Could L.A.’s Empty Office Buildings Be Turned Into Housing? The Answer Is Complicated

With more Californians working from home during the pandemic - and with some companies planning to make that remote work permanent - a lot of Los Angeles office buildings are sitting vacant at the same time the city is in the midst of a severe housing crisis. Could the former be the solution to the latter? Enter adaptive reuse, the practice of repurposing existing buildings for new uses. The Metropolitan Building in downtown L.A. is one example: it originally contained medical offices and shops; now it’s home to loft apartments. However, not every office building is so easily adapted. The shape and design of the original space are all key factors that affect the viability of an adaptive reuse project. On this episode of AirTalk, Larry discusses the visions and challenges of adaptive reuse in Los Angeles with founder of the adaptive reuse architecture firm Omgivning, Karin Liljegren.

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