What is meant by adaptability in buildings?

Abstract

PurposeDespite being a common term in the literature, there is little agreement about what the word 'adaptability' means in the context of the built environment and very little evidence regarding practitioners' understanding of adaptability. This paper therefore examines what practitioners in the building industry mean when they talk about 'adaptability'. Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a qualitative approach, involving 82 unstructured face-to-face interviews with practitioners from a range of professional disciplines in the construction industry, including architects, engineers, facilities managers, property agents and planners. The interview transcripts were coded inductively in order to identify themes in the qualitative data. FindingsThe interview data revealed a wide range of perspectives on adaptability, particularly regarding terminology, the meanings practitioners associate with adaptability and the way in which these meanings are communicated to others in the industry. The applied meaning of adaptability varied depending on context. Practical implicationsConflicting language, and different interpretations of adaptability, is a potential barrier to the development of adaptable buildings. A clearer articulation of the meaning of adaptability (particularly by clients) during briefing and design could give rise to a more appropriate level of adaptability in the built environment. Originality/valueThis study has addressed a gap in the existing literature, by foregrounding the voices of industry practitioners and exploring their (sometimes very different) interpretations of adaptability in buildings.

Adaptable healthcare facilities through modular solutions

“…The terminology and definitions behind future-proofing or adaptability of office spaces were studied by Pinder et al (2017). The existing literature on adaptability was found very diverse including several different fields of research, such as architecture, engineering, facility management and designing.…”

“…The definition of future-proofing or adaptability has been found vague. Several researchers, such as Carthey et al (2011), Pati et al (2008 and Pinder et al (2017) reported difficulties in studying the concept due to inconsistent use of terminology and versatile interpretations.…”

“…Therefore, it is important to create clearly defined standards on what adaptability stands for in practice. Even though different authors had different interpretations for adaptability, they all considered it as an ability to accommodate three types of change; change of use, physical layout or size (Arge 2005;Battisto et al 2005, Bjørberg and Verweij 2009, Carthey et al 2011, Pati et al 2008, Pinder et al 2017and Vimpari et al 2014.…”

“…Moreover, adaptability describes the level of effort required for implementing the changes required. Enabling adaptability, in other words 'future-proofing', requires extra investments, which is why the amount and location of its application should be carefully evaluated (Arge 2005;Carthey et al 2011, Pati et al 2008, Pinder et al 2017and Vimpari et al 2014). …”

“…The four elements of CRA (adopted from Kasanen et al 1993:246 Figure 2. CRA process phases (Lehtiranta et al 2015;Kasanen et al 1993) (Arge 2005;Carthey et al 2011 andPinder et al 2017). ........ 22 Figure 6.…”