283757893275

Building Obsolescence and Revitalisation 549
❏
maintain, repair and upgrade the building will become economically unviable based
on future predictions of income. This is known as economic obsolescence. For example,
with rising energy costs it may become economically unfeasible to sufficiently upgrade
the thermal insulation of a building, with the cost of the work far outweighing any
future economic savings. At this point it is likely that tenants will move to buildings
that have better thermal performance and lower running costs, while owners will seek
to dispose of their asset or redevelop the site.
Sustainable obsolescence. As environmental legislation becomes ever more stringent
and awareness of sustainable issues becomes more widespread, it has started to alter
how we perceive our building stock. What was once a perfectly acceptable building
may start to be perceived by owners and tenants as no longer sustainable because it no
longer satisfies new performance criteria (e.g. carbon reduction targets). When it is
not physically possible, or economically viable, to upgrade the building to meet new
environmentally sustainable guidelines and legislation, then the building will be
deemed to have reached a state of sustainable obsolescence. This may result in tenants
moving to buildings that better suit their organisation’s environmentally sustainable
values, or alternatively it may lead to a programme of upgrading and retrofitting.
The focus of this chapter is on physical obsolescence and the technical interventions necessary
to return the building back to a functional state. In order to do this it is necessary to
understand the term ‘building pathology.’
Building pathology
The word pathology is used in medicine to describe the systematic study of diseases and
in the built environment to describe the under-performance of buildings, specifically the
way in which they respond to their physical environment and react to use over time.
Emphasis is on understanding the symptoms, causes and treatment of problem areas.
Attention could be on dealing with a specific problem, such as a leaking roof, or it could
be more encompassing by addressing building obsolescence and the potential for repair,
refurbishment and retrofitting, and bringing the building back to life. The implication is
that we need to give our buildings a regular ‘check-up’ to determine their condition (health)
and assess their suitability for their current, or intended, use. This necessitates careful
survey work to record the current physical condition of the fabric and an assessment of
the building’s current performance in use.
Research and recording
A full understanding of the building’s social and technical history is essential prior to carrying
out any interventions. When dealing with any aspect of an existing building, there
will undoubtedly be some challenges in accessing information about the building’s construction
and use; however, information can be collected from a wide variety of sources,
helping to provide some contextual data. Measured survey drawings, as-built drawings,
written descriptions, specifications and photographs will be useful. So too will local government
records for planning and building regulation control and other documentary sources
such as insurance records. In attempting to gather information about buildings it is essential
that the search is methodical and critical. All sources should be accurately recorded