26 NORTHERN NEVADA ARCHITECTURE .22 | 2022 | aiann.org The world population continues to increase. The latest estimates from Population Connection claim we will add an additional two billion people to the planet by 2050 and another billion by 2100. Besides feeding and clothing this daunting number of humans comes the question of how to shelter them. Surely at some juncture, we may decide that instead of finding usable land upon which to build, we will realize that repurposing as much as possible – rather than finding something new – is the only answer to that growing question. Aging buildings can be a waste of land and resources if we don’t use them. They become a shadow of our past rather than a viable historical story-telling part of it. We should use what we already have in a way that will inspire our future. How we use those older, less-impressive, dilapidated shells can make a difference to those who will come after we are gone. If we phase out the “knock it down/ build it again” mentality and decide to repurpose what already exists, we may find ourselves ahead of the game. But while creating the right buildings for all phases of existence – residential, commercial and industrial – may sound easy, we need to repurpose those buildings containing what is often called “good bones,” or simply, heart. Repurposing old buildings – sometimes called “adaptive reuse” or “sustainable design” – matters. It is through adaptive reuse and sustainable design that opportunities abound. When buildings are repurposed, job opportunities open to surrounding communities and allow for economic growth. Human resources are in demand while the need for more materials falls. This lowers investment costs and allows more focus on revitalizing, restoring and recycling the area. The global community sees this as a stepping stone in shaping individual communities, paving the path to improving the human relationship with the environment. Other viable parts of adaptive reuse projects are the federal tax credits that may help finance them. For example, if a building is over 50 years old and on the National Register of Historic Places, up to one-fifth of its rehabilitation costs could possibly be expensed and, therefore, be tax-deductible. Surprisingly, sustainable design is relatively new. But with our population increasing and the ever-decreasing areas of land upon which to build, adaptive reuse is one answer architects have begun to embrace. Protecting historic buildings became more commonplace in North America in the 1960s, but it was a slow trend. However, people began to understand the benefits of reusing old buildings, and the movement increased. For architects, adaptive reuse saves both materials and the community; it decreases urban sprawl and increases sustainability and has even become a political talking point over the past several years. And it’s not just the architecture industry that has embraced adaptive reuse and sustainable design. It’s becoming more popular in construction circles, too. Sometimes retrofitting an existing building can be more cost-effective than building something new. And the savings in other Repurposing Buildings Why Sustainability Matters “Sustainability is unappealing if it’s always portrayed as something negative, a form of moral self-denial. An ethical dilemma, a moral sacrifice, a political dilemma or a philanthropic donation. We are changing the angle and saying that sustainable cities can be a way of improving our quality of life.” – Bjarke Ingels, Danish Architect EXAMPLE OF A BUILDING READY TO BE REPURPOSED WITH A LITTLE CARE THEY CAN BECOME GEMS
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