Industrial Heritage: Sustainable Adaptive Reuse

The adaptive reuse of abandoned industrial heritage plays a strategic role that not only affects buildings but can also stimulate a renewal process in large urban areas. The typical decay of many suburbs, which experienced a great development in the period of the Industrial Revolution, has become a predominantly social problem. Different types of reuse have different impacts on industrial heritage. The new uses and the scale of change required must be compatible with and appropriate to the historic significance of the site. The renovation of former industrial buildings, while respecting and preserving the cultural heritage, must not ignore the aspects of energy saving and comfort that are necessary today. The examples presented in this chapter illustrate some interesting renovation approaches that also address complex challenges from a sustainability perspective.