Fender Katsalidis associate director Sarah Hurst on the topic of adaptive reuse of buildings, and the opportunities in deconstructing and reimagining built spaces.
Describing the process as ‘re-lifing’, Hurst believes the adaptive reuse and repurposing of existing buildings is one of the most sustainable practices that architects and designers can rely on to breathe new life into old spaces.
“When embarking on this work, we seek to draw on past stories and narratives to understand and contribute to a building’s life as a continuum of time and space. In doing this, we are able to make informed decisions that mutually benefit buildings and their users to ensure our client’s assets live meaningfully well into the future,” Hurst observes.
Adaptive reuse not only involves regeneration of existing buildings but also opens up underutilised spaces. By redefining physical space, architects and designers become custodians for the continuation of storytelling and are responsible for the next phase in a building’s life.
Hurst explains that this concept starts with looking for opportunities and ways in which the existing fabric, both physically and metaphorically, can be deconstructed. “To give these spaces new life and new personas, we chip away at the built form, uncovering and interrogating programmatic opportunities with a holistic view, always underpinned with an interior masterplanning and whole-of-space mindset.”
“As designers, we are continually in conversation with our clients about how we understand, treat, and respect these existing assets – and in many cases, we see this reimagining as an evolution and shift in the embedded psychology around these buildings.”
Successful and considered adaptations come from a clear understanding of this ingrained perception and psychology of space. Hurst cites the example of Buxton Contemporary in Melbourne’s Southbank, a 1920s-era building, which was originally constructed as a police store. Fender Katsalidis repurposed the interior environment to create publicly accessible galleries.
“Buxton Contemporary is an example of legacy of space and placing importance on its history, while altering the psychology of space and physical purpose,” Hurst explains.
“Conscious that its origins and physicality told the story of its past, we stripped away the layers that were added over time to reveal some of its original fabric and narrative.”
We must approach architecture and design by thinking about the human experience first, says Hurst. When re-lifing a building, working with the existing fabric assists in offering spaces a level of perceived familiarity, tactility and comfort that users connect with and recognise.
The adaptive reuse of an existing university building in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD required a shift in personality to shrug off connotations associated with its past life as a student education building. Fender Katsalidis approached this project by test opening it up to the public for the first time, particularly at ground level, and reinvigorating the upper floors for commercial use.
“Testing the boundaries of activation and culmination of uses, we are carving away at the existing structure to puncture greater building amenity both at the ground floor and vertically within the building and are revealing more of the existing structure and surfaces. This is an example of how our work has evolved to think precinctually, as we start to view our interior public environments as eco-systems, symbiotic in their relationships with adjacent uses,” Hurst explains.
While it’s difficult to fully predict how users will emotionally respond to these spaces, Hurst believes there is immense joy in developing new narratives that become part of the building’s continuing and extended life story and witnessing users of these spaces experiencing them for the first time.
Image: Supplied
