**4.1 Approaches to adaptive reuse**

In the Canadian context, cultural heritage formally becomes a historic place when an authority recognises its "heritage value and character-defining elements" ([26], p. viii). An understanding of values is essential for successful heritage conservation and forms the basis for adaptive reuse projects [6, 25]. The typological approach focuses on building use and function as a primary determinant for adaptive reuse, categorising the barriers and success factors towards reuse by each building typology's

**Figure 1.** *Synergy of adaptive reuse approaches.*

historical or contemporary use. High-level classification of building typologies includes industrial, religious, (semi-)public, residential, military and commercial uses [25, 27]. In practice, the typological approach to adaptive reuse is regulated at the municipal level through zoning and land use. These regulations often control other aspects of design in addition to use, including site coverage, floor area ratios, height limits, building envelopes, relationships to adjacent buildings, and parking requirements, all of which influence the feasibility and success of adaptive reuse projects ([6], p. 122). Ensuring flexibility in zoning and application of relevant building and fire codes with adaptive reuse projects can serve the nuance of typology-specific requirements and support adaptive reuse from historic functions to contemporary uses. In affordable housing projects, the building use is often mixed, combining a range of opportunities to meet contemporary needs beyond residential.

The technical approach focuses primarily on the technical aspects required to reuse a building, providing guidance and discussion on upgrades to the load-bearing structure, the building envelope, and the comfort, safety and energy efficiency of the adaptive reuse project [25]. Developed through a primarily architectural and engineering lens, the technical approach has manifested itself in the creation of guidebooks and technical expertise on the physical 'how' of adapting a building to allow new functions. In Canada, adaptive reuse is underpinned by the impacts of conservation efforts on a structure's 'character-defining elements'. While not a technical document, the *Standards & Guidelines* provide a philosophical approach and framework that reinforces technical decisions that impact built cultural heritage [26].

The strategic approach focuses on the analysis of the tangible processes and strategies required for the architectural conversion of heritage buildings. These strategies are
