Synopsis:

Mr. Bellamy provides a concise and clear explanation as to why adaptive reuse makes so much sense for nearly every community. Beyond the fact that there are at least one or two old buildings within your town or city that have lived beyond their original use, Bellamy explains that these buildings should be recycled into a new use rather than starting from scratch.

First – there’s the environmental factor. Thirty percent of the energy used over the lifetime of a building is spent on the initial construction. Reusing a building allows for reduced energy costs for construction (though of course does not mitigate it completely). The demolition of a 5-story building results in 4,000,000 kilograms of landfill waste. This can be diverted by recycling that building and giving it new life.

Secondly – there’s the economic factor. Reusing a building can significantly reduce your construction costs. Bellamy notes that “(m)aintaining the structural system alone can return as much as 25 per cent of the overall cost.”

Thirdly – there’s future planning. A recent concept in new construction is to build with the intention that the structure will live out its initial purpose. This means “incorporating durable materials, flexible layouts and structural systems that allow easy dismantling and reuse.” Bellamy points out that several buildings for the Vancouver Olympics were actually designed to be repurposed after the Games.

Lastly – there’s the social factor. Adapting old buildings can be beneficial to the community. Whether its through creating new housing or providing a new community space, the vacant building finds new life which only adds to the life of the surrounding community.

Bellamy closes by focusing on an adaptive reuse project of an old church in Winnipeg. He hopes that this project will help to provide an innovative example to others in the city when looking at what to do with other buildings that have outlived their lives.