ADAPTIVE REUSE

AR-423 ARCHITECTURAL CONSERVATION

AR. AYESHA MEHMOOD MALIK

Assistant Professor
School of Architecture and Planning
University of Management and Technology, Lahore-Pakistan
 WHAT IS ADAPTIVE REUSE
• When any historic building is used for some other usage then is original
then you are adapting it.
Question is why we do it????
• There are many buildings t there that needs to be saved, resorted or
preserved so it is a very practical way to bring these buildings back to life
by giving it some function.
• Not all national historic monuments can be changed or converted but
buildings like havilis, palaces or some parts of residences that can be
adapted after a thorough survey and decided what function should be
allotted to that particular building.
Considerations
1. Detailed documentation of the building via proper pictorial survey, history
evidences, detailed drawings, video documentation or material testing, new and
old requirements of the building with their comparison, causes of decay
2. Should be properly saved as we have to access the building and all places there
along with the availability of materials already used there.
 RULES FOR ADAPTIVE REUSE
1. Any change done that can be reversed(reversible) so if anyone (scholar,
researcher, student, visitor, tourist) wants to study it he can et to the
original building and that particular area as well.
2. External façade/elevation can not be modified at any cost (no
compromise)
3. In the interiors some areas can be modified apart from the classical
pieces like arts, artifacts, staircase, water body, and old tree, ceilings,
chimneys, fire places or any other item like furniture. No matter any
necessary change needed the interiors is supposed to stay the same.
New rooms can be added or partitions can be extruded keeping any
modification reversible.
4. At times the spaces do not fulfill the requirements as per new need
/requirement so a new block can be added but that should harmonize
with the existing structure/building and should not obstruct the building.
5. Water element or any water feature if provided should be preferably provided
outside the existing structure not inside e.g., washroom, kitchen. What can be
done that we can provide a new washroom perhaps in the corridor along with
the old washroom as water causes dampness so leakages should be prevented.
6. If there is a need to add or construct any thing necessary that that should be well
constructed for example should not harm the existing structure, no leakage that
shall harm the structure in the long run.
A similar term linear conservation(applied to horizontal bazaars) is also confused with
the adaptive reuse e.g., Dehli gate till Wazir khan mosque that bazaars has Jharokas on
both sides. The facades were original yet a conventional conservation has been
provided to the site.
This is an old phenomenon as many of the old structures in England like churches have
been converted into schools, clinics, rehab centers as they were vacant and no
possible solution was there so these churches were sold. Many of similar structures
have been found in old walled city areas as well. E.g., Havili Nonahal singh is now
converted into a school “VICTORIA’S GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL”- a five story building that is
beautifully ornamented which was used /converted into this school in the British
period. Similarly Pirzada mansion, many other havilis, food street etc are good
examples found under this area. Another example is of the “CHUNA MANDI HAVILI”
that was also known as owned by the Nawaz sharif family.
In adaptive reuse the investment never goes wasted rather when utilized
comes into action and pays back.
THANK YOU