Contemporary innovative re-use projects with a sustainable ROI are the new trend amongst Asian-developers taking a more grown up approach to property development. Annette Albutt explains.
Each re-use project comes with its own inherent cultural and structural challenges but rather than limiting a project they can become a catalyst for dynamic contemporary design whilst creating a magnet of interest and fiscal support for the community - and a profitable ROI for their valued investors.
Most developers articulate that a ‘clean page’ is preferred when designing their vision of a future that sweeps away the old to make way for the new. However, now many local government urban planning departments are pressing developers to research other profitable alternatives. Some are refusing redevelopment approvals on buildings less than 10 years old (and sometimes older) due to community disruption, wastage in materials and energy, and in order to address the impact on the environment within the framework of today’s acute climate change.
Therefore, this is then challenging the notion that ‘new-is-best’ in today’s en-masse urban developments, as it can be viewed as creating a superficial community fiber and is not a sustainable practice in the long-term for the planet.
This realisation has slowly been building in momentum over the past decade globally. Re-use and refurbishment can be beneficial and profitable options by decreasing business down-time and increasing a building’s lifecycle and investment return. Most recently the concept is growing in awareness and acceptance in China.
Fit for Purpose
Not all old buildings can accommodate refurbishment and reuse. The overall building envelope needs to be compliant. Structural restrictions need to be considered. For example existing bearing walls might require weight redistribution through steel inserts for wall openings. Other factors to consider include air-conditioning and air flow evaluations, elevators and lift shafts, natural light and shadow tests and the original building materials’ chemical components.
Furthermore, and of paramount consideration for investors, is the urban and cultural considerations involved in the investment analysis. In particular, they look to whether the location supports that particular zoning re-use purpose for adequate financial return.
A feasibility study evaluates the overall adaptability to structural space planning and design to support the future business, inclusive of the overall assessment of the suitability in terms of zoning.
“Through the development of new sustainable building materials and technology, innovative prototype façade designs and a keen interest from the public and governments to retain existing buildings, we are increasingly being invited by investors to assess an existing building’s full potential and evaluate all options,” says Scott Whitaker, dwp’s executive director and founder. “It’s a win-win paradigm for the community, the investor and the planet- that we embrace as responsible design architects”.
Project: Plaza 353• Client: Gaw Capital
• Past Life: In 1994, Plaza 353 was listed as a Municipally Protected Building and was included in the list of historical heritage buildings to be preserved.
• Time Frame: Jan - Oct 07
• Size: 6,023 sqm with 40,000 sqm GFA.
• Cost: USD $43MM.
• Features:
- While restoring the external facade to its historical 1930s Art-Deco Style design, new delicate details were added to blend in with the original design to enhance the overall appearance.
- The spirit of conservation and eco friendliness carries through to the shopping environment which includes:
- Re-use of existing building structure and materials;
- Low energy fittings and equipment;
- Added insulation to external walls and double-glazed windows to cut down energy lost;
- Natural lighting through the glazed skylight;
- Water collection and storage system; - Careful selection of construction materials and fittings with low embodied energy and avoiding the use of non-renewable materials
- Carbon fiber strengthening was used to stabilise the timber foundations, while the classic deco façade was restored and the original internal columns and floor levels worked into the new design.
- Low ceilings in some areas – an historic legacy – have been overcome by implementing an open ceiling concept and creative themed leasing.
- Themed retail levels wrap around the central atrium and broadcasting studio and are naturally lit by the glass skylight.
- Art Deco patterns and motifs were used in the interior design of the mall but in a modern and often funky way to echo the heritage of the building while providing a sense of modernism.
- The building has been reinvigorated and has had a similar effect on the surrounding area in Nanjing Road.
Project: Hotel G• Client: Gaw Capital
• Designer: Mark Lintott
• Past life: 10-year-old office building with a foot-massage pallor and a Chinese restaurant
• Other pertinent facts:
- Size: The total site area of the project is 1,052 sqm and 9,998 sqm in GFA, with a renovation cost of around USD 14mil.
- This was a fast track project with the design process overlapping the building renovation and re-fit site work to meet the deadline of the Olympic opening.
- Exterior & Structure: The eyesore pastiche of badly assembled classical motifs and details typical of an 80’s/90’s Beijing spec building was removed to reveal a reinforced concrete stressed slab structure, which had its own elegant simplicity and resulted in clear spaces with a wide column grid and almost beam free ceilings.
- Rather than covering the building with signage in the normal local manner the building became a sign with each window housing its own individually controlled LED fitting. Presets in the fittings allow room guests to choose their own preferred color. Thus the exterior has an ever-changing, unique character.
- Interior: Operating with a now clean slate the interior design is rooted in the idea of a 60’s glamour; Hollywood.
- In rooms the concrete is left “as found” and lightly stenciled using an updated traditional Chinese motif.
- Cutting holes in the slab or cutting openings in any of the key shear walls was almost impossible without severely compromising the integrity of the structure. Therefore planning of the hotel rooms and public areas was done around the existing conditions.
Project: Hullett House• Client: Aqua Restaurant Group
• Designer: David Yeo
• Past life: Marine Police Headquarters
• Other pertinent facts: The restoration took 6 years and cost HK$1billion
• Features:
- As it was formerly a government building with significant historical background, renovation became highly sensitive, especially with any potential challenges from the local authorities.
- Old trees growing in the grounds had to be preserved causing some public controversy as to the methods for root preservation during the construction process.
- Like many re-use buildings the interiors were inspired by the building’s past. Each of the guest rooms has its own unique style from the detailed silk painting in the chinoiserie style bouidoir through to the crisp black and while lines of the art deco suite.
- Despite its location in the hive of Tsim Sha Tsui the thick colonial walls of this ex-police station mean that inside, and especially in the interior courtyard leading to the kitchens, visitors could imagine being back 100 years or even a much earlier period of Chinese history.
