Slowly but surely, adaptive reuse is growing from a niche concept into a standard practice. With rising housing demand, aging infrastructure, and pressure to reduce construction waste across the United States, reworking existing buildings effectively addresses all three issues at once.
In 2025, Imperial Contracting completed two hotel-to-housing conversions under California’s Homekey Program. The team transformed Zephyr, a former Holiday Inn, into 137 permanent supportive housing units, and converted Crescent, a deteriorating motel, into 40 units for individuals transitioning out of homelessness. More recently, Hope the Mission partnered with Imperial Contracting to redevelop the former Knights Inn in Palmdale into permanent supportive housing.
With these experiences and industry-wide trends in mind, below are the structures most suited for adaptive reuse.
1. Hotels and Motels
Hospitality properties are the most commonly converted building type for residential adaptive reuse in the United States. According to the National Apartment Association, hotel buildings accounted for 37% of all completed adaptive reuse units in 2024.
Hotels are among the best buildings for adaptive reuse, as each unit already has a bathroom, sufficient space to add a kitchen, and a defined square footage similar to a studio apartment. The room-by-room layout allows developers and contractors to upgrade existing infrastructure rather than reconfiguring an entirely open floor plate.
In addition, most hospitality properties already have electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems in each room. While those systems may require upgrades, the routing pathways are in place, which reduces the time and the costs needed to bring each unit up to residential code.
2. Office Buildings
Office buildings are the fastest-growing category in adaptive reuse, mostly due to the hybrid and remote work shifts that left tens of millions of square feet vacant in major U.S. cities. In 2024, office-to-residential conversions made up 43% of the national adaptive reuse pipeline, with more than 78,000 apartments converted from offices.
Among the best buildings for adaptive reuse are Class A office towers built before 1990. In most cases, these properties have larger floor plates, strong structural systems, and prominent urban locations that make them attractive for residential redevelopment.
3. Industrial Buildings: Factories and Warehouses
Factories and warehouses with high ceilings, open floor plates, heavy-duty structural systems, and large footprints are extraordinarily versatile. They are prime candidates for redevelopment into residential lofts, offices, and mixed-use developments.
Industrial properties saw a 9% increase in adaptive reuse conversions in 2023, as developers can easily subdivide 50,000-square-foot warehouses in almost any configuration. For residential conversions, the industrial aesthetic, including exposed brick, concrete columns, and oversized windows, is highly desirable to prospective tenants.
4. Schools and Educational Facilities
School buildings are one of the fastest-growing categories for adaptive reuse, with nearly 2,000 apartments created from former educational facilities in 2024.
Shifting demographics, declining enrollment in urban school districts, and the consolidation of campus facilities have left school buildings underutilized across the country. These structures are ideal for adaptive reuse because they already have many of the features residential developers need, including large rooms, multi-story configurations, adequate parking, as well as gym and cafeteria spaces that can become community amenities.
5. Shopping Malls and Big-Box Retail
Dead malls are sprawling single-story structures with massive parking lots in suburban and urban-adjacent areas. These vacant spaces have become some of the most ambitious adaptive reuse projects of the last decade. In fact, more and more medical clinics, indoor recreation facilities, and school campuses are finding homes in former Kmarts, Sports Authorities, and anchor department stores, according to CRE Daily and Metropolis.
6. Historic and Religious Buildings
Churches, synagogues, chapels, and other religious structures are among the most architecturally distinct buildings available for adaptive reuse. Their vaulted ceilings, stained glass, heavy masonry, and often central neighborhood locations open up unique conversion opportunities, particularly for boutique hotels, event venues, performing arts spaces, and residential units.
Cities typically designate these structures as historic landmarks, which complicates demolition and makes adaptive reuse the most viable path forward. Historic tax credits can also offset conversion costs for qualifying properties.
7. Government and Civic Buildings
Courthouses, post offices, city halls, and public libraries typically possess a high level of quality and durability that private developers rarely replicate in new construction. Most of these buildings are publicly owned, which can simplify acquisition for developers willing to partner with local governments. Historic tax credit programs apply, which eases the financial math on otherwise expensive structural upgrades. And, since these buildings are commonly in the heart of neighborhoods, they support revitalization efforts.
What Makes a Building Acceptable for Adaptive Reuse?
The best candidates share a few defining traits.
- Structural integrity: The existing structure must be sound and capable of withstanding improvements, such as seismic retrofitting, while accommodating new, often heavier, loads.
- Adaptability and layout: Buildings with generous floor-to-ceiling heights, wide structural bays, and open floor plans provide flexibility to reconfigure spaces for new residential or commercial uses.
- Heritage and character: Buildings with cultural or architectural value are often prioritized for preservation, turning their unique features into high-value design assets rather than demolishing them.
- Location and accessibility: A prime location in a high-density or revitalization area increases the project’s economic viability.
- Zoning and regulations: Compatibility with existing zoning regulations, or the ability to rezone, is crucial, as is adhering to historical regulations.
- Sustainability and potential for future upgrades: Suitable buildings for adaptive reuse can accommodate energy-efficient retrofits, such as updating insulation and mechanical systems, to meet modern environmental standards.
Start Your Adaptive Reuse Project With an Experienced General Contractor
An adaptive reuse project can succeed or fail based on who manages the construction. Imperial Contracting has the expertise to handle regulatory requirements, the capacity to superintend complex projects, and the experience to bring underutilized properties back to life.
Our team works with nonprofit developers, public agencies, and private investors across the US. Whether the property is a vacant motel, an empty office floor, or an aging warehouse, our team can assess the scope and build it out on time and within budget.
Let’s talk about your adaptive reuse project today.
FAQs About Ideal Buildings for Adaptive Reuse
Which type of building is the best candidate for adaptive reuse?
Hotels and motels are currently the most common building type for adaptive reuse conversions. Their existing room-by-room layout, individual bathrooms, and per-unit MEP infrastructure make them compatible with residential conversion at a lower cost.
Which buildings are the most difficult to convert?
In general, all buildings with severe structural damage, deep floor plates that block natural light, significant soil contamination, or heavy industrial chemical residue from prior tenants are the most challenging. Pre-development site assessments, including soil testing, structural evaluations, and environmental studies, help identify these issues before acquisition.
Does adaptive reuse benefit the environment?
Adaptive reuse projects reduce demolition waste and lower the demand for new construction materials. A 2024 study using the Carbon Avoided: Retrofit Estimator tool found that reusing a historic building produces 82% less global warming potential compared to constructing a new building of the same size.
Where does Imperial Contracting operate?Imperial Contracting works across Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. If your adaptive reuse project is in any of these states, contact us to grant the site a second life.
