Fragile by Design: How Can Buildings Be Designed to Outlast Their First Purpose?

"Having explored adaptability at the city scale, we are now zooming in on the building itself-and, crucially, on practice. How can architects, developers, and consultants embed adaptability as a measurable, mainstream outcome? This question will be on the agenda at the Adaptable Building Conference (ABC) on January 22 at the Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam, where architects, engineers, policymakers, and industry leaders will explore the potential of adaptable buildings-and how to deliver them at scale."

""We've been designing buildings that outlast their original purpose for hundreds of years," he says. "In fact, most of the older buildings that are still standing in European cities have had dozens of different uses over their lifetime. These buildings have survived because of their durability, but also their simplicity, which made them easy to understand, break apart, and re-envision for a new use.""

"One barrier to making adaptability mainstream is that it is often treated as an abstract ambition rather than a measurable asset. Paynter has helped develop digital tools aimed at changing that, starting with an unexpectedly straightforward metric: location. "Buildings that remain at the heart of a busy neighborhood will always find a use," he says, highlighting another key theme addressed at ABC-the inseparable link between the adaptability of cities and buildings."

Adaptability at the building scale requires practical, measurable approaches that connect with urban context and design practice. Simplicity and durability in building design enable multiple future uses and ease of disassembly or reconfiguration. Complex, single-use buildings and short-lived materials impede adaptability and may necessitate full shutdowns for renovation. Foresight about component upgradability over multi-decade horizons supports long-term adaptability. Digital tools and clear metrics, including location and neighborhood activity, can quantify adaptability and help align architects, developers, and consultants to deliver adaptable buildings at scale.

Read at ArchDaily