The California Building Standards Commission recently voted to make it easier to convert commercial properties to residential use.
The commission adopted provisions of the International Existing Building Code (IEBC) that allow developers more flexibility for adaptive reuse of retail and office structures. Such projects can reduce the carbon footprint of construction, while also helping revitalize communities, according to an AIA California news release.
The potential for commercial-to-residential conversions to create new housing is enormous, the release says. AIA cited a recent RAND Corporation report that found some 2300 underutilized commercial properties in Los Angeles County alone could produce 72,000 to 113,000 housing units.
The International Existing Building Code provides three options for conversions, known as compliance paths: Prescriptive; Work Area; and Performance. All three paths lead to safe, code-compliant buildings, but their differences allow design professionals significant latitude to find a code path best suited for a particular building. Prior to the changes, the California code included only the Prescriptive path, limiting potential for adaptive reuse.
Related Stories
Adaptive Reuse | Jun 2, 2021
An old Ford factory in Pittsburgh is being adapted to become a biomedical research facility
This is the latest step in the city’s post-industrial resurgence.
Adaptive Reuse | Apr 15, 2021
The Weekly Show, Apr 15, 2021: The ins and outs of adaptive reuse, and sensors for real-time construction monitoring
This week on The Weekly show, BD+C editors speak with AEC industry leaders from PBDW Architects and Wohlsen Construction about what makes adaptive reuse projects successful, and sensors for real-time monitoring of concrete construction.
Adaptive Reuse | Feb 24, 2021
Adaptive reuse project brings co-living space to Los Angeles’s Hancock Park
Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects is designing the project.
Adaptive Reuse | Feb 14, 2021
Three adaptive reuse projects will add housing in Wisconsin
Historic tax credits helped pave the way, but preservation required creative solutions.
Multifamily Housing | Jan 20, 2021
Abandoned Miami hospital gets third life as waterfront condo development
The 1920s King Cole Hotel becomes the Ritz-Carlton Residences Miami in the largest residential adaptive reuse project in South Florida.
Adaptive Reuse | Dec 17, 2020
A train engine repair building is turned into an innovation center that’s part of a massive riverfront redevelopment in Pittsburgh
The adaptive reuse of the Roundhouse is the latest step forward for Hazelwood Green.
Adaptive Reuse | Oct 26, 2020
Mall property redevelopments could result in dramatic property value drops
Retail conversions to fulfillment centers, apartments, schools, or medical offices could cut values 60% to 90%.
Adaptive Reuse | Oct 22, 2020
A Los Angeles design firm reimagines urban workplaces, multifamily buildings, and warehouses
Omgivning conjures varieties of adaptive-reuse concepts.
Adaptive Reuse | Jul 29, 2020
Two Indianapolis schools find new digs in a long-dormant factory
Adaptive reuse preserved many of the building’s original features.
Coronavirus | May 18, 2020
Will empty hotels provide an answer for affordable housing shortage?
A Los Angeles-based startup sees the Midwest as most fertile for adaptive reuse.
