The project ‘Existing buildings as a resource // Climate and resource-efficient third-party use of large-scale retail properties from the 1950s to 1970s’ deals with the transformation of retail buildings and structures that are no longer required. The aim of the inter- and transdisciplinary research project is to bring together urban planning and functional issues of change of use with ecological and technical issues of resource-efficient property conversion.

Duration: 10/2022-09/2025

Initial situation

The transformation of the existing building stock is more important than ever in view of climate change, the energy crisis and dwindling resources. At the same time, many buildings that have lost their function and whose design and space no longer correspond to the current zeitgeist are repeatedly demolished in order to free up the land for new uses. The ongoing cycle of demolition and new construction is not sustainable in view of the architectural and building culture potential of the existing buildings and the grey energy they contain. For climate-friendly urban development, research and practice must increasingly find innovative methods and instruments for planning and building in existing buildings.

The retreat of bricks-and-mortar retailers from the city centre and the ongoing crisis in department stores mean that further shop closures can be expected in the foreseeable future. At the same time, there is potential for the energy- and resource-efficient conversion of retail buildings and structures that have lost their function and their adaptation to a changed inner-city utilisation structure.

Aim

The aim of the research project ‘Existing buildings as a resource’ is to convert large-scale retail properties from the 1950s to 1970s with a view to changing functional and aesthetic requirements.

The project focuses on urban planning and functional questions of conversion in the context of the change of use in city centres, new forms of mixed use and ways of process design. In addition, technical aspects of resource-efficient conversion and balancing as well as economic aspects of project development will be addressed. Among other things, the following questions will be addressed:

• How can new forms of mixed use provide impetus for resilient city centre development?
• How can the existing architectural, architectural-cultural and ecological potential of former department stores be utilised for third-party use?
• How can potential savings from the refurbishment and conversion of large-scale retail properties over the extended life cycle contribute to achieving climate protection targets?
• What requirements arise from life cycle-oriented balance sheets and how can a comparison be made between demolition and new construction versus conversion?
• What challenges exist with regard to the economic viability of energy- and resource-efficient conversions?

Approach

Based on case studies, key structural, technical, economic and ecological parameters for the conversion are identified in close cooperation between scientific and practical partners and concepts and measures for the reorganisation and energy-efficient refurbishment of the properties are developed.
The central methodology for structuring the interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary work process is the design thinking approach.

Project partners in the research network

• Dortmund University, Research Group Urban and Regional Planning
• Ruhr Universität Bochum, AG Ressourceneffizientes Bauen
• Landmarken AG

Funding

The project is funded by The Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning on behalf of the The Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building with funds from the Zukunft Bau research programme.