By 2050, as much as 80% of the buildings standing today will still be with us. But “still standing” isn’t the same as “still relevant.” The real question is: how many of those buildings will still work economically, environmentally and socially?
Across the industry, building owners are wrestling with the same challenge: how do you ensure existing assets remain future ready? What kinds of transformations create lasting value instead of short-term fixes?
The good news is that even underperforming or underutilized buildings hold untapped potential. With the right interventions — reimagining a building’s purpose, strengthening its structure or upgrading its envelope — existing spaces can be adapted to meet today’s demands while becoming more resilient for decades to come.
In this episode of Enduring Places, our conversation series on creating more resilient built environments, experts in adaptive reuse, seismic upgrades and enclosure engineering explore how strategic reinvention can extend a building’s life. They share practical insights on how rethinking and repurposing what’s already there can unlock resilience, including:
- Trends in building conversions, from office to residential and beyond (1:10)
- The two types of seismic retrofits that can reduce risk and increase long-term value (5:05)
- How enclosure upgrades at any scale can increase building longevity — and the important first step (8:56)
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Watch the full conversation in the video.
