Architects can attempt adaptive reuse of materials to make their projects resource- and cost-efficient, and resilient to climate change.
Hitesh Modi - Architect
Responsible choices and informed decisions during building design can significantly reduce material and construction waste. By applying sustainable design principles, architects can create buildings that minimize the use of resources, energy and materials. Incorporating flexibility and modularity into the layout, structure, and services, allows spaces to be easily reconfigured, upgraded, or reused over time.
Our designs are energy-efficient, reducing the need for frequent renovations and minimizing long-term construction waste. We choose sustainable materials that can be recycled, renewed, and are locally sourced. We minimize material wastage by adhering to standard dimensions and planning structural elements, such as beams and columns, that can be reused in future designs.
In an adaptive re-use project, we decided to retain the ground and first floor of the south-facing house. During renovation, the RCC slabs and structure were kept intact, while the façade and side elevation underwent some changes in the masonry for the facelift of the exterior built mass. The form was designed with a buffer screen in the south, with planters and green elements blocking the direct heat from entering the inner walls and keeping visual connectivity intact.
The flooring of River Wash Kotah from the old home was reused in the form of terrazzo in the gazebo flooring, and the ceiling bricks were extended from the exterior to interior spaces. Interior elements like the wooden furniture, kota stone, salvageable switchboards and electrical wiring, and kitchen cabinetry were reused and recycled. Some of the old walls and slabs were retained while a few were removed to accommodate the new design and layout. The result was a composite structure that retained the old load bearing walls with the addition of a new partial frame structure to distribute the load.
