IN-PERSON Barcelona. Section A

Abstract

As societal needs change, repurposing historic buildings becomes a delicate balance between honoring their heritage, and adapting them to meet contemporary demands. The richness of a layered city depends on the recycling of historic buildings to nourish its evolving society, and longevity of such heritage structures depends on a critical material and design strategy. Launching from the premise that the greenest building is an existing one, this paper presents a strategy for ensuring longevity in retrofitted heritage structures that looks beyond building performance to resilience in reuse and durability in character. We can argue that the greenest building is not just an existing one, but a retrofitted existing one where climate change, material circularity and adaptability in occupation are key. Given the ubiquity of 19th Century masonry structures in urbanized areas of Canada’s Southern Ontario, it is incumbent upon us to design for longevity, adaptability, and recyclability. Three case studies adapting 19th Century masonry structures for new public, semipublic, and private uses will display clear strategies for longevity while also leveraging the rich imprint of this historic fabric. Critical to this work is, understanding the capacity for interior and exterior retrofit elements to graduate the scale, use, and character without erasing the original heritage structure. Further, ‘future proofing’ the building depends on optimizing flexible spaces, integrating sustainable technologies, and enhancing accessibility without compromising historical integrity. Finally, effective ‘inside-out’ detailing builds-in overall resilience for an enduring, and adaptable architecture pivotal to less tangible aspects of character and durability as essential ingredients to creating dynamic buildings in the layered fabric of the city for the next generation.