If These Walls Could Talk: How Architecture, Adaptive Reuse and Historic Preservation can be one

The Built Environment represents on of the most complex and evolving challenges in contemporary society. As populations grow and environmental pressures intensify, the need to adapt and reuse existing structures has become increasingly urgent. Adaptive reuse and historic preservation, well known practices in architecture, offer sustainable solutions that bridge cultural heritage and modern function. These strategies are widely implemented across Europe, but those strategies have not quite reached the United States. This Thesis examines how adaptive reuse and historic preservation can be integrated into the American architectural context. Particularly through smaller scale, underutilized buildings that fall outside of the traditional preservation priorities. The studies focuses on a building the Washington D.C. that is similar to many building across the city that also have had the same fate. The proposed design re-imagines the structure as a mixed use development that com-bines affordable housing with ground floor retail. By employing federal and local historic preservation tax credits, the project demonstrates how economic incentives can support sustainable, community oriented redevelopment. The resulting design provides unique unites, shared amenities and spaces the enhance the livability and connection to the existent urban fabric. Through this case study, the thesis argues that adaptive reuse and preservation can serve as powerful tools for addressing the challenges of the built environment, in this case the hosing crisis, sustainability and conservation. It advocates for more of an inclusive approach to preservation, to value the everyday historic buildings as important resources for the future development of the urban built environment.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Architecture

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Architecture

Department dc:contributor.department

Architecture

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Roberts, Sabrina Michelle

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Piedmont-Palladino, Susan C.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Burton, Michael John
• Keslacy, Elizabeth Marie-Freha

• Architecture
• Adaptive Reuse
• Historic Preservation

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

vt_gsexam:44643

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/140550