ABSTRACT
New thinking challenges orthodoxies about how spaces are configured: no longer is a school necessarily seen as a freestanding, purpose-built establishment. This paucity of suitable sites has prompted an examination of whether existing redundant or underused buildings might be adaptively reused and repurposed. There are numerous examples of imaginative design solutions that transform repurposed buildings into inspirational learning spaces, although significant problems have also been encountered. This chapter looks specifically at some of the opportunities and challenges of providing education environments in buildings not originally designed as schools. Retaining and reconfiguring an existing building should be more sustainable, but the assumption that this would be more cost-effective should be questioned. Firstly, a significant cost risk lies in what the contractor finds only when intrusive work begins: some of the structure and fabric may prove to be beyond their operational life, or contaminants such as asbestos may be encountered.
