CREATIVE ADAPTATION: Reimagining communities.

• Position: DEVELOPMENT

Construction material prices soared 20 percent in 2021. Despite prices moderating in December, 86 percent of contractors surveyed list costs as their top concern into 2022, more problematic than any other construction obstacle. Availability of materials and supply chain disruptions were the second most frequent concern, listed by 77 percent of the more than 1,000 respondents.

Costs may not rise as steeply, but they are likely to remain volatile, with unpredictable prices and delivery dates for critical materials. As supply chain challenges and steep price increases in materials add to the squeeze, developers in Utah have become resourceful--and are turning to adaptive reuse as an effective solution.

The advantages of conversion are many, repurposing with environmentally friendly features, preserving historical significance, and extending the life of communities existing infrastructure to fight urban sprawl. The result is an updated and modernized building--breathing life into societies--without new development and frequently at a lower cost.

The repurposing of an old building is often the starting point for redeveloping a street, city block, or even an entire district. This approach gives architects and developers significant freedom to reimagine these spaces. Reuse can symbolize that a community is restoring pride in its neighborhood by getting the most out of prior investments.

Preserving Utah

Not only does repurposing past development create a cultural identity, but according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it drastically preserves natural resources. "Repurposing old buildings--particularly those that are vacant--reduces the need to construct new buildings and the consumption of land, energy, materials, and finances they require."

The EPA states that rehabilitating old properties can be critical for promoting energy efficiency by preserving the "embodied energy" in existing buildings rather than expending additional energy in the new construction process.

"A new, green, energy-efficient office building that includes 40 percent recycled materials would nevertheless take approximately 65 years to recover the energy lost in demolishing a comparable existing building," the EPA website states. In Utah, where nature is synonymous with lifestyle, environmental health and conservation remain fop priorities amidst tremendous growth.

According to Lana Howell, Managing Director at Colliers, better positioning existing...