Page 187 - Beyond Decommissioning

168 Beyond Decommissioning

As old industrial buildings were designed prior to air conditioning, natural prop-
erties of ventilation and shading were maximized to create as comfortable indoor envi-
ronments. This opportunity should not go wasted in reuse.

Addition of open spaces
To achieve adequate living standards in old buildings originally not intended for
housing it is necessary to install all the amenities that one expects of new buildings.
Open areas in the form of a loggia, terrace, or balcony, will greatly improve the living
standards of converted facilities. The best solution is to attach light, individual ele-
ments to the existing structure along living spaces. Another possibility to provide
more open spaces is the installation of a roof terrace: this approach can be readily
taken in buildings that already have a flat roof. While upgrading the housing value,
these strategies must not spoil the historic identity of the building.
Functional quality of the newly planned housing spaces

Contemporary and dynamic lifestyle imposes several requirements on the organi-
zation of the housing spaces. Flexible living spaces that can be customized to dif-
ferent users increase the value of the property. Thanks to the intrinsic favorable
structure of industrial buildings, it is generally possible to achieve a high spatial
flexibility of housing spaces by using the “open plan” approach. The design of
undefined, multiuse housing spaces avoids too stringent a differentiation of func-
tions, for example, a division based on day and night zones. The apartment would
then have a fixed and a variable part. The fixed part includes traditional assets, such
as kitchen and toilet, while other parts of the apartment are adaptable to
unpredictable changes in use.
New vertical and horizontal communications
One problem with the adaptive reuse of industrial buildings derives from the required
vertical and horizontal communication spaces. In large buildings, it can be necessary
to provide more elevators and stair shafts additional to those existing, for example, due
to fire safety requirements. The need to introduce more communication spaces
reduces the inner housing spaces. This problem can be solved by the installation of
communication spaces attached to the original structure.
In general, windmills are rarely capable of conversion, although this might not be
true of their annexes. Watermills, warehouses, factories, and workhouses tend to have
numerous existing openings and can accommodate a wide range of alternative uses.
The following points require consideration (East Staffordshire, 2010):
Unfortunately, not all building types can readily be converted to alternative uses without
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major changes to their existing structure and plan form which often would completely alter
their character and that of their setting.
The provision of an appropriate level of private amenity space (e.g., off-road parking and
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onsite sewage disposal) could be a significant requirement for any proposal to convert a
building to independent residential use. However, the extent of any domestic yard should
be carefully controlled to limit the potential for inappropriate alteration of the building
setting.