social housing.
Residents of the neighborhood held the church in high regard. Accordingly, the architects maintained the chapel's personality by working together with them, which allowed them to expand the building to make room for the charity store and social housing.
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Repurposing Buildings
The construction industry is experiencing decreased space available to construct additional structures as time passes and each structure is built. Adaptive reuse architecture pertains to the reconfiguration of a preexisting structure to serve a different function. It is a process in which these structures are repurposed.
As stated, every city and country has several abandoned structures that have served their purpose and are no longer needed. The architectural future lies in adaptive reuse, revitalizing abandoned structures while minimizing additional spatial requirements.
Furthermore, the preservation of the history of the current city fabric is a fundamental reason why adaptive reuse is of significant relevance. By finding new uses for the buildings that are already there, the city's architecture is preserved in its entirety. Thus, incorporating new fabric into an old one using adaptive reuse also contributes to forming a new community zone.
Related Article: 5 Amazing Repurposed Buildings Worldwide: Revitalizing Old Structures into Extraordinary Spaces | Construction Times
