• electrorocket@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      Most of the time it’s more economical to tear them down than to convert them. The plumbing work needed is probably the most expensive part but then you only have windows along the outside walls. I suppose you could have large common areas in the center.

      • ironsoap@lemmy.one
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        1 year ago

        Economical perhaps, but this is the sort of stupid ass shit that epitomizes how fucked the growth based economy is in this climate changed era. Developer’s think a few years down the road, but have no economic incentive to build it as a cradle-to-cradle build rather than a cradle-to-grave build.

        Build the same damn curtain wall floor plans in a dozen cities, so they all look ugly and don’t improve the quality of life, because it’s cheap, makes short term money for people who already have more then they can spend, and leave it to the kids to deal with everything in the future… Grrrr {rant off}

        Sorry, bitter old fart chiming in.

        • BNE@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          1 year ago

          No, you’re alright, I think you’re entirely justified to rant about that. We continue being a very short sighted species.

      • xhci@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        I’d agree with you under the traditional model, but weird things can happen with economies of scale.

      • zik@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        That’s the story they’re selling but I don’t think it really holds water. Sure, they’ll have to remove the fitout and upgrade the plumbing and that costs money but no more than anyone would expect when building apartments. Some office buildings won’t be suitable for residential use due to their shape and they obviously won’t be converted but most are suitable and they’ll be fine.

        The business lobby pointing at the ones which are unsuitable and saying “but this whole thing is going to be impossible!” looks disingenuous to me. There are plenty of good options and there’s no reason to expect they won’t be converted.

        • Obi@sopuli.xyz
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          1 year ago

          These kinds of topics always get the “if it doesn’t work for every single use case, it’s useless”.

          This is a case by case kind of thing, each building should be examined and choose the appropriate new use for it.