Adaptive Re-Use On Campus: Pros, Cons, Considerations

Oh, no! You won't be getting a printed SCUP–45 Preliminary Program in the mail this year. Instead, SCUP is going green and regularly updating this digital version (PDF), which you can download at any time.

Check it out! You don't want to miss higher education's premier planning conference, and your one chance this year to assemble with nearly 1,500 of your peers and colleagues: July 10–14, Minneapolis.

---

---

SCUP Link

This is a concise exposition of pros and cons, as well as a checklist of pertinent considerations for deciding whether to build new or re-use.

As designers, it is our underlying goal to understand our client’s objectives and help move them forward in a direction that best meets their current and future needs. This is no different when evaluating an existing building for potential reuse.

Generally, the choice to “reuse” will include the decision to renovate a significant portion of the existing facility to accommodate the new program. When evaluating “reuse” versus “build new,” it is important to consider the pros and cons of each choice.

The pros and cons of new construction are more straightforward than with a reused building. With a new building comes the ability to include state-of-the-art energy-saving building systems, modern materials and forms, and current design trends. The cons to new construction are rarely discussed, but they include the difficulty of finding open land on a college or university campus in the perfect location for the required program. Additionally, new construction will always go through a time when the design is “old” and “out-of date” before it becomes appreciated again.

The pros and cons to building reuse are sometimes less obvious.

---

Regional SCUP Events! Enjoy the F2F company of your colleagues and peers at one of three SCUP regional conferences this spring:

• April 5–7, San Diego, CA - "Smart Planning in an Era of Uncertainty"
• April 7, Houston, TX - "Sustaining Higher Education in an Age of Challenge"