Where conditions are right for office-to-residential adaptive reuse, projects can be completed faster and at a significantly lower cost than new construction.
A study from Gensler reveals that converting office buildings to housing could cost 30 percent less than new construction—where conversion is feasible. As Nish Amarnath explains in Smart Cities Dive, “Gensler said U.S. office vacancies reached a 30-year high in the second quarter of 2023, according to the Council of Economic Advisers,” prompting a strong interest in the adaptive reuse of office buildings.
According to the study, 25 percent of the over 1,000 buildings and sites surveyed met the criteria for conversion. “Factors including building form, location and floor plate size helped Gensler determine a building’s suitability for adaptive reuse into housing. Gensler notes that ‘unpleasant’ office features, like low ceilings, can be translated into desirable attributes for a residential building by removing office ducts, lights and drop ceilings to make way for ‘luxurious’ 11-foot clear ceiling heights.”
An adaptive reuse initiative in Calgary is expected to yield an increase in residential units of 24 percent in that city’s downtown core. Meanwhile, the U.S. federal government announced a $350 million investment to support office conversions and adjusted regulations to make office conversion easier for local governments.
FULL STORY: Office-to-residential conversion costs can be 30% lower than new construction: Gensler
Downtown Pittsburgh Set to Gain 1,300 New Housing Units
Pittsburgh’s office buildings, many of which date back to the early 20th century, are prime candidates for conversion to housing.
Minnesota Seeks State Support for Office Conversions
The 30% “CUB credit” would support the conversion of buildings 15 years or older into any use that “will return that vacant area to an income-producing, habitable condition.”
Over 71K Office-to-Apartment Units in the Pipeline for 2025
Adaptive reuse projects are continuing to bring thousands of new housing units onto the market as demand for office space remains low.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
Op-Ed: Looking for Efficiency? Fund Intercity Buses
Much less expensive than rail, intercity buses serve millions of Americans every year, but public subsidies are lacking.
Philadelphia Councilmember Proposes Transit Access Fund
The plan would allocate 0.5 percent of the general fund toward mobility subsidies for low-income households.
Texas Bill Would Ban Road Diets, Congestion Pricing
A Texas state senator wants to prevent any discussion of congestion pricing and could suspend existing bike lane and sidewalk projects.
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