The future adaptivity of nineteenth century heritage buildings

Purpose Designing for the future sustainability and adaptability of building assets contributes to waste and emission reduction. Moreover, sustainable design and conservation principles are necessary for achieving sustainable and adaptable built heritage. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the improved adaptSTAR model in regards to maximising the future adaptive reuse and sustainability of existing built heritage and its surroundings. Design/methodology/approach A comparative study of two iconic nineteenth century heritage assets in Australia and Hong Kong is undertaken to highlight the need to forecast the future adaptation of heritage buildings in order to guarantee their continuous reuse and sustainability in an urban context. Findings Findings show that the functional, technological and legal attributes of these two nineteenth century heritage buildings require improvement so as to ensure their future adaptivity. The upgrading of heritage buildings for environmental sustainability is also deemed necessary. Originality/value The originality of this paper pertains to the advancement of the adaptSTAR tool in evaluating the future adaptivity of existing built heritage as well as new built environments whilst considering their economic, environmental and social values.