Verena Waidmann & Lukas Gstöttner | bonpart design studio
The revitalisation and adaptation of existing buildings is, thankfully,
becoming increasingly relevant. Thinking about one of the greatest
challenges of our age, these are really important steps towards
protecting resources and reducing soil sealing. Sadly, Austria still
ranks poorly against other EU countries when it comes to land use.
Depending on the construction method, condition and, of course,
energy efficiency, revitalisation might not make as much sense as an
eco-friendly new build – especially when thinking long-term. In each
case, it’s important to weigh the cultural value of an existing building
against the qualities you can achieve in terms of natural light, indoor
climate and infrastructure – both environmentally and economically.
Liveable spaces are created, in particular, through the use of natural
materials, indoor greening and sophisticated concepts.
Univ.-Prof. Arch. mag. arch. Juri Troy | juri troy architects
I think in future, we’re definitely going to have to focus more on
converting existing buildings. The standard approach of first tearing
down existing structures without a second thought, only to then
devote enormous amounts of energy to creating new builds which
are equally inflexible and unable to adapt to change will cease to
be an option in the future. At least if we want to finally start taking
environmental targets seriously and reducing our use of resources.
Unfortunately, we are often confronted with very poor-quality buildings,
especially when it comes to late 20th-century constructions.
Analysing these misadventures in construction can allow us to draw
the best conclusions in terms of what is actually sustainable. As
with any other part of the building process, the key in future will be
emphasising a holistic approach to architecture.