Adaptive Reuse
We are architects, engineers, designers and urbanists.
We create dynamic and vibrant design solutions, integrating elements that reflect brand and identity while fostering wellbeing, inclusivity and sustainable practices.
BDP designs at every scale – from city masterplans, neighborhoods, parks, squares, streets and buildings to specialist light fittings – and at every stage in the process of placemaking; from visioning to briefing, design, delivery and operation.
BDP emerged in 1961 from a practice founded in the UK by Professor Sir George Grenfell Baines. Grenfell Baines championed a style of multiple locations, collaboration and multi-disciplinary working and this ethos continues today.
BDP remains firmly based on a strongly held and convincing philosophy established in teamwork.
Harnessing our collective ethos, the spirit of the practice is about making places. We believe that good design can meet the challenges posed by a dynamic and changing world.
We operate from a global network of city studios, all creative hubs connected to the cities and regions they serve.
As part of the Nippon Koei Group, we fuse a passion for placemaking and user-centered design with innovative infrastructure skills.
Integral to BDP’s design process is our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion in the built environment. We established our own consultancy, Human Space, which promotes wellness, accessibility and human-centered design in all of our projects. We care deeply about the environment and have established project goals for meeting net zero operational carbon and a 40% reduction in embodied carbon.
We look forward to collaborating with you.
Chris Harding Chair
Our Global Practice
CANADA Toronto USA New York City Leeds Liverpool London Manchester Sheffield UK Birmingham Bristol Cardiff Edinburgh Glasgow NETHERLANDS Rotterdam IRELAND Dublin
19 Studios around the world
NETHERLANDS Rotterdam MENA UAE INDIA New Delhi CHINA Shanghai PERU Lima SINGAPORE Singapore
Professions
Ar Architecture
Ac Acoustics
BSE Building Services Engineering
C&S Civil and Structural Engineering
DM Design Management
GD Graphic Design
InD Inclusive Design
ID Interior Design
La Landscape Architecture
Li Lighting
Ma Masterplanning
Pl Planning
Su Sustainability
UD Urban Design
Adaptive Reuse
The greenest building is the one already built. Refurbishment, re-purposing or integration of existing buildings can be a cost effective and valuable alternative to new build, saving raw material and embodied energy, and helping to reach sustainability targets.
The creative adaptation of buildings of historic significance requires specialist conservation skills, knowledge of materials, and an understanding of site significance and building history. We have an extensive track record of adapting buildings of heritage value, functionally and technically, to make them fit for purpose while preserving and enhancing character.
Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal | London, UK
Retail Education Workplace Markets
Residential Mixed Use Media Environments
Education
We design education environments that place the user at the heart of our process. In doing so, we create the very best learning and research environments that inspire learning, teaching, experimentation, creativity, research and a sense of place through distinctive architecture and design. Often, we repurpose existing buildings for educational purposes, rather than constructing new ones. This sustainable approach allows for the preservation of historic structures while providing innovative learning environments. It promotes conservation, cost-effectiveness, and community integration, further fostering a dynamic and inspiring educational experience.
King’s College London, Somerset House East Wing | London, UK
Wardle Academy
Location
Ac BSE
Ac GD ID
Manchester, UK
Client
Watergrove Trust
Completion
2021
The Sports Hall Redevelopment project at Wardle Academy transforms a redundant sports hall space into a test-bed for new forms of teaching and learning. This imaginative re-use provides flexible teaching spaces, a design technology studio and café arranged around a double-height social space for dining, informal learning and events. This central space is animated by the “learning steps”, a processional staircase with integrated seating leading to a refurbished mezzanine level, offering further space for dining as well as audience seating for presentations and performances.
King’s College London, Somerset House East Wing
Location
London, UK
Client
King’s College
London
Completion
2012
The refurbishment of the East Wing of Somerset House in London had a royal opening by The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh in February 2012. This Grade I listed building, located in the Strand Conservation Area, has been called one of the great architectural treasures of the UK and Europe. It has spacious original interiors and a number of magnificent stone staircases that were in critical need of refurbishment.
Ar
Manchester Metropolitan Institute of Sport
Location
Manchester, UK
BSE
La
The refurbishment of 99 Oxford Road provides a long-term solution to the university’s future accommodation requirements for the Manchester Metropolitan Institute of Sport (MMIos) and Business and Law. It also provides an opportunity to achieve the spatial brief for the Faculty of Science and Engineering and the Department for Sport and Exercise Sciences. The work will include the full refurbishment of the existing building, complete with a full strip out, new cladding, structural modifications, new substation, new building services systems and interiors throughout.
Ac
GD
Client The Manchester Metropolitan University Completion 2021 Ar
60 Atlantic | Toronto, Canada
Workplace
Workplace strategy is about exploring what will make an organization successful in their workplace. BDP brings depth to these explorations through observation, testing and collaboration as part of an integrated delivery team.
Adaptive reuse in workplace design involves transforming existing structures into functional and modern work environments. It embraces sustainability by repurposing buildings, reducing waste, and preserving architectural heritage. This approach enhances productivity, creativity, and employee satisfaction while fostering a sense of connection to the past within a contemporary workspace.
BDP’s interior design practice has 50 years creating innovative workplace interiors.
BBC Birmingham at The Mailbox
Ac BSE C
&
Location Birmingham, UK
Creation of a new home for BBC Birmingham providing new flexible office accommodation, TV and radio studios over four floors. The challenge involved moving highly technical spaces into a multi-use, multi-tenant building with restrictive ceiling heights, and a principal focus was introducing open plan working, desk sharing/flexible working through a wide range of work settings.
Client BBC Completion 2017 S
ID Li
Entopia Building, CISL
Location
Cambridge, UK
Client University of Cambridge Completion 2022
This WELL certified refurbishment project to provide a new home for the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) is a world first for a retrofitted sustainable office building, setting new standards for low energy use, carbon emissions and impact on natural resources as well as user experience and wellbeing measured against multiple benchmarks.
ID Li Su
Ac BSE
Old Admiralty Building
Location
Ar GD ID
London, UK
Client Department for Education
Completion 2019
The refurbishment and creative adaptation of the Grade II listed Old Admiralty required extensive engagement with Historic England, due to its significant history including offices once occupied by Winston Churchill and Ian Fleming. Now home to over 1,600 staff, work included reordering the building and repairing its external fabric. The interiors have been opened up to create 24,000 sqm of flexible workspace. Cellular spaces are linked within the historic building to increase connectivity.
Palace of Westminster
Restoration and Renewal Location
London, UK
Client
Strategic Estates
Completion
Ongoing
The palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal Program has been established to tackle the significant work that needs to be done to protect and preserve the heritage of the Palace of Westminster and ensure it can continue to serve as home to the UK Parliament in the 21st century. The Grade I listed Palace dates from the mid-1800s and is now one of the most iconic and significant buildings in the world, and forms part of the UNESCO Westminster World Heritage Site.
Ar Ac BSE La Su C&S Li GD ID Pl
60 Atlantic
Ar ID
Location
Toronto, Canada
Client
Hullmark
Developments Ltd.
Completion 2014
A glass circulation addition punctuated by two 13m tall Corten steel clad volumes that glow like lanterns at night transforms this hybrid of office, retail and gathering spot. The interiors embrace the site’s history with an enlarged Goad’s Fire Atlas wall graphic, while a super graphic “60” on the exterior by artist Pascal Paquette gives the building a bold identity. The design highlights both old and new with constricting brick that patch openings and cast-iron floor plates that knit together the two formerly sperate buildings and carriageway between.
545 King Street West
Ar
Location Toronto, Canada
Client Hullmark Developments Ltd
Completion 2014
Originally built in 1921, 545 King suffered from a lack of identity and layout issues stemming from a 1981 addition. An alley revitalization, façade changes and a new window treatment have attracted commercial and hospitality clients, creating a hub of activity on Toronto’s desirable King Street West. Five-story commercial building with restaurants at grade. Refurbishment of previous loading zone as front entrance threshold.
100 Broadview Avenue
Location
Ar InD
Toronto, Canada
Client Hullmark
Developments Ltd.
Completion 2015
Orange highlights and striking forms lead from the street through the lobby in this renovated commercial building that proposes adaptive reuse can re-engage the city and become an exemplar for universal access. The new lobby relates the street to the new entrance and opens up the former basement as a lower ground level, establishing a clear urban connection and distinctive brand for the building with a bold and universally-accessible form. The public areas of 100 Broadview were rendered universally accessible through a renovation of the lobby and the introduction of wayfinding elements through shared hallways.
BBC - The Tea Factory
Location
Birmingham, UK
Client Stoford Properties Ltd.
Completion
Ongoing
Demolition of part of the existing buildings on the Site and all appropriate site clearance works, followed by the comprehensive refurbishment and extension of part of the existing buildings on the Site for offices with associated vehicle parking, storage areas and amenities for use and the construction on the Amenity Areas of the Amenity Works. BDP were the delivery architects on this project.
Ar
Downtown BMW | Toronto, Canada
Retail
Retail spaces need considered design that reflects brand identity, showcases product and lays the foundation of a successful marketplace.
We work with major international brands and developers to design the full spectrum of retail typologies including experiential retail interiors, consistent brand expressions, commercial mixed-use developments and destination shopping centers. Each environment is strategically designed to build value for retailers and developers.
From stand-alone flagships to extensive national roll-outs, we are experts in retail design and execution. With a volume of 200 stores per year, we have the skills and resources needed to deliver exceptional spaces that bolster the experience of the customer, driving sales and building loyalty.
Adaptive reuse in retail design repurposes existing structures to create unique and innovative shopping experiences, blending historical elements with modern concepts to attract customers and promote sustainability.
Intermix and Hermès at 130 Bloor
Ar ID
Location Toronto, Canada
Completion 2009 and 2011
Residences built atop an existing commercial tower and retail podium on the busiest and most desirable stretch of Toronto’s “Mink Mile”, including luxury brands Hermès, Gucci and the high-end boutique Intermix. An innovative approach to heritage and intensification of urban structures in Toronto’s core.
The Towne
Location
Toronto, Canada
Client
The Azuria Group
Completion 2020
The Towne is a renovation of the podium of an existing 1960s building at Yonge Street and St. Clair Avenue, an area with a competitive retail and office market. The renovation will significantly increase square footage for anchor tenants and will modernize the façade with white terracotta baguettes and a perforated metal screen. Renovation of the two-story podium of a mixed-use building with retail at grade and offices on the second floor, including upgrades to all interior finishes and new façade.
Ar
Christian Louboutin
Ar ID
Location Toronto, Canada
Client Christian Louboutin
Completion 2016
The first free-standing Canadian boutique for this iconic brand required the full restoration and transformation of an 1840s era historic building into a one-of-a-kind, luxury customer experience.
IKEA Oxford Circus
Location
London, UK
Client INGKA Investments
Completion
TBD
Initially working with Ingka Investments to assess the opportunity of acquiring the former flagship Topshop store on Oxford Circus, We are now working with a BDP multi team to reconfigure and reinvent the landmark building for a variety of uses. The investment marks the next step in Ingka’s long-term plan to create a more accessible, affordable and sustainable IKEA. This will be the second London-citycenter destination as we work with them to redefine the retail experience.
Ar ID La Li
Downtown BMW
Location
Ar
Toronto, Canada
Client
BMW Canada Inc.
Completion
2004
Billboard, showroom, service facility and office - the BMW Toronto flagship showroom blurs the line between its functions, creating a striking landmark building on the skyline of the heavily-traveled Don Valley Parkway. An adaptive reuse of a 1950s office building, BMW Toronto demonstrates how an older urban artifact can successfully be reinvigorated and reintegrated as a beacon of contemporary design, thought and consumer appetites. Renovated six-story building with sales and office space and a new two-story addition for automotive service and parts.
99 Gerrard | Toronto, Canada
Residential
We work with clients to create residential projects that revitalize neighborhoods, create vibrant new communities and ensure longlasting value. Our extensive, award-winning portfolio contains a variety of projects, including adaptive reuse, master plans, transit oriented communities, mixed use, mid-rise and high-rise buildings.
We take an integrated design approach, where our experts in architecture, landscape, interior design and engineering collaborate to create solutions that exceed client and user expectation. Adapting existing buildings offers a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to new construction. It preserves architectural heritage, promotes resource conservation, and revitalizes neighborhoods, creating unique and character-rich living spaces that cater to the evolving needs of residents.
Toy Factory Lofts
Ar
Location Toronto, Canada
Client
The Toy Factory of Hanna Developments Inc.
Completion 2007
The Toy Factory Lofts is an industrial building in Toronto’s Liberty Village that was converted into a mix of commercial offices, residences and work/live spaces. The Toy Factory Lofts project involved a strategic combination of renovations, additions, demolition and new construction that integrated components of the historic building design with innovative contemporary features.
Bata Shoe Factory
Ar Su
Location Batawa, Canada
Client Batawa Development Corp
Completion 2019
The adaptive reuse of Bata’s former shoe factory in the Town of Batawa is the centerpiece of a vision to transform the former industrial town into a new model for rural sustainable development. Residential apartments, retail and community uses occupy the original structure, now enhanced with large windows, new balconies and welcoming lobby, reestablishing what was once the center of Batawa as a destination.
The Candy Factory Lofts
Ar
Location Toronto, Canada
Client
Norford Investments
Limited / The Metrontario Group / CMIC Computer Methods
Completion
1998
A vacant century-old factory building of heavy timber and masonry was restored and thoughtfully transformed into 120 residential lofts at, what was then, the periphery of downtown Toronto. The restoration of this under used site demonstrates the power of renewal, signaling change for an entire urban neighborhood’s contemporary reinvention.
36 Hazelton
Ar
Location
Toronto, Canada
Client
Alterra Group of Companies
Completion
2015
A luxury condominium built on top of a heritage schoolhouse in Toronto’s landmark Yorkville district, 36 Hazelton features a restored three-story brick and stone façade, with a seven-story zinc and glass structure behind. This 20-unit condominium is an expression of luxury and heritage, showcasing Yorkville’s history while addressing its present.
99 Gerrard
Ar Su
Location
Toronto, Canada
Client
KingSett Capital Inc.
Completion 2020
An addition and renovation to a mixed-use building from the 1970s, 99 Gerrard provides density and growth through the creation of 274 purpose-built rental residential units. The LEED Platinum certified building features a refined design with a transparent, inviting podium, which is visible from the street. Improved amenities and an expanded range of housing options give new life to this older structure.
The Charles at Church
Location
Ar
Toronto, Canada
Client
Aspen Ridge Homes
Completion 2020
A respectful treatment of heritage buildings at grade defines this residential building in the heart of downtown Toronto. The tower’s design is tapered at the lower levels to maintain focus on the street-level heritage buildings, which in turn will be retained as both residential and retail units.
The Hampton
Location
Ar
Toronto, Canada
Client Arcanos Property Management Corp.
Completion
Fall 2023
The Hampton is located at 101 Roehampton Avenue in the burgeoning Yonge and Eglinton community of midtown Toronto and near the confluence of two major subway lines. The development consists of a new purpose-built 38-story residential rental tower, which has been constructed adjacent to and integrated with an existing 19-story 1970s vintage apartment building. The project will add 255 new rental units to the 128 existing apartments. The design features a disciplined window grid inserted into a solid brick and precast concrete panel exterior, as well as advanced mechanical features that offer both energy efficiency and a high degree of resident comfort.
128
Peter Street
Ar
Location Toronto, Canada
Client
Aoyuan International Completion 2025
Located in the heart of Toronto’s bustling Entertainment District, 128 Peter is a 39-story condominium tower designed in dialogue with the surrounding brick and beam warehouse context in a sensitive juxtaposition between old and new. The tower features dramatic cantilevers sheltering Victorian houses that sit on the site which will be respectfully restored.
130 Bloor Street West
Location
Ar
Toronto, Canada
Client KingSett Capital Inc
Completion 2009
A unique collection of luxury condominium units were built on top of an existing commercial tower on the busiest and most desirable stretch of Toronto’s “Mink Mile”. 130 Bloor is an innovative approach to heritage and intensification, preserving both a 1960s office tower and a famous penthouse, while adding luxurious apartments above a busy, occupied urban structure.
Mixed Use
From thriving civic hubs to expansive suburban and transit-oriented communities, we deliver thoughtful mixed-use design solutions that enrich public and private life.
Adaptive reuse breathes new life into mixed-use development, seamlessly blending history with innovation. By repurposing existing structures, such as factories or warehouses, we create vibrant spaces where residential, commercial, and cultural activities coexist harmoniously, fostering sustainability, preservation, and a sense of community.
The Round Foundry | London, UK
Weir Mill, Stockport
Location Stockport, UK
Client Capital and Centric Limited Completion Ongoing
Our designs for a mixed use 253-home development at Weir Mill, Stockport were submitted for planning and listed building consent in 2021. The plans, for developer Capital & Centric, include restoration of the mill buildings and the construction of two new buildings to create a thriving new community in the town.
Ar Ac
Dublin Central
Location
BSE Su
Dublin, Ireland
Client Hammerson
Completion
Ongoing
Dublin Central, a major 5.5 acre regeneration project in Dublin’s city center, will deliver a mixed use development consisting of workplace, residential, hotel, restaurant and retail uses set within new pedestrian links and public spaces.
The development is targeting LEED (Gold or Platinum) and WELL (Gold) certification.
It is the largest project in Ireland on which a full Life Cycle Analysis has been carried out, including embodied energy analysis for all buildings and services, a process led by BDP.
The Round Foundry
Location Leeds, UK
Client CTP St. James’ / Crosby Homes
Completion
2004
The Round Foundry is considered to be the world’s only surviving first generation engineering works and includes seven listed buildings.
The mixed use development comprises repaired and converted historic buildings and new infill buildings. The accommodation includes 94 apartments which includes an element of affordable housing, commercial floorspace and retail - including a pub, a restaurant and a coffee shop.
Media Environments
Our media team creates exciting environments that support the creative output of the entertainment industry while integrating design excellence, acoustical performance and technical integration within content-secure facilities. We are working with industry leaders across the sector to develop innovative fast-track delivery processes to meet the demands of an exponentially growing sector.
Adaptive reuse for media environments involves repurposing existing buildings or spaces for production purposes. This approach offers cost savings, flexibility, sustainable benefits and creative possibilities. By transforming warehouses, factories, or other structures, it provides unique settings that enhance storytelling, accommodate diverse production needs, and contribute to the sustainability of the media industry.
Stereo D | Toronto, Canada
Stereo D
Ar ID
Location Toronto, Canada
Client Stereo D
Completion 2016
In stark contrast to the widely accepted design principle of the democratization of light, Stereo D is a 3D conversion studio with open work spaces that need to be nearly dark to facilitate rendering. Utilizing the industrial bones of the former Canada Bread Factory, cool, comfortable communal spaces were created to help staff decompress, reconnect and recharge their creativity.
299 Queen Street West
Location
Toronto, Canada
Client CHUM Television
Completion
2004
An iconic heritage building repurposed as the headquarters of the CHUM television empire, 299 Queen served as both a contentproducing center for multiple channels and a social hub for fans and viewers. From the content it produces to the parties held outside its doors, the revitalization of 299 Queen Street West integrated a symbol of the past with a vibrant contemporary context.
Ar ID
Sportsnet Studios
Location
Toronto, Canada
Client Rogers Communications Canada Inc
Completion 2021
When Canadian telecom giant Rogers Communications moved to consolidate their Sportsnet studios at their main campus in downtown Toronto, BDP designed a new space dedicated to the iconic Hockey Night in Canada programming. The design team adapted space in the existing heritage building to suit the needs of a television studio, which included strategic interventions such as maximizing ceiling height, leveling the floor slab, and adding an internal acoustic barrier along the exterior façade to both assist lighting control and block noise infiltration from the busy urban street outside.
Ar InD ID
Deluxe Toronto
Ar InD ID
Location Toronto, Canada
Client Deluxe Entertainment Completion 2014
Deluxe occupies a three-story space in a renovated 1990s data center that contains open concept workspaces, a welcoming atrium and highly specialized post-production facilities for movies and videos. Boasting a custom private cinema for client screenings on the top floor, Deluxe exemplifies how an underused office building can be tailored to accommodate even the most unusual and specialized clients.
Michelle Xuereb Director of Innovation
michelle.xuereb@bdp.com
Rosalind Tsang
Studio Director, NYC
rosalind.tsang@bdp.com
Richard Witt Principal, North America
richard.witt@bdp.com
Key to professions:
Ar Architecture
Ac Acoustics
BSE Building Services Engineering
C&S Civil and Structural Engineering
DM Design Management
GD Graphic Design
InD Inclusive Design
ID Interior Design
La Landscape Architecture
Li Lighting
Ma Masterplanning
Pl Planning
Su Sustainability
UD Urban Design
bdp.com
“
80% of the buildings that will be here in 2050 are already built. Through thoughtful adaptation and reuse, we breathe new life into these buildings and surrounding communities, making better places for people while preserving the carbon sequestered in the structure and significantly improving their operational performance. Adaptive reuse is the opportunity to bridge the memories of the past while aligning with the goals of the future we want to see.”
Michelle Xuereb Director of Innovation
We are architects, engineers, designers and urbanists.
