Office to Residential Conversions

Critical Considerations to Maximise Your ROI

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Converting Office Space to Residential

The changing nature of work in the digital age and a demand for more housing is fueling transformative adaptive reuse projects nationwide. With office vacancies at a 30-year high coast-to-coast, now is the ideal time to take advantage of available federal support like financing, technical assistance, 1031 exchanges and federal property sales to address a growing need for housing while rezoning underutilized commercial property to residential.

But first, how do you ensure your commercial space has the potential to become a successful residential or mixed-use property? Get started today with a due diligence study on feasibility from Lerch Bates’s multidisciplinary technical experts, who will review multiple building elements accordingly to optimise whole-building performance for elevated results.

Vertical Transportation
- Are you considering the varied elevator performance criteria expected by residents based upon quality of residential program?
- Have you considered the difference in elevator maintenance needs for a residential program?
- How are you accounting for the irregular vertical circulation required for amenities floors that are often included in residential programs?
- How do you future-proof modernisation of aged elevator systems, often a major expenditure, and ensure contractor performance long-term?
Enclosures & Structures
- Do you have a comprehensive understanding of the existing building enclosure design, its age, remaining lifecycle and expected maintenance?
- Does your building comply with existing energy-code?
- Can you meet natural ventilation and natural light requirements?
- What waterproofing and/or plumbing changes will amenity and parking floors require?
Building Logistics
- What will your building waste management plan look like?
- Will the existing loading dock be adequately sized to support additional needed compactors or dumpsters?
- Will compactor and/or dumpster hauling services need to be adjusted to support an increase in the amount of trash and recycling produced?
- Where should new waste and recycling holding rooms be located within the building? How large do they need to be?
Pedestrian Circulation
- How will the existing office lobby need to be changed to accommodate expectations of a residential lobby space?
- What residential amenities will be required for the lobby space, from retail to coffee shops, and how will that impact the flow of people?
- How will the change to residential or mixed-use impact public right of ways and adjacent businesses?

Avoid costly or irreparable mistakes with proper due diligence studies and reliable, lasting insights from the only technical consulting firm that can give you a comprehensive understanding of how your building will perform post-construction.

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