Sustainability through adaptive reuse the conversion of industrial buildings /

by Snyder, Gregory H.

As our society shifts from an economy based on industry to an economy based on information, many structures in the urban environment have become abandoned relics of a bygone era, while new facilities rise ever farther from the center city to replace them. Such structures are victims of a disposable society. The current practice of linear production, in which something is produced, used, and discarded is no longer viable. Reducing consumption, recycling, reusing what has been produced, and being more responsive to the environment form the basis of a new way of thinking. Existing and abandoned buildings represent a substantial resource. Through adaptive reuse, many buildings of the industrial era can be continued or brought back into use and contribute to a more sustainable development pattern. Energy embodied in these facilities can be utilized and built upon to rejuvenate not only the structure, but also the community and its users. Once a place of energy and pollution production, the DP & L Third Street Substation is such a facility. Located in an area of Dayton in the early stages of urban renewal, the site is able to build upon the momentum of what has been done around it and further strengthen the area. Through the juxtaposition in the built form of the past idea of industrial progress and the current idea of progress through the concept of sustainable design, its redevelopment as a sports training and rehabilitation center would serve as a both a reminder and as an example.