Edinburgh Castle in Scotland’s Capital. Image by 瑞丽江的河水, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Edinburgh, Scotland's capital, has long been recognized for its rich cultural history and intricate urban fabric. The city thrives within its museums, tenement housing, and shops nestled in Georgian buildings. In 2022, Time Out ranked Edinburgh as the world's best city, citing its efficiency across community building and urban systems such as public transport. However, as climate change makes its effects progressively visible at an urban level, the city inevitably runs into a pressing dilemma: how to sustain this quality of life in increasingly difficult conditions.
The journey toward this balance unfolds through several interconnected strategies, such as retrofitting, adaptive reuse, circular design, and community collaboration, each contributing to Edinburgh's evolving vision of a sustainable urban future.
As the late urban planner Jaime Lerner once argued, the future of architecture lies not in building new cities but in updating those that already exist. In a world where resources are finite and urban space is increasingly saturated, his statement feels more urgent than ever. It calls for architects to look inward, to rethink what truly needs to be built, and to recognize the creative potential of what is already there. Within the constraints of existing structures lies an opportunity to design differently: to repair, adapt, and reuse. Or, as French poet Louis Aragon would have it, to reinvent the past to see the beauty of the future.
This month, ArchDaily exploresBuilding Less: Rethink, Reuse, Renovate, Repurpose, a theme that examines the growing shift in architecture toward working with what already exists. As urban spaces grow denser and land becomes scarce, architects are rethinking the impulse to build anew. Instead, they are extending the life of existing structures, embracing retrofit and adaptive reuse as strategies for sustainability and creativity. The question guiding this exploration is simple, yet urgent: How can architecture redefine urban futures by building less?
Chicago Fire FC soccer stadium. Image Courtesy of Gensler
From Milan's Scalo Farini to downtown Chicago, and from the Tuscan countryside to the UK's retrofit initiatives, recent announcements demonstrate how architecture is evolving in response to climate goals, cultural identity, and urban transformation. Herzog & de Meuron's new headquarters for UniCredit will anchor one of Europe's largest redevelopment sites with a focus on sustainability and workplace innovation, while Gensler's stadium design for Chicago Fire FC aims to redefine the U.S. matchday experience as part of a major waterfront development. In Tuscany, Alvisi Kirimoto's Sapaio Pavilion merges agricultural production with architectural sensitivity, and in the UK, RIBA and The King's Foundation are advancing retrofit as a national agenda. Meanwhile, finalists including MVRDV, Heatherwick Studio, and Mecanoo are advancing in an international competition to create a climate landmark intended to inspire large-scale behavioral change. This edition of Architecture Now brings together diverse yet interconnected efforts to shape how architecture can support long-term ecological, cultural, and civic impact.
What does a change in use and/or scale in buildings imply? How can a church or chapel be transformed into a home? While the architecture of many contemporary sacred spaces shows a remarkable capacity for adaptation and evolution, the creative boundaries of many professionals extend beyond their conception as structures of spirituality or worship. Globally, the conversion of large churches and small chapels into private residences reveals a wide field for intervention and exploration, one that can preserve, restore, adapt, and/or renew the character of spaces originally conceived for other uses and scales, which for various reasons have been abandoned, become obsolete, or now require transformation.
The twentieth century marked a definitive shift in the realm of architecture, as the Modernist movement broke from traditional building styles and encouraged experimentation and innovation. With the help of new materials and technologies, these times represent a crucial moment in the history of architecture as both cities and building styles evolved at an unprecedented rate. The structures that stand testament to this day are, however, nearing the age of a hundred years old. Their stark design features are not always embraced by the public, while the functionalist principles often hinder the adaptability of their interior spaces. Given that they also often occupy central positions within the city, there is increasing pressure to demolish these structures and redevelop the area in its entirety.
Retrofit has become a key practice in contemporary architecture, standing out for its ability to revitalize existing buildings without the need for demolition while offering significant economic and social benefits. This approach is gaining ground in the architectural field, driven by iconic projects and public and private initiatives.
The continuation of remote work practices has altered cities' bustling downtown areas along with the traditional office landscape, leaving behind many vacant spaces whose future purpose is a matter of speculation. Four years after the onset of hybrid working policies, office occupancy rates in urban centers remain lower than pre-pandemic levels, signaling a long-term shift in the work environment. Some developers have aimed to reposition these buildings while other are seeking alternative uses of vacant buildings in central location. While both approaches prove beneficial in their own ways, the potential for repurposing office buildings is vast and exciting. From residential living to cutting-edge research facilities, architects and developers explore diverse possibilities and challenges of transforming these underutilized structures into thriving new spaces.
Evolving urban conditions call for an evolving builtscape, and retrofits have been a key mechanism to allow buildings to adapt and respond to new needs. Amidst global environmental concerns, climate retrofits have become a popular strategy to upgrade buildings based on improved operational efficiency. Global decarbonization plans have even called for city-wide retrofits, such as in the case of London, to meet civic goals. While such upgrades significantly reduce energy consumption, they often come with a hidden cost - embodied carbon in retrofit materials and the potential for future waste.
Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) has just begun renovating the iconic Schuylkill Tower in Monaco. Originally built in 1963, the tower currently stands tall as Monaco’s first-ever high-rise. ZHA conducted a feasibility study evaluating its development prospects and the scope of necessary renovations. This led to ZHA’s collaboration with local firm Square Architecte to revitalize and expand the iconic structure, set to be completed in May 2027.
São Paulo. Image by joao batista Shimoto licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Considered the fifth most populous city in the world as of 2022, São Paulo is confronted with a multitude of challenges befitting its over 22 million inhabitants. Among the numerous urban issues faced, the depopulation of the city's historic center has been a recurring topic for at least four decades, with governments announcing measures that could potentially reverse the situation. In the meantime, the same center has witnessed a rise in housing occupations in abandoned buildings, highlighting the importance of its redefinition and residential potential.
MVRDV has just released a new design study exploring how co-living can help shape the future of housing. Created in collaboration with developer HUB and sustainable investor Bridges Fund Management, the study introduces a comprehensive study exploring diverse typologies, aiming to revolutionize communal living and vibrant neighborhoods. It addresses modern housing needs, including flexibility, sustainability, and community, while tackling climate crisis and affordability issues. The endeavor offers tailored solutions for various co-living projects, catering to many demographics and lifestyles.
The sun’s influence on human life encompasses multiple dimensions, from biological and developmental aspects to religious-mythological connotations in civilizations such as the Egyptians and Romans. Moreover, this influence extends to its use as a natural resource within the realm of science. In scientific pursuits, the continuous search to harness the sun as an energy source has been a constant throughout the years. Within this context, the discovery of the photovoltaic effect and its application have paved the way in the history of solar panels, starting from the first observations of Becquerel to the initial prototypes of Charles Fritts in the 19th century.
Nowadays, the energy obtained from the sun through devices such as solar panels has become one of the most widely used sources in regions like North America and Europe, contributing to the efforts for a complete transition to clean energy. The momentum in this transition has motivated the development of new technologies, such as SolarLab facade systems, that challenge the preconceived idea of what a solar panel looks like and where it can be installed. These systems converge with architecture to integrate them as aesthetic elements, serving as cladding for both retrofit projects and new buildings.
https://www.archdaily.com/1011349/from-new-buildings-to-retrofit-projects-solar-facade-systems-for-a-circular-and-low-carbon-architectureEnrique Tovar
Architecture is a continually evolving form of human expression influenced by cultural and contextual factors. While many of the problems we face today aren't directly linked to architecture, it has the ability to provide or facilitate solutions to these challenges. This has been evident throughout history, as societal issues have played a significant role in shaping our built environments. For instance, during the Victorian era, the infamous "Great Stink" led to the modernization of London's drainage system and urban layout. Similarly, the 2008 recession gave rise to the sharing economy and coworking spaces. Nowadays, the climate crisis is transforming the way we conceive architecture, seeking to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings and cities to achieve the Paris Agreement objectives. Given this backdrop, what challenges should we expect in the future?
https://www.archdaily.com/1000810/energetic-retrofitting-a-solution-for-environmental-obsolescence-in-architectureEnrique Tovar
Refurbishment and adaptive reuse have been at the forefront of architectural discourse in recent years. This demonstrates that the profession is becoming increasingly aware of its impact on the environment and the opportunities presented by reusing what has already been built. Architecture 2030 has recently launched CARE, or Carbon Avoided Retrofit Estimator, a new digital tool that enables designers, owners, and communities to quantify the carbon benefits of adaptive reuse. By entering a streamlined set of project information, such as energy targets and potential building interventions, users can quickly estimate both operational carbon emissions generated by the use of the building and embodied carbon emissions, which are tied to the building materials employed.
The former Berlin-Tegel Airport is set to be redeveloped. The master plan includes the Schumacher Quartier, a new residential district with 200 hectares of landscaped area, and a research and industrial park for urban technologies, Berlin TXL – the Urban Tech Republic. Besides creating a space for industry, business, and science, the innovation park aims to research and test urban technologies. The park will focus on major themes in the development of cities: the efficient use of energy, sustainable construction, eco-friendly mobility, recycling, networked control of systems, clean water, and the application of new materials.
The jury's verdict for the competition for the new Museum of Fine Arts in the city of Vannes, Brittany, France, was recently revealed, and the winner of the first prize was the renowned Nieto Sobejano studio (based in Madrid and Berlin), with French architect Richard Faure as associate.
