Lucca Fischer
Heritage & Architecture, Vacant Heritage
Architectural Young Classics: A sustainable reuse strategy for administrative office buildings of the 1970s and 1980s
Office architecture of the 1970s and 80s makes up almost 30% of Dutch office building stock.[1] Most buildings require major renovation and often do not correspond to today’s aesthetic perception. Particularly because of population growth and changing work modes, the function of these buildings must be adapted to today's needs and technological standards. To prevent the destruction of potential heritage, this master project collects characteristics of this period with a focus on those that lend themselves to a particularly sustainable strategy. As the study shows, the sustainability movement of the 1970s left its mark on the design methods of the time and can be advantageous for adaptive re-design. One of three conversion strategies is applied to the police station in Eindhoven. Furthermore, aspects with a particular sustainability perspective are incorporated in an extension that integrates the building into a modern urban context.