Sustainability and office to residential conversions in Sydney

Sustainability and office to residential conversions in Sydney

Wilkinson, S.J.
Remøy, H.T.

Architecture and The Built Environment

Real Estate & Housing

2015-12-31

The built environment contributes 40% to total global greenhouse gas emissions and 87% of the buildings we will have in 2050 are already built. It follows, if predicted climate changes are correct, we need to adapt existing stock sustainably. In city centres outside Australia there is a history of office to residential conversions. These types of conversions are few in number in Sydney although evidence suggests a trend is emerging in conversion adaptations. In 2014 102,000m2 of office space was earmarked for residential conversion in Sydney as demand for central residential property grows and low interest rates create good conditions. Linked to this, the CBD population is projected to increase by 4% to 2031 requiring 45000 new homes and, this increase coincides with a stock of ageing offices. A further factor is the Sydney office market is set to be flooded with the Barangaroo development office supply in 2017; thus conditions for residential conversion are better than ever. However; what is the level of sustainability in these projects? And, are stakeholders cognisant of the sustainability issues in these projects? Through a series of interviews with key stakeholders, this paper investigates the nature and extent of the phenomena in Sydney, as well as the political, economic, social, environmental and technological drivers and barriers to successful conversion. To date no major study exists on conversion adaptation in Sydney and most residential development is new build. There is substantial potential to change the nature of the CBD and enhance sustainability with the residential conversion adaptation of office space and this paper explores this potential. The findings show that opportunities are being overlooked to appreciate and acknowledge the sustainability of this type of adaptation and that there is a need for a rating tool to encourage greater levels of sustainability; and to acknowledge existing levels of sustainability achieved in these projects.

residential conversion adaptation
sustainability
Sydney

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:268822bb-399a-4ca7-a181-2894d62569da

ZEMCH Network

Proceedings international conference zero energy mass custom home (ZEMCH), 21-25 September 2015, Bari, Lecce, Italy

Institutional Repository

conference paper

(c) 2015 Wilkinson, S.J.
Remøy, H.T.