Out of necessity, various building types have changed their use. Churches converted into libraries, abandoned warehouses turned into cultural centers—and while much has been written on the subject, from N. John Habraken's 1970s Open Building concept to Adamo Faiden's contemporary From Mixed-Use to Diff-Use, today we have, more than ever, an engaging global debate surrounding adaptability in housing. Is it truly necessary to dedicate so many square feet to office space when the pandemic proved that most work can be done remotely? This was one of the central questions during the lockdowns of recent years.
Undoubtedly, existing buildings are under close scrutiny regarding what we can do with them in the near future—especially with the climate crisis in the equation. "The greenest building is the one that is already built," says Carl Elefante. Adaptive reuse and flexibility will surely be at the forefront of architectural discourse worldwide. Therefore, it is time to reflect further on how design can address this challenge.
