Unusually Usual?: Adaptive Reuse & Living Spaces Design
Keywords: Unusual memories, Hospitality, Adapted & Reused, Space, Experience, Perception
Abstract: Spaces that have a distinctive design and function also have a distinctive memory. They embrace past associations, memories, function and environments which give them a strong sense of meaning.These memories play a very important role in associating the space with the people. These memories could be evaluated as negative or positive in nature depending on the course of events the space lives through, but none the less they establish a connection both physical and emotional. It is interesting to evaluate and explore this meaning and association with the space and further relate it to adaptive reuse. Adaptive reuse aims at the re-establishment of old spaces into new zones of active use. It essentially focuses on giving new meaning to old stories by preserving them and giving them new life today.
We can adapt a space but can we adapt a memory? Spaces with unusual pasts which are adapted today as living spaces will be studied to further understand this transition of space and memory. What is the meaning of an unusual space and how it can be transformed to a usual function will be the main area of focus. A cross link with the hospitality industry and living spaces with further help highlight the bridge between the unusually usual.
Case Studies:
- The Liberty Hotel, Boston
- The Waterhouse at South Bund- Shanghai
- The Iron horse hotel- Milwaukee
- (Undecided)
by Shivani Bhalla
Principle of Adaptive Reuse 