The basement of Eastern Kentucky University’s student union (above), was once a bowling alley and pool hall. Now it contains the Technology Commons (left). by mIchele herrmann With funds for new campus construction tighter than ever, administrators are giving adaptive reuse of older buildings a fresh look. 42 | March 2009 I Acts of Adaptation t’s practIcally a gIven that at some poInt In a buIldIng’s life it will either become so outdated or need so much work to remain usable that its very existence will be questioned. but the possibility of tearing it down can present an emotional dilemma as well as go against sustainability principles. and, of course, building something new in its place comes with a big price tag. appa named adaptive reuse—which involves creating an entirely new strategy for a building’s use—as one of the top ten critical facilities issues in a report resulting from its 2007 Thought leaders series, and a new leed rating system to be released this month by the u.s. green building council is expected to give more points for adaptive reuse projects. architectural firms find their higher ed clients are taking notice. “adaptive reuse has been interesting to universities because they often have very constrained campus plans that cause them to rethink these buildings,” says betsy del monte of The beck group, based in dallas, adding that “the most sustainable building is the one that is already built and sitting there.” universitybusiness.com
http://www.universitybusiness.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - March 2009