Approaches Services Related Projects Thought Leadership Meet the Team

Adaptive Reuse

How Buildings and Cities Learn

Through our adaptive reuse projects WSP works with clients to reimagine the built environment and address the climate crisis by reducing carbon throughout the project lifecycle. Our approach to the process of constant change in our built environment is informed by the integrated expertise of our full-spectrum consulting and engineering services. We are thought leaders and subject matter experts for our clients, working at all levels of the dynamic built systems that compose our evolving communities. We see the adaptive reuse of existing buildings and infrastructure as a fundamental strategy in meeting the pressing needs of today while looking ahead to help prepare our clients to be Future Ready® and anticipate the changes right around the corner. With the immediate pressures of changing markets, new technologies and the ever-evolving patterns of working and living, adaptive reuse provides a way of working in concert with existing structures to reframe outmoded programs and meet new challenges through positive transformation.

Buildings can be like complex, living organisms. Taking a holistic approach to the design and implementation of a retrofit that factors in all environmental considerations gives us the best chance of achieving net zero carbon.

Rethink Retrofit Report

Rethink Retrofit Report

Other challenges that we have overcome

Honolulu, USA

NOAA Inouye Regional Research Center

The new NOAA Daniel K. Inouye Regional Research Center was dedicated in December 2013. It showcases sustainable adaptive reuse of two historic, World War II-era hangars directly involved in the 1941 attacks on Pearl Harbor.

Stamford, Connecticut, USA

Chelsea Piers Connecticut

Chelsea Piers Connecticut is a 400,000-square-foot sports, entertainment and educational facility. The project repurposed the existing old Clairol factory building, which was set to be demolished.

New York, USA

Hearst Tower, New York

The Hearst Tower rises from the hollowed out core of an existing six-story art deco landmark building in Manhattan.

Brooklyn, New York, USA

Domino Sugar Redevelopment Master Plan

Built in 1856, the Domino Sugar Refinery has dominated the waterfront of Williamsburg, Brooklyn for over 150 years. After the facility closed in 2004, the city seized the opportunity to redevelop the area for housing. WSP USA provided built ecology services for developer Two Trees’ masterplan, which was approved by the city in 2014.

New York, USA

Moynihan Train Hall

WSP USA worked with Empire State Development and numerous other stakeholders in the Penn Station vicinity to advance the Moynihan Train Hall.

Thought Leadership

Hudson Commons

The vision of constructing a 17-story skyscraper on top of an existing office building is nearly a reality, thanks in part to WSP USA’s innovative approach to retrofitting the building’s core.

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Five Thoughts on Flexible Buildings

"When I think about flexible buildings, I think of buildings that can be easily repurposed and used for something else." - Maria Brogren, Sustainability & Innovation Lead, WSP Sweden

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Delivering New Life to Old Chicago Post Office

Two decades after permanently closing its doors, the first occupants are ready to move into the revamped Chicago landmark.

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The Future Ready Commuter Car Park

How do we repurpose and future-proof parking structures as fewer commuters drive to our cities, and how do we prepare new developments to accommodate a conversion in the years to come?

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img-blank-canvas-recyclable-building-robot-hand

Blank Canvas = Totally Recyclable Building

One problem, three engineers, no constraint.

Rethink Retrofit

Did you know that in the UK, over 40% of carbon emissions are a result of the built environment?

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Zen and the Art of Building Maintenance

The Buddha and 18th-century Scottish philosopher David Hume might not be the first people you’d turn to for advice on building design.

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Meet the Team

WSP has worked on thousands of adaptive reuse projects in the US and around the world. Our Adaptive Reuse team members are part of WSP’s global network of subject matter experts working on all aspects of adaptive reuse projects while contributing to the leading edges of their service specialties. Our team is driven by desire to help our buildings and cities “learn,” to better meet the needs of our communities and reduce carbon emissions throughout the process.