Office to Residential Conversions: Planning from Experience

Adaptive reuse of existing buildings is one of our best options to increase sustainability and resiliency in the built environment. And, in recent years, economic and social shifts have made these conversions more financially attractive. Hybrid work arrangements have left office buildings underoccupied or completely vacant. At the same time, demand has increased for urban living spaces with easy access to public amenities. Converting commercial buildings to residential space is a viable solution for both problems. 

In this webinar, WJE civil engineer Anthony Dukes, structural engineer Christine Freisinger, and fire protection engineer Nicholas Ozog discuss common elements of office-to-residential conversions, including often-overlooked structural impacts, fire protection and life safety requirements, and building enclosure improvements that are important to any adaptive reuse project that results in a change of occupancy. This webinar will help property owners, developers, architects, contractors, and building officials navigate the complexities of these conversions. 

 By the end of the webinar, you will be able to:

• Identify design changes that may result in structural building modifications
• Describe how fire protection safety requirements change from office use to residential use
• Recognize building enclosure improvements to consider during adaptive reuse
• Explain the need for an integrated, multidisciplinary planning approach to the basic adaptive reuse principles that apply to office to residential conversions

more to learn

View this webinar in our interactive audience console to earn 1 AIA HSW learning unit, access related resources, submit questions to the presenters, and download a certificate of completion.