I keep hearing that empty office buildings are an economic time bomb. I keep hearing that housing inventory is low which is why house prices are high. Why can’t we convert offices to homes?
In: 4298
We can, sometimes… but there are issues that make doing so difficult/expensive.
For one, the floorplate of many office buildings has way too much interior space relative to outer walls. It’s one thing to have massive open floors of cubicles, but you can’t build apartments without windows, and most people don’t want skinny slivers of apartments with a long corridor of windowless bedrooms and only a living room with a window.
And there are much greater needs for plumbing, electrical, gas, etc. infrastructure for apartments vs. office. Instead of a kitchen or two, and 2 communal restrooms, you’d need dozens of kitchens and separate bathroom.
Windows are another issue, as many office don’t have operable windows but residential housing needs for fire code and people want for fresh air.
Then there are the issues of location… do people want to live where empty office buildings are located? Perhaps in Manhattan, San Francisco, or other dense cities. But do people want to live in surrounded by a sea of asphalt across from Home Depot in suburban areas?
So it can be done, but it’s typically best for architecturally interesting buildings in high demand areas, with smaller floorplates and due to cost they tend to be very high end. As an example, look at the Tribune Tower in Chicago that was formerly home to the city’s biggest newspaper and is now selling high end condos. Or the Mongomery Wards HQ building (also in Chicago) that was converted about 15 years ago.
Latest Answers