Introduction
In total , the built environment contributes 40 % to global greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions and in order to achieve international agreed aims of sustainable development , building related GHG emissions must be reduced ( UNEP , 2009 ). Construction of new , sustainable buildings is most commonly perceived as the best way of achieving these aims , however as 87 % of the buildings we will need in 2050 are already built , adaptive reuse is essential ( Kelly , 2008 ). Adaptive reuse is an intrinsically sustainable option , which reduces the amount of waste going to landfill , and focuses development in the existing built environment , thereby reducing land take for new buildings and infrastructure . Furthermore with population growth and increasing rates of urbanisation , reusing existing buildings is pragmatic and allows a faster build time compared to demolition and new build ( Bullen 2007 ). Globally , demographic and economic changes drive alterations in urban settlements , where land uses become obsolete and buildings vacant . In some regions demographic and economic decline causes obsolescence and vacancy , whereas in other regions a spatial shift occurs , with high demands in specific markets and changes of land use resulting . At this stage the possibilities for managing existing real estate are demolition or conversion to another use . In city centres outside of Australia there is a long history of office to residential conversion , for example in the UK and the Netherlands . In the Sydney central business district ( CBD ), to date very few residential conversions have taken place , but this situation may be set to change . Office supply is increasing and an increasing demand for housing in Sydney has led to withdrawals of non-CBD office stock for residential conversion ( CBRE , 2015 ). In 2014 102,000m2 of Sydney office space was earmarked for residential conversion as demand for central residential property grows ( City of Sydney , 2010 ) and low interest rates create good conditions . In addition , the CBD population is projected to increase by 4 % to 2031 requiring 45000 new homes and , this increase coincides with a stock of ageing offices ( City of Sydney , 2010 ). A further factor is that the Sydney office market is set to be flooded with Barangaroo office supply in 2016 and 2017 ; thus conditions for residential conversion are better than ever . This paper investigates sustainability in the context of conversion adaptation in Sydney , based on literature , initial interviews with Sydney real estate experts and developers , using case study examples .
Research Question , aims and objectives
Former studies show the potential of delivering sustainability in urban areas by building adaptation , upgrading the environmental performance of existing office buildings ( Wilkinson , 2014 ), and the potential of adaptive reuse to enhance social sustainability in urban areas blighted by vacancy by introducing new functions ( Heath , 2001 ; Remøy , Schalekamp & Hobma , 2008 ). This paper explores the potential of conversion in Sydney , based on the political , economic , social , environmental and technological drivers and barriers to successful conversion . This research aims to answer the following questions ( a ) what is the level of sustainability in these office conversion adaptation projects ? And ( b ), are developers cognisant of the sustainability issues in these projects ?
Factors which impact on sustainability in conversion adaptation
The literature focuses on the factors which impact on sustainability in conversion adaptation . At the political level , Federal , State and Local Governments are able to enact policies and legislation to impact on the level of sustainability . In Sydney the Building Code of Australia mandates from minimum standards of energy efficiency and water conservation in the Building Code of Austral-
764 ZEMCH 2015 | International Conference | Bari - Lecce , Italy