Ennead Partner, Peter Schubert, FAIA, authored an article "Stop Knocking Down Older Office Buildings. Here’s How to Reuse Them Instead" published in Commercial Observer, where he argues that to successfully reduce our carbon footprint we need more creative approaches to transforming the ordinary building stock that makes up large parts of our cities. He offers three approaches focused on radical mixed-use, vertical campuses, and rethinking residential.
In addition to suggesting ways to adapt these buildings for the future, he looks back at the role of the architect in normalizing the unsustainable idea of building obsolescence and the responsibility of architects today to think differently, saying “New construction creates jobs and allows for innovation. But knocking down perfectly functional buildings every 30 to 40 years is a disaster for the environment, and we need a plan — now. Architects helped create this situation, and now we’re ready to help solve it.”
To read more about ways to radically repurpose existing buildings, find the full article here.