A sustainable building is not one that must last forever, but one that can easily adapt to change.
- Peter Graham, Environment Design Guide, 2006, Royal Institute of Australian Architects
This paper presents the current thinking of Adaptable Futures research group based at Loughborough University
through a series of diagrams. The aim of the Adaptable Futures project is to facilitate the development of adaptable
buildings through research and real-life application. The investigation looks to make clear Adaptability as a definable design characteristic with a principle consciousness towards time and layers.
Adaptability - the capacity to change the buildings built-environment in order to respond and fit to the evolving
demands of its users/ environment maximizing value throughout its lifecycle.
Time - the design consideration that buildings are dynamic systems that interact with a set of evolving endogenous
and exogenous demands that require a capacity to accommodate change (space, function, and componentry) over
time.
Layers the design consideration regarding the organization and interfaces between components of varying life
spans and functions.
The diagrams encapsulate a web of inter-related dimensions which tell a story of our exploration into understanding
adaptability. They construct a framework and mark a beginning into generating a toolset for thinking about adaptability. Appendix 1 is an index for the complete set of diagrams used by the project.
SPACE
TIME
Figure 1: Perspectives
FUNCTION
COMPONENTRY
Design Intelligence
(e.g. knowledge,
experience)
DfAD
Rules, Strategies,
and Products
(e.g. guidance, good
practice)
Unbuilt
solutions
(abandoned schemes,
unbuilt projects,
budget cuts)
Figure 2: Process
adaptablefutures
extending the life of our built environment
Timeless
Timebound
Design Intelligence
Strategies
education, past
work
rules,
procedures
Figure 3: Sources
prototypes, mock
ups, design
models
Tools
software,
construction
techniques
(space)
(function)
(size)
(performance)
(location)
Rules
Policy
Service
transfering of a
material element
which services the
habitability/ function
of the building
Structure
Spatial
transfering of
physical
physical load either relationship either
vertically or
through constraint,
horizontally/ directly
boundry, or
or indirectly
adjacency
building regulations
planning regulations
Government-led incentives
Tax on demolition
Tax on use of new resources
Guidelines for designers
Industry guidance
Products
Technical or system solutions
for how the building endures
change over time.
standard details
iso standards
pre-designed products
HIGH
MAGNITUDE
OF CHANGE
Unique
TASK
LOW
LOW
HIGH
FREQUENCY
OF CHANGE
Figure 4: Changemeter
General
Common
LOCATION
level 01
Building
level 02
Use Range
level 03
Specific Use
(all buildings;
enclosed space)
(a similar range of
building demands)
Specific Client
(client specific needs)
Specific Site
level 05
(use type)
level 04
A1
Specific
Figure 5: Specficity
(FIT AT LEVEL 02)
Building
capacity
Building
capacity
Building
cycle
Building
cycle
Business
cycle
A1 A2
(adapted to site
conditions)
Business
cycle
Business
cycle
Business
cycle
Figure 6: Landscape
Scales (figure 7) lays out the varying levels of our built
and organizational environments as a reference for
understanding at what level and to what extent the
dimensions operate at.
(government, global
communities, future generations)
ORGANIZATIONAL SCALE
MICRO
Designer
Practice
Industry
Society
BUILT-ENVIRONMENT SCALE
MICRO
Part
MACRO
Component
Figure 7: Scales
MACRO
Region
Industry
(designers, manufactuers,
consrructors)
Client
Figure 8: Influencers
Lifecycle (figure 9) looks at the building througout its life and identifies critical decision points for investment (CDP
01 How much to invest initially?) and scenarios for action at the point in which funtional adaptation (potential
convertibility) takes place.
CDP 03
How to handle an aged building?
(sub-optimal for use)
Building Reuse
Functional Adaptation
CDP 01
How much to invest initially?
option A
Financial Gap
Maintenance
Operate (early years first 5-10 years)
Design
Sell
option C
option D
Brief
Figure 9: Lifecycle
esign stra
abled
teg
t
p
a
ies
d
a
Si m
pl
ier
de
modules
bus systems
parallel processes
easy interfaces
MOVABLE
VERSATILE
change of location
change of space
trussed rafters
up-to-date services
inflatable
new technologies
ADAPTABLE
kit of parts
biodegradable
regional materials
changable panels
demountable
portable
insulated building
recycled materials
stackable units
oversized structure
modular units
renewable services
easy connections
typ
change of size
large spaces
es o
ti
f changes over
me
REFITABLE
change of components
deattachable
motile / mobile
renewable materials
movable partitions
collapsable
extendable
n ge
cha
CONVERTIBLE
change of function
ure
fut
foldable
le
in s
f
ize o
de
ra
open span
its
Su
Easie
r to
a
sse
m
Ea
ceiling space
ab l e
eus
eR
cat
elo
r
r to
si e
reusable parts
ell
/
ble
Ea
sie
r
to
up
g
is
Eas
ier
to
re
s
www.adaptablefutures.com
sR
coordinated connections
standard components
product family
prefabricated
SCALABLE
Contacts
Le
s
furniture type
as
occ
up
ati
on
change of task
ed t
o
ADJUSTABLE
system building
ier
Eas
o
pr
urn
ret
ter
ea
Gr
n
sig
k/
Researcher
Robert Schmidt III
r.schmidt-iii@lboro.ac.uk
+44 (0) 1509 222897
This paper and its contents are copyright and property of Loughborough University 2009
WPs AF DIMENSIONS
APPENDIX 1
WP1AF FRAMEWORK
PROJECT DIAGRAMS
PARADIGM
PARAMETER
(PHYSICAL & SPATIAL)
TIME, LAYERS
FUNCTIONAL
TYPE
COMPONENTRY, SPACE
PROCESS
RULEs
FUNCTION, COMPONENTRY, SPACE
PARAMETER
(SPATIAL)
DfAD
RULES
DEPENDENCIES
PERSPECTIVES
TIME
WPs AF TABLES
PARAMETER
(PHYSICAL)
RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN PHYSICAL AND
SPATIAL PARAMETERS
CAPs
COMPONENTRY, SPACE
ECONOMICS
SOURCES
LIFECYCLE
TIME, ECONOMICS, SCENARIOS
ABLES
STRATEGIES, SCALE, TIME, LAYERS, STAKEHOLDERS
WLA
PERSPECTIVES (all), BENEFITS, COST
FRAMECYCLE
STRATEGIES, PRODUCTS, BENEFITS, TIME
SPECIFICITY
PARAMETER
(PHYSICAL & SPATIAL)
WP5
FREQUENCY
OF
CHANGE
LANDSCAPE
STRATAMETERs
STRATEGIES, COMPONENTRY, SPACE
STRATEGY
DEMANDS AND
RELATIONSHIPS
CHANGEMETER
MAGNITUDE, FREQUENCY
SOURCES
CASE
STUDIES
BENEFITS
DEMANDS AND
RELATIONSHIPS
MAGNITUDE
OF CHANGE
AF BUSINESS CASE
FUNCTION
STRATEGY
DIMENSION
VERIFICATION AND
CATEGORIZATION
VERIFICATION
CASE STUDIES, SOURCES (all)
STAKEHOLDERS, STRATEGIES
TIME, SPECIFICITY
PERMUTATIONS
STRATEGIES
MICRO
Designer
Industry
Society
MICRO
Part
MACRO
Component
AF DESIGN PROCESS
INFLUENCERS
SCALES
MACRO
Practice
WP6
Region
STAKEHOLDERS
STAKEHOLDERS, COMPONENTRY
____________
SPECTRUMS
DIMENSIONS