Enabling Adaptable Buildings: Results of a Preliminary Expert Survey

Obsolescence is a widespread “hazard” to the built environment, which often leads to the demolition of buildings that still have years of remaining service life. This paper identifies eleven design-based “enablers” (strategies) for creating adaptable buildings that are resistant to obsolescence. The perceived effectiveness of the enablers was studied through a survey of design professionals. Statistical analyses of the survey results were conducted to compare responses between different groups of design professionals. While the results are considered preliminary, they do suggest that some of the enablers are viewed as being significantly more effective than the others. Further work in quantitative modeling of building adaptability is to follow, as we hope to promote sustainability by empowering designers with tools that can best enable the adaptive reuse of buildings.