K-12 Education & Adaptation
In the wake of the 2008 recession, spending on education construction has dwindled. The Washington, D.C.-based American Institute of Architects projects spending for education projects will increase by only 1 percent in 2013. A study by School Planning & Management magazine states total 2012 K-12 construction dollars could be as low as half of what they were in the years before the recession (average of $20 billion).
Schools facing overcrowding or severely dilapidated structures can look to adaptive reuse as an affordable alternative to meeting their needs. Columbus, Ohio-based Haugland Learning Center serves students with autism spectrum disorders and other learning disabilities. During a 10-year span, Haugland Learning Center’s enrollment has grown from 12 to 250.
When it made plans to move its flagship location, the center weighed the benefits of building a new facility versus repurposing a fitness center. By choosing the latter, Haugland Learning Center achieved an 85 percent construction-cost reduction, attained 10,000 extra square feet and obtained a lap pool that would not have been possible by building new. Indirectly, the organization also reduced carbon emissions, pollution and the drain of natural resources associated with large quantities of new materials for new construction.
“Among public districts, the desire to build to support curricular enhancements has not gone away,” says Jason Lembke, director of K-12 education at Legat Architects. “However, with the current state of the economy, school districts are reluctant to ask their communities for more money due to the potential backlash of citizens who feel it in their own pocketbooks.”
Conversion in Higher Education
According to College Planning & Management magazine, spending on higher education construction peaked in 2006 with $15 billion. It declined to $10.7 billion in 2009. During the last two years, it rose slightly to $11 billion with 14 percent of that applied to “retrofits.”
As enrollment grows during recession, many colleges and universities explore ways to reduce operations and construction costs. On the facilities side, adaptive reuse has emerged as a logical solution. Loyola University, Chicago, converted several decrepit rental buildings into attractive student housing that sets a new standard for sustainable urban living. Close to Lake Michigan, Lake Shore Drive and several “L” train stations, the revitalized buildings have improved the neighborhood and helped reduce the cost of campus expansion.
Community colleges, under constant scrutiny by the taxpaying public, are particularly adept at repurposing. Many are embracing adaptive reuse to develop satellite facilities in underserved areas. Palos Hills, Ill.-based Moraine Valley Community College, for example, transformed an office building into its Blue Island Education
Center. To reduce costs, speed construction and achieve sustainability goals, several elements of the existing space were salvaged: doors and frames, light fixtures and mechanical systems.
Several years ago, the College of Lake County purchased a Waukegan, Ill., facility built in the 1920s as a department store. The repurposed facility enabled the college to launch its Lakeshore Campus. Recently,
the college announced plans to repurpose an entire block to expand that satellite campus with the intent to revitalize downtown Waukegan.
Key to a Healthy Recovery
Excepting One World Trade Center, it may be awhile before a structure as ambitious as the Chicago Spire rises on American soil. However, the construction outlook appears to be brightening: The American Institute of Architects’ most recent Consensus Construction Forecast projects a 6.2 percent increase in nonresidential construction in 2013. That same report calls for a 10.2 percent increase in commercial/industrial construction, an 18.2 percent increase in hotel construction and a 9 percent increase in retail construction.
There is no doubt adaptive reuse will play a significant role as the nation continues to disengage from its economic troubles. As a more sustainable alternative to growth and suburban sprawl, the repurposing and reuse of existing urban areas will help our nation reduce its energy use, curb carbon emissions and rediscover the benefits of public transportation.
Whether those considering a new location are major educational institutions, corporations or small retailers, their decisions will be driven by affordability and sustainability. Many of them may be surprised to discover that their “new location” is already built.