Converting office space: Using modular prefab architecture to convert vacant office buildings.

Converting office space: Using modular prefab architecture to convert vacant office buildings.

Koornneef, F.P.

Nottrot, R.J. (mentor)
Remøy, H.T. (mentor)
Cuperus, Y.J. (mentor)

Architecture

Architecture

Explorelab

2012-04-13

Almost 7 million square meters of office space in The Netherlands is vacant today. Conversion into housing is an often named solution, but is hardly ever put into practice because of financial and technical difficulties (location aspects not taken into account). On the other hand, standardization in office design can be seen as an opportunity in making conversion on a large scale more viable: if office buildings are similar in construction, façade systems, dimensions and materialization, modular prefab architecture could offer a solution. If the office structure is considered as a support that needs a new (prefab) infill, this could contribute in making conversion projects time- and cost effective and therefore more feasible. This research aims to explore the difficulties and opportunities that are presented in the building characteristics of the vacant office stock of today, to help define a conversion concept. The result is the design of a prefabricated dwelling unit that has the potential to be deployed in ten percent of the current vacant office stock in The Netherlands. For the final design project, the conversion concept is applied in the redesign of a vacant office building in Rotterdam, Boompjes 60-68.

modular
prefab
architecture
support
infill
office vacancy
office architecture
conversion
explorelab
dwelling
unit

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:d9f3fac9-721d-46a2-8c29-939bf4c14fd0

2012-06-06

Student theses

master thesis

(c) 2012 Koornneef, F.P.