Conversion & Change of Use
Conversion and change of use: structural design for change of use, added storeys, new openings and new circulation in an existing building.
When offices become flats, a department store becomes a data centre, or four storeys become six.
Typical tasks
- Change of use with higher imposed loads
- Added storeys, in lightweight construction where the foundations will take no more
- Openings in walls and slabs, with transfer structures
- New stair cores, lifts and risers
- Stability, where loadbearing walls are removed
What to settle first
Not the layout – the foundations. They decide how much additional load the building can take at all, and therefore whether adding storeys is realistic.