ARCHITECTURE TRANSFORMATIVE POTENTIAL

The waste of land is an issue for sustainability, and the literature on adaptive reuse frequently refers to its untapped potential. At the same time, there has been an increase of attention on the reduction of energy footprints, in terms of sustainability requirements and generative power of architectural design. The present research aims to provide a methodological framework to define, decode, and assess the concept of Architecture Transformative Potential in the dismissed urban fabric. The study also seeks to widen the boundaries of architecture, considering the process that shaped dismissed buildings and the option‐value of design. The research framework is the post functional era, where the built environment requires classification following morphostructural characteristics. Embodied energy and morpho‐structural flexibility are identified in this paper as the main elements composing the Architecture Transformative Potential. This potential is coded as an open function relating to the embodied energy of dismissed buildings and the sum of all the leading open options in design practice. The cases studies analysis is the methodological approach within the focus on high‐rise buildings. The findings should make an essential contribution to the field of adaptive reuse, evaluating the impact of further use options.