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Introduction
Adaptive re-use has become an integral strategy to ameliorate the financial, environmental and social performance of buildings ([51] Langston et al. , 2007). The [25] Department of Environment and Heritage (2004) defines adaptive re-use as "a process that changes a disused or ineffective item into a new item that can be used for a different purpose". Continual demand for new and improved operational and sustainability performance will invariably require the demolition of existing buildings, particularly as land availability becomes scarce. Yet, it has been estimated that buildings that require demolition account for only 0.5-1 per cent of the existing stock with the remainder having a further 30-50 years of life ([61] Petersdorff et al. , 2004; [58] Nye and Rydin, 2006; [38] Hakkinen, 2007). In fact, [72] Shah and Kumar (2005b) proffer that in the case of significant public buildings their life could extend in excess of 80 years. With the life of buildings being extended adaptive re-use will play a pivotal role in meeting the increasing demand for facilities and regeneration of the built environment ([50] Kurul, 2007; [51] Langston et al. , 2007).
Until recently, demolition decisions have been based on economic factors and as a result buildings have been demolished prematurely ([51] Langston et al. , 2007). Traditionally, the opportunities to maximize plot ratios provided by demolition have been a more attractive investment proposition for developers than building re-use. The disposal of buildings has often been prompted by the perception that they need replacing simply because they are old or inefficient. There are signs that this mindset is changing as more is being spent on refurbishing and reusing buildings than constructing new ones with re-use becoming a prominent strategy ([28] Douglas, 2002; [7] Ball, 2002; [52] Latham, 2000; [27] de Valence, 2004; [66] Property Council of Australia, 2004; [51] Langston et al. , 2007). With this in mind, this paper provides a comprehensive review of the factors influencing the decision to adopt an adaptive re-use strategy. As there has been limited published research on adaptive re-use in buildings, particularly in the context of sustainability it is envisaged that the review presented will provide the building blocks for further research in this contemporary and contentious area.
Demolition, redevelop and re-use
The shift...