Building Opportunities and risks of conversion adaptation are related closely to the physical characteristics of the existing buildings ( Remøy & van der Voordt , 2014 ). To use information from ex-post cases to scan the possibilities for conversion , Remøy and de Jonge ( 2007 ) defined the building type characteristics that influence the conversion potential , e . g . structure and floors , facade , floor lay-out and the length and depth of the building , and the number and situation of stairs and lifts .
The main load bearing structure in standard office buildings typically has a high conversion potential characterised by a wide span or bay width , few columns , high floors and high load bearing capacity . Low acoustic insulation , high beams and ( in older properties ) a dense structural grid reduce conversion capacity . Interventions in the facade represent substantial costs and reduce the conversion potential . Cantilevering floors with curtain walls reduces the possibility to add balconies and subdivide the facade to fit interior walls . Well maintained facades in good technical condition , and with a dense grid , increase the conversion potential . Also large floor plates and building depth increase the conversion potential of office buildings . The location of elevators and staircases has a high impact on the lay-out , as relocating stairs and elevators adds significantly to building costs . A high number of lifts in offices adds to a high conversion potential and elevator shafts can be reused as shafts for HVAC , water supplies and sewer . Table 2 summarises the characteristics affecting office to residential conversion adaptations .
Table 2 : Physical building characteristics affecting conversion potential . |
|
Positive |
Negative |
Structure and floors |
Large floor spans Columns ; free plans Constructed for heavy carriage |
Dense grids Low ceilings under existing beams Thin floors : acoustic insulation insufficient |
Facade
Floor lay-out , length and depth
Small grid Good technical state
Deep buildings
Inadequate technical state , no attachmentpoints for interior walls Cantilevering floors : complicates adding balconies
Location of elevators and staircases
Stairs and elevators |
Excess number of elevators |
Insufficient number of escape routes |
|
|
Excessive space occupied by cores |
( Source : Remøy and Wilkinson , 2015 )
Research method
This is qualitative research , which shares the three basic assumptions of being naturalistic , holistic and inductive ( Patton , 2002 ). Naturalism involves seeing the phenomenon in its naturally occurring state , in this case ; by interviewing stakeholders and visiting sites to observe what has taken place . The holistic aspect involves looking at the whole problem to develop a more complete understanding of the influencing factors and variables which determine what the most important drivers and barriers for conversion adaptation in Sydney are ; how these impact on sustainability , and the level of cognisance of sustainability by developers . The inductive approach is derived from the literature review whereby a picture of the problems and issues emerge as the researchers become more familiar with the topic area . The literature review identified which areas needed to be addressed and enabled the researchers to compare whether theory and practice are closely matched .
Sustainability and office to residential conversion adaptation in Sydney 769