Abstract:
Because their structure tends to outlive their function, buildings have continually needed to adapt to new uses. This is especially true for industrial buildings. Many are obsolete because of their multi-story configurations and vast amount of floor space. The possibilities of reusing these buildings for their original function is unlikely. But because of their large size they have considerable impact on their site and surrounding area by their sheer bulk. Instead of demolition, adaptive use can provide an inexpensive and exiting alternative.The goals of a successful adaptive use project are, from the standpoint of economics, to take a relatively money losing situation and turn it into some profitable means again. From the historical standpoint, adaptive use provides the opportunity to preserve a piece of history in the built form, and provide a sense of pride for the community.The Following document illustrates the benefits and processes of adaptive use with emphasis on the industrial building. South Bend, Indiana’s Studebaker Corridor has been chosen for a case study demonstrating this adaptive use process.
