Adaptive Reuse: Transforming Communities and Meeting Housing Demand
As cities and towns nationwide navigate post-pandemic recovery, policymakers and housing developers are shifting their focus toward strengthening and enhancing local economies. This offers a promising opportunity for adaptive reuse — also known as office-to-residential conversions — of commercial buildings, driven by evolving work dynamics and the underutilization of older properties.
Originating from historic preservation, adaptive reuse has evolved into a strategy to meet contemporary demands and address the high demand for housing while invigorating local economies. However, such projects are not without challenges, including financial and regulatory hurdles. NAHB’s new Adaptive Reuse Guide dives into the factors influencing adaptive reuse, and offers insights and examples to strengthen local economies and foster vibrant downtowns.
The guide puts adaptive reuse into a national context as a response to evolving trends in both office and residential real estate markets. This shift is driven by a combination of governmental emphasis on sustainable communities and owners' desires to maximize their assets, as reflected in rising office vacancy rates alongside stable residential vacancies.
The guide lists regulatory and design considerations for adaptive reuse projects, including necessary zoning changes and building form to allow for these complex projects. Home builders can find the potential benefits to engage with local policymakers who wish to promote vibrant, healthy communities. The guide also provides a variety of tax, funding and process tools that can aid in conversion projects, along with two case studies of successful projects.
NAHB’s new Adaptive Reuse Guide serves as the newest tool in the Land Use 101 toolkit for builders, developers and policy makers navigating the complexities of housing development and affordability.
Latest from NAHBNow
Apr 24, 2025
Expand Your Business with Aging-in-Place Marketing and Design ToolsAmericans are living longer and more active lives resulting in a need to change the way we design homes for long-term family sustainability. Numerous products and services are reinventing themselves for the latest wave of baby boomer retirees, and chief among them is NAHB’s CAPS (Certified Aging-in-Place) construction credential.
Apr 24, 2025
Fall Protection in Focus During Nationwide Stand-DownOSHA’s annual National Safety Stand-Down to prevent falls in construction begins Monday, May 5. Use valuable resources from OSHA and NAHB to educate workers on fall risks and help avoid preventable injuries.
Latest Economic News
Apr 23, 2025
New Home Sales Rise in MarchA modest decline in mortgage rates and lean existing inventory helped boost new home sales in March even as builders and consumers contend with uncertain market conditions.
Apr 22, 2025
The Power of Women in the WorkforceOver the past 125 years, women have played a crucial and multifaceted role in the labor force. Increasing women’s participation in the workforce is not only essential for individual and family well-being, but also contributes significantly to overall labor force participation rates and economic growth by adding more workers and enhancing overall productivity.
Apr 21, 2025
Who Influences the Purchasing of Building Products?In a previous post, NAHB analyzed where builders and remodelers purchased products, regardless of who ultimately purchases them (themselves or subcontractors). In this post, the question shifts to who is most often responsible for the choice of particular products.