In order to stay competitive and attract the best students, colleges and universities know they must keep current by providing their existing and prospective students with attractive, state-of-the-art facilities that meet today’s needs for high quality learning environments. The continued pressure to expand and grow is particularly difficult at the large number of college and university campuses that are located in dense, urban areas, or those that have less and less undeveloped land available for new building projects.
With all of the combined pressures of the recent recession; difficulties in obtaining funding and financing for new construction projects, shrinking capital improvement budgets, and deferred maintenance pressures to name a few, planners and administrators are seeking out opportunities that allow them to do more with less. The adaptive reuse, or “repurposing “of existing building stock has become an even more attractive option in today’s economy.
There are many challenges to adaptive reuse, but there can be even more benefits. Reusing existing building stock is one of the most effective strategies that colleges and universities can implement to achieve long-term sustainability initiatives. Repurposing an existing building is inherently “green”, and captures the embodied energy of existing materials and resources by reducing the use of virgin natural resources needed to recreate much of the infrastructure and materials that already exist. Demolition materials can be recycled, and less new materials are required. There is also the benefit gained in preserving existing green spaces. The reuse of existing buildings can reinforce the historical continuity of a community, and adaptive reuse can sometimes be a catalyst for additional neighborhood revitalization and economic development.
Architects play an important role, teaming with engineers and construction managers to guide a college or university through the planning and decision-making processes involved in revitalizing existing structures. At the planning phase, architects work closely with facility management personnel, end user groups, and administrators to identify and establish project goals. The design team will then be in position to evaluate an existing building to determine if it will be functionally and economically feasible to repurpose the building for the intended new use.
A Case Study for Adaptive Reuse : Rhode Island College
Located on the west-end of the City of Providence, Rhode Island College embarked on a campaign to reclaim a group of existing buildings located on the east edge of their campus. The targeted buildings were originally built in the 1950’s. They were formerly occupied by the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) and used as residential cottages for foster children. The College took ownership of the buildings from the State on the condition they would be salvaged and reused as part of a major campus expansion. RI College commissioned Vision 3 Architects to conduct a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of each building, and to establish programming goals and objectives. From this study, a Master Plan was created to show what was proposed as the highest value and best use of the space. Some of the goals Rhode Island College achieved by reclaiming these old buildings included: the creation of a new area of campus, now known as “The East Campus;” Tthe gaining of approximately 100,000sf of building area for multi-use, programmatic space; and by relocating a large amount of administrative office space to the East Campus, vital swing space was created at strategic locations on the main campus for badly needed expansion of academic programs.
By seizing the opportunity to repurpose these existing buildings, Rhode Island College was able to substantially raise the overall image of their campus, and free up space for future expansion, all for far less capital investment than would have been required by new construction.
Joseph Caldeira, LEED AP is Vision 3’s Education Team leader.