Can This Building Be Saved?

It’s a question that’s increasingly being asked on campuses, as the desire to use existing buildings effectively is strong. After all, it avoiding new construction usually saves money and is the greener thing to do. And often an aging building can work for today’s changing needs.

From Treanor Architects' Student Life division, here are five important considerations for campus officials to explore before green-lighting the next renovation project:

1. Programming. Is this building design truly capable of serving the desired programming and occupancy, now and into the future? Once it’s renovated, will the new building be flexible enough to be redesigned to meet new program needs 40 or 50 years down the road?

2. Partial salvage. Is this building structurally sound enough to last? Are there significant structural or space limitations? Would it make more sense to tear it down and salvage building materials for new construction? At Ohio State University, for example, Habitat for Humanity was called in to deconstruct the existing student union and materials were salvaged for the charity’s projects as well as for use in the new Ohio Union.

3. Hazardous materials. What’s hiding under the walls in this building? In many older facilities, removal of asbestos, lead and other hazardous materials adds cost and time to the project. A conservative estimate of these costs must weigh into decision making. This is not the place to underestimate.

4. Balancing occupancy with schedule. Is it feasible to work on the building while it’s occupied? How quickly will the campus need to bring the facility on-line? And how will users of the building be accommodated in the event that the building needs to be emptied? What costs will this add to the project?

5. The 70% rule.  Is it going to cost less than 70% of the cost of new construction to renovate this building? If not, think twice. For example, at the University of Iowa, converting a campus hotel into student housing meant addressing moisture issues, replacing HVAC systems, adding insulation and other high-cost infrastructure and building envelope measures. Yet at 50% the cost of a brand new residence hall, the renovation, which will also provide students with desirable private bathrooms, is a wise expenditure.

What was the best decision for an older building on your campus - renovate or build anew?