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DESIGNING FOR ADAPTABILITY AND ADAPTIVE RUESE: CIRCULAR STRATEGIES FOR THE REGENERATION OF DISMISSED OFFICE BUILDINGS
Abstract
Design for Adaptability (DfA) is recognized as a lever for the circular economy and is supported by the Level(s) framework and the ISO 20887:2020 standard. Adaptability is a strategy to reduce the carbon footprint of the construction sector and this contribution explores its potential to address indeterminacy and functional convertibility, applied as a strategy for the reconversion of disused commercial building stock into housing. The research adopts a multi-scale approach that integrates theoretical analysis with a systematic mapping of global policies. The theoretical framework guides the analysis of case studies through five key indicators: local market vacancy rate, housing potential expressed in square meters, environmental impact (CO2 reduction), stakeholders involved (public-private partnerships), and the typological flexibility of the building. From the analysis of 80 international cases, it emerges that buildings constructed between 1950 and 1970 show the greatest aptitude for reconversion due to their structural modularity and the typological and dimensional configuration of the building body. The in-depth study of the Paris case reveals the effectiveness of integrated policies (such as the -Bureaux en Logements- program), capable of transforming over 600,000 sqm of offices while ensuring a quota of social housing through regulatory incentives and the involvement of public developers. The study contributes to investigating the functional convertibility of disused environments as a response to the housing crisis; the result provides policymakers with technical criteria to propose feasibility strategies for interventions.
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