The construction sector accounts for a large portion of worldwide environmental impacts, particularly because of the mining of raw materials and the manufacturing of new building components. One of the main strategies to lower these impacts is the adaptive reuse of existing buildings, which matches the principles of the circular economy. Therefore this research presents a life cycle assessment (LCA) of converting an existing admin‑industrial building into residential use, concentrating on assessing the environmental savings obtained by preserving structural and material components.
The study examines two scenarios: a traditional new construction approach and a circular conversion scenario in which chosen building components—such as the structural framework, façade elements, and parts of the internal installations—are retained and integrated into the new functional design. The LCA methodology follows the ISO 14040/44 framework, with environmental impacts assessed across multiple categories, including global warming potential (GWP), embodied energy, and resource depletion.
Results indicate that preserving the existing structural framework can substantially reduce embodied carbon and material consumption, resulting in total environmental savings of up to tens of percent compared with complete demolition and new construction. The results underscore the importance of prolonging the service life of existing buildings as a crucial strategy for lowering the environmental footprint of the built environment.
The study shows that circular strategies for building adaptation not only aid the lowering of environmental impacts but also offer useful insights into sustainable urban regeneration. The findings support the integration of LCA based decision making in initial design phases to enhance the balance between environmental performance, resource efficiency, and architectural functionality.