ADAPTIVE REUSE: BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO OLD BUILDINGS
New construction today comes at enormous environmental costs, especially considering there’s enough vacant building stock in our country in perfectly sound condition. Building new buildings also means usurping more land, which can lead to unprecedented and oftenunchecked encroachment on farmlands and forests.Adaptive reuse is an excellent solution to curb urban sprawl and reduce our impact on the environment. It refers to the revamping or repurposing of an existing structure for a new, often contemporary, use.
A few examples of adaptive reuse are reimagining a haveli as an office or a former royal palace as a luxury hotel. Adaptive reuse requires a nuanced understanding. It is crucial to have a requisite sensitivity towards the existing structure, its former functions and design characteristics. It primarily involves respecting and retaining the existing identity of the built space whilst sensitively adding or subtracting elements to welcome a new purpose.
Adaptive reuse also means reduced consumption of materials and resources, which lowers construction-related pollution and waste. Under most circumstances, such interventions are cost-effective as compared to new builds. Furthermore, it is one of the best ways to preserve heritage, and when such buildings or monuments are creatively reused, there is an added incentive for their upkeep and maintenance.Lastly, adaptive reuse projects are popular with the general public as they enjoy the historical aspect attached to the building; it is truly a celebration of a vintage era in the most contemporary way. It's a win-win for everyone.The relevance and advantages of adaptive reuse cannot be understated.
One of the foremost reasons adaptive reuse is so relevant today is that it is one of the best ways to preserve built heritage, and this often finds strong relevance in places with numerous historical monuments.At IDEAS, we have worked on several adaptive reuse projects that involved restoring historic palaces into heritage hotels. Some of our significant projects in this domain include the Taj Sawai Man Mahal, the Jai Mahal Palace, and the Rambagh Palace.Situated within the Rambagh Palace compound, we transformed a former convention centre into a luxurious hotel featuring 51 expansive rooms, each opening onto private courtyards.
We used local materials to celebrate the spirit of Rajputana hospitality and architectural character.Traditional crafts and techniques such as Araish(a traditional lime plastering technique) and Thikri mirror work were incorporated throughout the spaces. The corridors and pathways feature Yellow Jaisalmer sandstone, Ambaji White marble, and Red Mandana stone from Jodhpur. Finishing touches incorporate shades inspired by the colours of Jaipur.At IDEAS, our design portfolio spans multiple typologies, including shopping centres,institutional buildings, mixed-use developments,and residential townships. However, adaptivereuse projects truly give us an opportunity to explore the histories of existing spaces and make them relevant for posterity.