PERSPECTIVE
Jack Paruta , Gensler
in the Belltown section on Seattle ’ s northern downtown edge is another example of a neglected building in a significant context . In the early 90s , the grunge music movement began at the Moore Theater across the street in a low-rent , semi-industrial arts district . The struggling neighborhood was on the early cusp of an investment and population boom . Converting the building to an 82-room hotel and restaurant boosted the momentum and brought a prominent corner back to life . It was a key contributor
to the influx of trendy restaurants , boutiques , galleries and residential towers . Projects like The Palladian redevelopment reverses decades-old thinking that demolition , versus preservation , saves neighborhoods .
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS Now more than ever , sustainability needs to be at the forefront of development . Architecture 2030 shows that the building industry generates nearly 50 % of annual global CO2 emissions . Together , we have a collective responsibility to minimize the impact of the built environment on climate change . With adaptive reuse , we ’ re minimizing the carbon associated with making buildings , including material extraction , manufacturing , transportation and construction — and instead utilizing the embodied carbon of existing buildings . Adaptive reuse stands as a strategy to significantly reduce demolition , carbon emissions , waste , and preserve what already exists . The greenest building is one that ’ s already built .
Philadelphia ’ s Architects Building in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood is one example of an architectural adaptive reuse project come full circle . Built in 1920 as an art deco high rise serving the design and building trades , including the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects , it struggled for decades with largely vacant and floundering street level retail . The property was purchased and converted to the 230-room Hotel Palomar , one of the first LEED-certified hotels in the city , employing numerous resilience strategies : energy efficiency , higher performing fenestration , HVAC systems , water conservation and more .
As designers and architects , we have the privilege and responsibility to make the most of our existing building stock . After all , 80 % of the buildings that will exist in 2050 stand today . By transforming outdated buildings into viable new uses , we can convert properties that were once detractors into thriving contributors that align with the desired user experiences of today ’ s age . Adaptive reuse is an important strategy to preserve the past and bring back to life important pieces of the fabric of our cities and anchor of their neighborhoods .
Kimpton Hotel Palomar Philadelphia against the skyline .
Lobby leading to elevators at Kimpton Gray Hotel in Chicago .
Entrance of Kimpton Hotel Palomar Philadelphia .
64 hotelsmag . com June 2023