If the greenest building is the one that is already built, then refurbishment & re-purposing would seem to be a good strategy for the green transition.

As Wilma Kempinga, quoted by Rowan Moore, points out: 'A lot of people like new buildings... & don’t have the imagination to see what’s possible with old ones'... the problem is when (as with the repurposing of offices into residential) the commercial motive undermines the green... but still worth pushing?

#housing

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/mar/23/dutch-netherlands-school-buildings-redesign-mevrouw-meijer-nimeto-utrecht-maarten-van-kesteren-de-zevensprong-best-eindhoven-buro-kettinghuls

Reply to this note

Please Login to reply.

Discussion

With apps with AI there is zero excuse for lack of imagination to remodel or restore an existing building. The excuses are running out fast.

It is always easier ( read more profitable) to build from new, and a diminishing pool of skilled labour to think outside the box to problem solve, just adds to the focus on new.