Sustainable design is design that goes beyond just being efficient, recyclable, on time and on budget. It is a design that cares about how these goals are achieved and about its effect on people and on the environment. As future architects, we make a commitment to constantly try to find ways to decrease design's impact on our natural environment. It is also the fastest growing component of our industry.
Adaptive reuse is the process of adapting old structures for purposes other than those initially intended. When the original use of a structure changes or is no longer required, we as architects have the opportunity to change the primary function of the structure, while retaining some of the existing architectural details that make the building unique.
In San Diego, one particular building is losing value and becoming of great concern, the Qualcomm Stadium, home of the San Diego Chargers. Expenses for a previous retrofit and daily maintenance exceed revenue for the city (sdnn.com, 2009). There is also concern whether the Chargers stay in San Diego. A new stadium is also proposed in Chula Vista or possibly Oceanside. This leaves the existing stadium and the city land it sits on questionable.
By retrofitting the football stadium to take on a new functional responsibility for the public and private sectors, it can gain economic value and reintroduce the term sustainable design. This project will become an iconic building of architectural advancement through adaptive reuse and technological achievement.
To develop a new design for the existing stadium research will be conducted to determine an overall function within the limits of this project. Research will mainly include, but not limited to, quantitative studies through surveys. Case studies will be selected based on conceptual and existing buildings of adaptive reuse.
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