By Janice Li
As the conversation around what to do with empty office space continues, how to actually accomplish this goal is being examined. Repurposing existing office buildings as housing resources has become a common theme for reviving downtown cores across the country, and there are opportunities to repurpose these buildings to create vibrant, thriving neighborhoods that contribute to the health and sustainability of our urban ecosystems – the overarching goal for many underutilized downtown areas. However, conversions are complex undertakings and many existing buildings that are being evaluated are older/dated and may not be good candidates. This article outlines what developers need to know and should consider to maximize an office-to-residential conversion project.
Set up for success
Where a building is located and its structural conditions are the foundational elements to ensure that it will thrive after the conversion. Access to existing infrastructure and resources is critical for creating an urban neighborhood where residents can meet the varied needs of their lives. Housing projects flourish best when surrounded by off-site amenities, such as restaurant and retail businesses, grocery stores, working spaces, libraries and other public services. While some of these areas are experiencing high vacancy rates at the moment, they are ripe with opportunities to create long-lasting impact. A building’s internal evaluation should begin with the floor plates, which shouldn’t be too long or too deep.
Recreational features go a long way to enhance value
Most office buildings are designed with a significant amount of open space and an elevator core in the middle of the floor. An elevator core that is too far away from the window presents the difficult challenge of incorporating natural light into the more central spaces. Unlike office layouts, residential dwellings are designed with windows in most rooms, including bedrooms, bathrooms, living spaces and kitchens.
Larger-than-normal units are a workable layout alternative, however, that route involves a steep sales price.
The property condition assessment report, standard due diligence with any potential real estate transaction, will reveal more about the building’s overall structural bones, including if the MEP (mechanical, engineering and plumbing) systems are compatible for residential conversion, and it also helps determine if other upgrades are needed to ensure building code compliance. If the list of required upgrades is extensive, the building may not be worth converting.
Diversifying the portfolio
A single-use residential conversion is easier than turning it into a mixed-use development, however, the end result is less impactful. Mixed-use buildings have the potential to infuse vibrancy into neighborhoods and foster healthier more sustainable ecosystems that elevate the community at large. Incorporating commercial spaces for retail, food and beverage (such as restaurants, bars or pop-ups) and service-provider establishments are opportunities for neighborhood activity to continue beyond the typical 9-5 hours and on weekends.
A building with existing occupants adds complexity and can be a logistics challenge during construction but can be executed with a well-considered plan. Different occupancies require different considerations and circulation, including separate elevator banks and distinct access points for safety. Relocation logistics also need to be evaluated for a smooth transition.
Most downtown cores are already set up to allow mixed-use development. When considering an office space located in a business-designated area, it’s important to check if the local building and zoning codes support residential conversion projects because it can be quite an uphill battle if the regulations are unfriendly.
Lifestyle amenities
Recreational features go a long way to enhance value, and many jurisdictions require that new residential developments provide recreational areas to meet residents’ wellness needs and to ease overburdening local parks and similar public resources. Office buildings, however, aren’t set up to provide recreational space, especially outdoors, so finding meaningful space that also meets relevant zoning requirements involves patience and creative problem-solving. The requirements around where recreational spaces can be located vary by jurisdiction. Some places require that these spaces can only be outdoors and on the ground floor while other, less-stringent jurisdictions allow for them to be designed in the form of an indoor gym. More often than not, they are set outdoors and on the ground floor or on a rooftop.
Pet-friendly amenities and services are attractive ways to lure residents into downtown areas.
Millions of Americans adopted pets during the pandemic, fueling new pet-centric trends among urban apartment complexes and condominiums nationwide. Maker spaces and workshops are amenities that can also be attractive to people who don’t otherwise have space in their homes for home improvement projects and other creative activities, like woodworking and other arts and crafts.
Modea
A project that’s currently underway and showcases the principles laid out in this article is Modea, located downtown in Honolulu, Hawaii, which adaptively repurposes a largely empty, 378,000 square-foot, Class A office building in into a mixed-use complex with residential condominiums. Formerly known as Davies Pacific Center, two-thirds of Modea will feature 352 market-rate residential condos and the remaining space is dedicated to commercial and retail uses. Floors three through five will remain office space for existing tenants, as well as the top floors, with more than a dozen residential floors in a mixture of studios, one and two bedrooms sandwiched in between.
Built in 1972, the well-maintained, 22-story building recently upgraded its elevator system, and the size and shape of the floor plates appropriately accommodate residential conversion. Modea features two different lobbies and elevator banks to separate circulation, access and safety, while also being efficient and intuitive for wayfinding. The building retains its ground-floor commercial space, which will house retail space and a food hall, both of which are available to Modea’s residents and workers, as well as the general public to generate more business and activity. Incorporated throughout the complex are social gatherings, co-working and recreational spaces and other amenities that support active urban lifestyles.
Every project is unique and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to developing vibrant communities.
Regardless of the route that is ultimately pursued, the key is to engage an architecture firm with adaptive reuse expertise early. Transitioning a traditional office building into existing market conditions requires that end-user experience, infrastructure and compliance must be handled with care. An experienced design and planning team can navigate through the thicket of requirements and considerations to create thoughtful, meaningful spaces that enhance projects and maintain their relevancy for years to come.
Janice Li is a licensed architect and a studio director at Lowney Architecture, a design and planning firm with offices in Oakland, CA, Los Angeles, CA and Honolulu, HI. She has more than 20 years of experience delivering high-end, people-centric projects in the multifamily housing, hotels and hospitality sectors.
