Interiors in flux : the coexistence of existing building stock and mass timber through adaptive reuse for environmental sustainability and user well-being

Abstract

People spend the majority of their time indoors. People, nature and buildings constantly change. People grow tired of their everyday routine and environment, resulting in periodical spatial changes within the spaces they occupy. Cyclical renovations of interiors occur frequently, responsible for the cumulation of extensive greenhouse gas emissions, a high carbon footprint and concerning amount of construction and demolition waste. This results in prematurely discarded structures, skins, services, space plans and stuffs, as per Stewart Brand’s six shearing layers of change and longevity. Sustainable alternative materials should be sought to replace carbon-intensive and extractive materials like concrete and steel, especially during deep renovations to decarbonise existing building stock. Mass engineered timber renders a viable sustainable alternative to not only reduce the anthropogenic impact on the environment by significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and sequestering carbon. Mass timber also presents the potential to improve indoor environmental quality, indoor air quality, human health and well-being. Adaptive reuse can function as implementation tool for mass timber integration in internal applications. The environmental impact of cyclical interiors was investigated through a case study conducted by industry professionals. Comparisons were made between the Global Warming Potential (kg-CO2e) of different materials to display the potential benefits of mass timber on indoor environmental quality and well-being.