From productive tool to living machine

Strategies for the reconversion of disused industrial heritage into public housing

Abstract

The housing crisis is one of the major challenges facing contemporary society, especially for vulnerable groups requiring access to affordable public housing. This issue, complex and persistent, lacks an immediate solution but opens possibilities for exploring alternatives that help mitigate its effects. In this context, abandoned industrial heritage within consolidated urban areas, a consequence of deindustrialization, offers a valuable opportunity. Repurposing these infrastructures for housing facilitates urban regeneration in the neighborhoods they inhabit and, additionally, preserves the historical, artistic, and cultural memory of these buildings.  Through an inductive methodology, several European case studies are analyzed, identifying effective strategies to adapt obsolete industrial structures to a residential scale. The five design strategies identified are: extending the street, dividing space, articulating voids, freeing the ground floor, and generating new centers. This analysis not only highlights unique tools but also formulates replicable actions for future interventions across different contexts, taking into account the particular characteristics of each intervention. The process promotes common cross-cutting goals focused on urban renewal, public housing development, and the preservation of existing industrial heritage, fostering sustainable urban growth that addresses the housing crisis, creates accessible and cohesive environments, and revalues industrial heritage.