Adaptive Reuse of Social and Healthcare Structures: The Case Study as a Research Strategy

Marco Gola, Marta Dell’Ovo, Stefano Scalone and Stefano Capolongo
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Marco Gola: Design & Health Lab., Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (DABC), via G. Ponzio 31 Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
Marta Dell’Ovo: Department of Architecture and Urban Studies (DAStU), Politecnico di Milano, via E. Bonardi, 3, 20133 Milan, Italy
Stefano Scalone: Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32, 20133 Milan, Italy
Stefano Capolongo: Design & Health Lab., Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (DABC), via G. Ponzio 31 Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 8, 1-18

Abstract: The regeneration and reuse of abandoned healthcare facilities represent one of the most complex issues in the broader field of disused public architectural heritage and its valorization. The leading causes of an elevated quantity of abandoned hospitals are the lack of resilience of these structures, as well as the evolution of the regulatory framework used to increase the quality standards of the National Health System and the constant changes caused by medical discoveries. In addition, the transfer to a new building typically does not involve consideration of the future of the dismissed facility with a lack of a strategic view for its regeneration, thus causing its progressive degradation. Although their large dimensions and unbuilt areas make recovery plans complex, the re-functionalization of these facilities represents an excellent opportunity for social and economic development, as several case studies demonstrate. This paper selects some useful examples of the reconversion and reuse of disused social and healthcare buildings through an accurate comparison that highlights the importance of the topic and the possible actions to be taken into consideration. Although this research focuses on a limited number of case studies, the paper gives rise to some strategies that can be applied to several current cases of disused buildings that could be used to support Decision Makers (DMs) from different countries.

Keywords: regeneration; adaptive reuse; healthcare facilities; hospital reconversion; design strategies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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