CLAUDIO SANTINI ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHER

12915 Greene Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90066
ph: 3105787919
fax: 3105789229
write@claudiosantini.com

Adaptive Reuse

In downtown Los Angeles as in many other American cities, hundreds of multistory industrial buildings were converted to housing honoring one of the fundamental concepts of the Green movement. It is called "Adaptive Reuse". In this case it means to convert an old industrial building to housing, reusing most of its original materials. It is a change of destination of use, from industrial to residential which allows considerable savings of resources and new materials for construction.

The desire to live in an industrial environment is more and more popular during these times. In addition to this, behind such a trend is hidden the remarkable attention to the optimization of resources - something quite special in America where, in the recent past, old buildings were considered obsolete in their aesthetic as well as their technical functionality. In the recent past, often, buildings like that were torn down in favor of new constructions with new design and new improved technology.

An interesting statistic is that the building industry uses about 70% of the resources on earth. This data tell us the macroscopic size of this field and the responsibility this industry with its affiliated fields such as the design, the interior decoration and the consequent furnishings, have impacted on the environment.

We see, therefore, the reuse of an old biscuit factory or an industrial warehouse turned into new residences often targeted to young creative professionals. The result of these operations is truly sensational.

The imposing, mirrored-skyscrapers, in many American cities, now reflect, at their feet, the image of old brick buildings completely refurbished in their most fascinating original style.

Since we are in the land of excellent contrasts the new urban landscape turns into a new connotation in which the old live with the futuristic in a great manner.

Surfaces of metal walls and old, cracked-concrete floors, left exposed are only a few of the pre-existing features of these structures that make these homes preferable to those more conventional.

The important aspect, however, of these real estate operations is that they take place on a gigantic scale and the renovated old buildings are never an isolated incident. Entire areas of several square miles, have been completely redesigned, starting from their infrastructures.

We are witnessing the creation of new areas in the city, enhancing a basic architecture which is reused from a homogeneous urban texture; where new neighborhoods by considerable charm and identity are born.

This development has generated a new, interesting design of reuse. These structures are loaded with the reminiscent flavors of a past production and now it evokes the work of a recent industrial archeology.

The saving of energy and resources of such a transaction is remarkable. The purchase, the shipment, the consumption of new materials are only some aspects of this optimization. The reason the owners of these houses justify their choice to live in such a context is also interesting.

One reason is because of the contact they receive from the interaction with similar people in the community of their neighborhood.

In the informal living room of these homes you will often see a bicycle that is used as local transportation, on Sunday, to designated areas.

Such reuse of a whole area, which was born of a different destination other than the current one now serves as a successful social hub for the community.

“Adapt and reuse” becomes the new awareness that happens in the temple of consumption in which obsolescence was traveling too fast at the expense of an increasingly fragile environment.

After all, the greatest gift we can give to our planet, when you think of a new home, is reusing an old one giving it a new life for years to come.