2(1+3+9=13) = 26

Buildings that have impacted the communities which they serve can be programmatically rejuvenated for continued use.

A community that is made entirely of new built buildings lacks identity and physical evidence of heritage that can bring a community together. Architecture is a cultural and social glue that links the past memories and values with present engagement and future potential activity. Therefore , it is imperative to reconsider older buildings when they have fallen into disuse as an opportunity for education and rehabilitation through new programs rather than always erasing and starting anew.

The reasons to preserve any building can fall under multiple categories including (but not limited to) architectural/technological significance, historical significance, symbolic iconography, communal sentiment, age, cultural evidence, etc. The questions then becomes, what buildings should be saved? The answer to that is not black and white and is therefore never easy, but a community that’s only process is to demolish and rebuild does not consider economic opportunities of old structures or the impact of the inevitable loss of connections with past generations. Architecture is a mirror within which we can see our ancestors and their values and from which each generation can define its own chapter. Relating to older buildings and the memories associated with them helps people in a community create social identity without which the community lacks cohesion and unity. There are many forms of saving buildings, and they all have their pros and cons. There is restoration to a certain era in the building’s history which some people argue can be a false representation of times gone by, but these buildings continue to serve the community strictly within the world of academia as a tool to teach, but not touch. Adaptive reuse, while also arguably negative if it requires major changes to the built form, allows for the building to have a more active role in the community and vice versa. Still the fact remains that not all buildings need be discarded when there is an opportunity to be a physical or psychological reminder of history and communal identity.