REUSE OR REBUILD?
Some old buildings others have a high value to the community and general history of the location, therefore they should be maintained and reused; whereas in other cases the cost of maintenance out-weighs the cost to the community were it to be replaced​.
The decision to reuse or replace a building depends on many wider factors other than preserving identity. It is necessary to understand these factors in order to assess whether reusing a building can be justified.
This infographic shows the positive reasons for reuse and rebuilding regarding different topics:
Respondent 15 furthered this dilemma by acknowledging that reuse should not be based on economic or sentimental values, it must also be practical:
I'm all for keeping old buildings but they must be 'fit for purpose' ie. Will a new hospital building be better for patient care and treatment?
A survey question was directed at this topic, where people were asked whether we should reuse old buildings rather than replace them with new ones.
The popularity of different responses are shown on this graph:
This graph shows that most respondents chose a neutral response, with no one disagreeing with the concept of resuing. Many respondents cited rational reasons towards their responses, with many acknowledging the importance of heritage and other factors associated with identity as reasons to reuse. Many then followed this with opposing factors such as if a building is dangerous, too expensive to reuse and or unsuitable for new functions then it should be replaced.
Respondent 22 supports these findings:
There is no 'black or white' approach when it comes to deciding whether a building is worthy of preservation. It is necessary to find a balance and establish what buildings are economically or symbolically worth preserving. If we are so intent on preserving these buildings for future generations, we must also provide an element of 'today' and assess what elements from the past are worth sacrificing to this cause - we cannot keep all old buildings.