Stories
Erin Alley joins a SPUR panel of industry experts Daniel Glaessl; Nabr, David Kaneda; IDeAs Consulting, and Woody Hanson; SITELAB Urban Studio to discuss radically innovative buildings and how they might serve as the foundation of tomorrow’s neighborhoods. Buildings are typically designed for a single-use: offices are offices, restaurants are restaurants and houses are houses. But what happens to any of these building types when not in use? They often lie fallow, becoming not only an inefficient use of space but reducing the vibrancy and overall health of their surrounding communities, as well. Mixed-use buildings, which combine multiple complementary uses under one roof, are one solution to this challenge, but is there a way to take the concept even further and move to the idea of rotational uses? Could we design proactively so as to reduce commercial vacancies, lower housing costs, improve inclusion and address the impacts of climate change? Proponents of “all-use buildings” argue that it’s possible and that designing for ultimate flexibility of use is critical if we want to build truly sustainable, equitable, elastic, and economically-strong communities.