Allison H. Anderson, FAIA
Words can entangle architects, especially when they have multiple or nuanced meanings. Adaptable and adaptive are a good example of similar terms with distinct definitions: Adaptable (able to be modified for a new use or purpose, indicating plasticity in the programming of a building) and Adaptive (the ability to change in response to conditions beyond the building).
Adaptable structures are easily modified to suit changing requirements to avoid premature demolition and reconstruction. The process of altering a building to respond to changing program needs (internal) or economic forces (external) is called Adaptive Reuse. Adaptive structures respond to a changing environment, and in this era, primarily address the rapidly changing climate. Adaptive reuse of buildings in hazard-prone areas may also require climate adaptation to remain suitable for an extended service life that manages temperature, flooding, and precipitation changes. Sustainable design principles embrace both design strategies, as adaptable and adaptive structures preserve embodied carbon for an extended service life.
Adaptable buildings offer flexibility for multiple functions and reconfigurations. Interchangeability, the ability to reprogram a space designed for one planned function to different uses, creates spaces that can be used in multiple ways over their service life. Pre-planning a building for future interchangeability may suggest a standardized set of rooms used for a variety of different functions, a concept known as ‘Long-Life, Loose Fit’. The term was first used by the architect John Weeks who developed the Duffle Coat Theory of space planning (Architects’ Journal, July 7, 1960):
‘In order to get maximum flexibility within a (hospital) department it is necessary to provide rooms which fit around the activities which are to be carried out in them like a duffle coat. The duffle coat, provided by the Navy for its officers, was not a tailor-made garment. A few sizes were made and these were related to the known sizes of sailors so that it was usually possible to find one that would fit reasonably, and keep the sailor quite snug.’[i]
Weeks and Llewelyn Davies discovered that between 50-65 percent of the rooms in hospitals were less than 19 m2 (200 SF) in area, and most between 9-14 m2 (100-150 SF). These rooms were regularly reprogrammed, causing extended demolition and reconstruction to fit the spaces to their purpose. Weeks contended that flexibility in hospitals improves when there is greater interchangeability between activities and spaces, and that a small number of distinct room sizes improves interchangeability. A room of 14 m2 (150 SF room) allows patient examination, storage, doctor’s office, waiting area, and a host of other functions depending on the space’s proximity to other equipment or functions, with only minor renovations necessary to accommodate various uses over the life of the structure.
There are many other ways an architect can promote adaptability:
· Consider alternative future uses early in design. For example, when converting office space to residential use, adequate interstitial space to run additional power, piping, and ductwork is critical. Leaving space for vertical chases and horizontal plenums may have immediate and long-term payback.
· In building typologies with rapidly changing programmes, leave 5% of space undefined, for use as collaboration space, open work areas, or expansion. This gives building users the freedom to manipulate the space to meet daily demands or a seasonal schedule.
· Design ‘soft spaces’ for administration, lounges, and storage adjacent to areas that anticipate growth. Consider where to accommodate these functions if they must be relocated.
· Plan future expansion areas so they do not displace other functions. Design structural bracing and frames at end walls to allow for horizontal expansions. In dense urban environments, consider the potential for vertical expansion and plan foundations and structural frame to support future growth.
Adaptive buildings are designed to adapt to changes in the environment and to building users automatically (using sensors or data) or through direct human intervention. Building automation systems are adaptive: adjusting thermal comfort and lighting systems over the course of the day to meet user demands; modifying the space to improve daylighting or solar shading; adjusting privacy, transparency, and security to match user preferences; responding to air quality issues inside or outside the building; prioritizing cleaning or maintenance in high-traffic areas; rotating solar collectors to track optimal sun angles throughout the day and season; and communicating emergency messages.
Climate-adaptive buildings employ high-performance tools in response to low-cost sensors, wireless communication, and user demand. These include a range of solutions that address natural hazards: perimeter fire suppression systems that automatically soak the ground when fire weather conditions are detected. Hurricane shutters that automatically deploy when high winds are forecast. Floodgates that rise in concert with water levels.
Architects can design a climate-adaptive built environment:
· Design the building to react in real time to climate challenges. Automate building systems to perform necessary adaptation tasks without human intervention, reducing the chance of human error.
· Analyse future climate conditions and explore whether there are new or near-term technologies that might be incorporated to manage threats from floods, wind, heat, wildfire, or earthquake. The technological advances being incorporated in buildings today were unimaginable 20 years ago and the pace of change is accelerating.
· Integrate adaptive features now for win-win results. Design the building envelope to adapt to higher temperatures by installing insulation thicknesses to meet 2060 heat (or prepare a plan to add insulation in the future). Design shading to dispel heat now (or provide the structural capacity to fasten additional shade devices in the future). Plan roof loading capacity and equipment space for renewable energy systems to offset higher demands in the future. Reinforce building bases now so they can meet dry floodproofing requirements in the future.
Architects are practiced at envisioning and preparing for the future. What strategies have you used to make buildings more adaptable and/or adaptive? Please share your ideas and case studies by commenting on this post!
This is an excerpt from Climate Adaptation for Architects: A Design Toolkit by Allison Anderson FAIA, published 1 September 2025 by Routledge. Pre-orders are available through www.routledge.com using promo code 25EFLY3* until 30 December 2025.