Adaptive reuse and sustainability of commercial buildings

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the viability of adaptive reuse of commercial buildings and the impact it has on the sustainability of existing built environment in Western Australia. Design/methodology/approach: A survey of building owners in Western Australia and a review of literature concerning adaptive reuse of commercial buildings. Findings: The concept of adaptation is supported by building owners and there is a strong intuition/perception that adaptive reuse serves the key concepts of sustainability. Building owners are considering adaptive reuse as a viable option to demolition and redevelopment of existing facilities. Research limitations/implications: The use of a structured questionnaire limits the depth of responses in the study. A follow up study using interviews would allow further because it does not allow probing, prompting and clarification of the issues addressed. Practical implications: Results from this research has implications for building owners and managers as it will eventually provide a theoretical framework that can be incorporated in the decision‐making process for adaptive reuse projects. Originality/value: The contribution of existing buildings to the three tenets of sustainability has not been explored comprehensively in Western Australia.