B.Arch Dissertation 2021:ADAPTIVE REUSE POTENTIAL OF OBSOLETE INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE BUILDINGS-Comtrust

C.A.T COLLEGEOFARCHITECTURETRIVANDRUM MulayaraP.O,Thiruvananthapuram

LakshmiSunithaRaveendran B.ArchDissertation

ADAPTIVEREUSEPOTENTIALOFOBSOLETEINDUSTRIAL HERITAGEBUILDINGSINKERALA

Approval

The following study is hereby approved as a creditable work on the subject, carried out and presented in a manner, sufficiently satisfactory to warrant its acceptance as B.Arch Dissertation, a pre-requisite to the B.Arch Degree programforwhichithasbeensubmitted.

It is to be understood that by this approval the undersigned do not necessarily endorse or approve the statements made, opinions expressed or conclusions drawn therein, but approve the studyonlyfor the purpose for which it has been submitted and satisfies as to the requirement laid down in the academic programme.

DissertationGuide

Coordinator

HOD

BijeyNarayan

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C.A.T

OFARCHITECTURETRIVANDRUM

CERTIFICATE

This isto certifythatMs. Lakshmi SunithaRaveendranhasworkedundermy supervision on ADAPTIVE REUSE POTENTIAL OF OBSOLETE INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE BUILDINGS IN KERALA towards the partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Architecture under the A.P.J Abdul Kalam Technological University, Kerala. Thisishis/heroriginalworkandcanbesubmittedasaB.ArchDissertation.

Guide Ar.ThusharaPT

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DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the Dissertation titled “Adaptive Reuse Potential of Obsolete Industrial

Heritage Buildings in Kerala” was carried out by me during the year 2021 in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Architecture under the A.P.J Abdul Kalam Technological University, Kerala. This dissertation is my own effort andhasnotbeensubmittedtoanyotherUniversity.

Thiruvananthapuram

Date:27.12.2021

Exploring architectural conservation and its various execution methods was an area of interest and research regarding Adaptive Reuse has brought in more understanding about the topicanditsrelationtosustainability.

I am deeply indebted to my guide Ar. Thushara P T for her guidance, advices and the institution, College of Architecture Trivandrum, in providing all the necessary aid and support in completing this dissertation. I would also like to express my special gratitude and thanks to Prof. Craig Langston, Ar. Vinod Cyriac and Ar. Savitha Rajan who helped with providingnecessarydata.LastlyIthankmyfamilyandfriendsfortheircontinuoussupport

Thereareseveralurbanspacesinoursocietythatwe oftenblindlyturnourattention awayfrom.Inthecase ofindustrialheritage inIndia,somanybuildingsareneglectedand dealtwithpoormanagement.Adaptive reuserequireslessenergyandreduceswastage of material,whileprotectingthebuildings'heritagevalues,socio-culturalandhistoric significance,andbreathingnewlifeintothe place.Itisidentifiedasveryaptforconserving industrialheritage.Thispaperexplorestheparametersassociatedwithadaptive reuse evaluationanddecisionmakingparameterswhilestudyingtheobsolescenceofacasestudy building. The studyisultimatelydone tosuggestsolutionsforthealterative useofthe abandonedbuildingandcommenceconservationworks.

Keywords: Adaptive reuse, Industrial Heritage, Architectural Conservation, Adaptive reuse potential, Comtrust Handloom Factory, Obsolescence

LISTOFFIGURES

i. Figure1FagusFactorylistedasUNESCOWorldHeritage.Source:WHC……….....4.

ii. Figure2BostonManufacturingCompanylistedasUNESCOWorldHeritage.Source: WHC………………………………………………………………………...………...4.

iii. Figure3EquationforUsefulLife(Lu)Source:2007,Langston…………..................6.

iv. Figure4EquationforARPSource:2007,Langston………………..……..................6.

v. Figure5Alembic IndustrialHeritage,VadodaraSourse:EshaDafani,NilanjanRoy.8.

vi. Figure6TorontoCarpetFactorySource:Archdaily…………………….....................9

vii. Figure7PepperHouse,Kochi.Source:CulturalMapping………………................10. viii. Figure8PepperHouseinteriorinstallations.Source:Googleartsandculture...…..10

ix. Figure9PepperHouseforBiennale.Source:Googleartsandculture………....…..10

x. Figure10ArielviewofMananchira.Source:Anonymous. …..…………................12

xi. Figure11Comtrustbuildingviewedfromtheadjacentroad.Source:IndianExpress12. xii. Figure12TheoldestphotoofComtrusttakenin1880s.Source:Anonymous……..12. xiii. Figure13 ThelandmarkseenfromacrosstheMananchiraTank.Source:Author...14

xiv. Figure13.a MananchiraTankseenfromthefirstfloorofComtrustofficeblock. Source:Author…………............................................................................................14

xv. Figure14Thecompoundwallsarelitteredwithlayersandlayersofcampaign posters. Source:Author…………............................................................................................14 xvi. Figure15Water-logged frontyardSource:Author………….….………..................14. xvii. Figure16,17,18Exterioroftheweavingshedseenfromtheside road.Theroofisin criticalconditionsandinastatethatmightgettoapointbeyondrepair.Source: Author………….........................................................................................................15.

xviii. Figure19Municipalityworkersattheoppositesite.Source:Author………..............15 xix. Figure20DeteriorationofthewoodenflooringSource:Author…………................15. xx. Figure21Partoftheroofcollapsedonthesidestairs. Source:Author………….....15 xxi. Figure22,23,24Interiorsofthe officebuilding.Source:Author……………….....16. xxii. Figure25Sitecontext.Source:Author…………......................................................17. xxiii. Figure26Roofinteriorwithglazedopeningtoallow sunlight.Source:Author…. 18 xxiv. Figure27Pulleysystems.Source:Author…...…......................................................19. xxv. Figure28Wiringonwalls.Source:Author…………...............................................19 xxvi. Figure29ContrastbetweenComtrustandMananchiramaintenance.Source:

20

xxvii. Figure30Additioninthebuildingcomplex.Source:Author…………...................20. xxviii. Figure31Plotownership.Source:Author…………................................................21 xxix. Figure32,33DisputedepictedinthebuildingSource:Author…………..................21 xxx. Figure34Comtrusttilefactory,Feroke.Source:Comtrusttiles…………...............21. xxxi. Figure35Obsolescencegraph forComtrust.Source:Author…………...................24 xxxii. Figure36Obsolescencegraph forPepperHouseSource:Author…………............24.

LISTOFTABLES

xxxiii. Table1 Obsolescenceassessmentrubrics.Source:Author…………………...…….7. xxxiv. Table2 DesignfeaturesandinterventioninAlembic. Source:Author……………....9

xxxv. Table3 DesignfeaturesandinterventioninTCF.Source:Author…………………...9 xxxvi. Table4 DesignfeaturesandinterventioninPepperHouse.Source:Author……..…10 xxxvii. Table5 ObsolescenceAssessmentrubricforPepperHouse.Source: Author...…...11. xxxviii. Table6Checklistforeachobsolescence.Source:Author…………………………..22. xxxix. Table7Potentialalternative functionsforthebuilding.Source:Author……….....25.

ADAPTIVEREUSEPOTENTIALOFOBSOLETEINDUSTRIAL HERITAGEBUILDINGSINKERALA

1 INTRODUCTION

Therearemanyabandonedcompanybuildingslikehandloombusinesses,cashew factories,coirfactoriesetc.thatflourishedinthepost-independenceperiodin NorthKerala. Nowtheyaredeadspacesthattakeuplargeareasinurbanandsuburbanlocations,these placescouldbetransformedwithmaintainingthehistoricalandeconomicimportanceitused to have.Anexampleisstudied:CommonwealthTrustHandloomWeavingFactoryin Calicut.

Thebuildingisanassetto beconserved butsuffersfromvariousproblemscausedby obsolescencefactorsthatcouldbesolvedthrough‘adaptive reuse’. Theyaretobeobserved andevaluatedinordertofindthebuilding’spotentialforsuchaconservationmethod.Andin theprocess,thenewfunctionsanddesignconsiderationstobe introducedinthe obsolete buildingcanalsobedetermined.

1.1 Aim/ResearchQuestion

Evaluation of adaptive reuse potential of existing industrial buildings in Kerala that have become obsolete, while focusing on how to quantify the obsolescence factors of the buildings.

1.2 Objectives

To understand the importance of adaptive reuse and its application in architectural heritageconservationandsustainability.

To study the effectiveness of the Adaptive Reuse Potential (ARP) model and the generalassessmentofheritage buildings.

Application of ARP model ona case of Kerala’s non-functioningindustrial buildingsDerivation of parameters required to measure/compare functional obsolescence of the building.

To recommend alternative functions/solutions into the ‘company building’-or suggest waystorevivefunctionsbasedonthecontextandsetting(ofthe casestudy).

study will contain literature review of studies conducted on conservation of industrial buildings and specifically, adaptive reuse as an effective method of conservation–International, India and Kerala. While comparing their obsolescence factors and looking into theirdesignflexibility.

Primary case study-. Analysis of the selected building- spaces, plan, sections, elevations,sitestudywithapplicationof ARPmodel.

1. Resusedindustrialbuilding-PepperHouseKochi

Maincase:

2. Obsoleteindustrialbuilding- ComtrustweavingfactoryCalicut

ValuatingandcalculationofobsolescencefactorsandapplicationofARPmodel

Additional qualitative research –Interviews and user study of stakeholders, workers, immediate neighbours and the general public related of the selected case study/site to understand their view on the subject of urban conservationpreparationof questionnaire.

1.4 Scope

Adaptive reuse offers economic, environmental and social benefits to building owner and investors. Preparing an ARP ranking catalogue of existing buildings across a city or territory, will help identify and urge the need to commence planningofthereuseprocess.

The data will be useful for further urban development that can be done in the area while avoiding placelessness, making the culture attract tourism. The weavers and the communities associated will benefit from more studies conducted about them andspreadingawarenessoftheculture.

1.5 Limitation

Covid-19 protocols, safety and security issues have limited the accessibility for detailedstudyofthecase study.

The case study is of a particular architectural style, so the results of the similar evaluationsmadeonadifferentstyleofbuildingmayvaryobjectively

The study focuses only on significant heritage buildings that are generally agreed on qualifyingforconservation.

2 INDUSTRIALHERITAGEANDARP

“Cities need old buildings so badly it is probably impossible for vigorous streets and districtstogrowwithoutthem.”-JaneJacobs,TheDeathandLifeofGreatAmericanCities.

A heritage area is one part of thecity that contributes to the urban quality of life because it is crucial for the sustainability of the community's culture. Dimensions underlyingahistoricstreet’simageability: SenseofPlace,Attractiveness,andPlaceIdentity

Heritage buildings are of many types, some are looked into with great interest while someothersareshownneglectduetothelackofknowledge ofitssignificance.

2.1 What isindustrialheritage?

They are places and spaces that link the contemporary world to the work of the past. They can tell stories of economic, technological and social achievements and the transformationofmaterials thatoccurredin thedawn oftheindustrial world. They also index theambition,riseanddeclineoftheindustryandplacesovertime.

Industrial heritage sites may have been abandoned long ago, they may have gone through many changes and deterioration over the years or they may have only ceased being used for their original purpose. Theymay undergo physicalas well as technological changes. These sites may or may not be loved by the members of the concerned community, or they maybedismissedasunsightlysignsofdilapidationanddecay.

The heritage significance of an industry building or site can be historical, aesthetic, social, technical and both tangible or intangible. But a lot of industrial heritage sites are endangeredandareatrisk thanalmostanyotherkind ofheritage.

Figure1:FagusFactorylistedasUNESCOWorld Heritage(WHC)

Figure2:BostonManufacturingCompanylisted asUNESCOWorldHeritage(WHC)

There is a need to bridge the gap between the idea of ‘heritage’ and ‘industries’. The industrial age was not just mills and factories but also features social and engineering triumphs spawned by new technologies. However, in terms of modern industrial heritage, very little has been achieved. There are large-scale building stocks that require huge resources for the conservation, maintenance and management. The need of the hour is to explore approaches to re-use these obsolete structures in a creative manner and make them relevanttothe needsofthemodernsociety

2.2 Adaptivere-use

Existing buildings that are obsolete or rapidly approaching disuse and potential demolition are a ‘mine’ of raw materials for new projects. Even more effective, rather than extractingtheserawmaterialsduringdemolitionordeconstructionandassigningthemtonew applications, is to leave the basic structure and fabric of the building intact, and change its use.

This approach is called ‘adaptive reuse’. Breathing ‘new life’ into existing buildings carrieswithitenvironmentalandsocialbenefitsand helpstoretainournationalheritage.

The term Reuse has become different from the term Adaptive reuse to mean modifying, transferring or changing the function of buildings that lost their original function whiletheyareingoodconstructionconditiontoothernewusesthatsuitthecurrentneedsand ensure the protection of the building. Often the process of reuse accompanies structural or space changes in the buildingaccording to its new function, whichhelps to rehabilitate it and integrateitwiththeurbanandsocialfabricof theoceaninsteadofbeingaclosedimpact,thus ensuring the continuity of the life of these buildings and practically maintaining them, taking intoconsiderationthatanychangesofthesebuildingshouldbeminimal.

2.3 Literaturereview:Applicationof theAdaptiveReuse Potential(ARP)modelin HongKong (CraigLangston)

An index of reuse potential shown as percentile is calculated with taking consideration of its useful life, physical life as well as ‘quantifying’ the factors of obsolescence. This can be utilized to rank all the potential built structures to be conserved throughout an area. Where the building age is close to and less than its useful life, the model recognizesthatplanningshouldcommence.

Figure4:EquationforARP

Figure3:EquationforUsefulLife(Lu)

2.3.1 Understanding obsolescence

The useful (effective) life of a building or any other asset in the past has been particularly hard to forecast because of premature obsolescence. This can be defined as comprisinganyofthefollowing:

(1) Physical obsolescence: while all buildings naturally decay over time, accelerated deteriorationleadstodecreasedphysicalperformanceandobsolescence.

(2) Economic obsolescence: the period of time over which possession or use of a specific building is considered to be the least based on financial criteria. Economic obsolescencecantooincorporatetherequirementforlocationalchange

(3) Functional obsolescence:alter in ownership and needs leads to possible functional changesfromthereasonforwhichabuildingwasinitiallydesigned.

(4) Technological obsolescence: this happens when the building or component is not technologically superior to alternatives and substitution is attempted since of anticipated loweroperatingcostsormorenoteworthyefficiency.

(5) Social obsolescence: design or behavioural changes (e.g. aesthetics, religious) in societycanleadtotherequirementforbuildingremodellingorreplacement.

(6) Legal obsolescence: re-examined security regulation, building statutes or environmentalcontrolsmayleadtolegalobsolescence.

(7) Political obsolescence: this is evaluated by the amount of public or local communityinterestbasedonaproject,canbepositive ornegative (Langston,2007)

2.4 Evaluatingandquantifying obsolescence

Based on the conditions and criteria taken into consideration for the scoring of obsolescence from the papers of Langston, a holistic rubric is prepared for the obsolescence evaluation- with this a single score can be assigned based on an overall judgment of the obsolescencefromtheexperts.

Obsolescence factors are graded in the range from 0% to 20%. In the self-evaluation, a set of yes or no questions for each factor is answered. For each positive answer, the obsolescence gains 5%. For example, if all questions under physical obsolescence are answered‘yes’,thentherateofobsolescenceis20%,whichisveryhigh.

Obsolescencefactor,O=20% Questionweightage,Q=5%

O1=Q1+Q2+Q3+Q

Sumofobsolescence,∑O

+O

MaximumOvalue=20x7=140

+O

+O

+O5+O6+O7(referFigure3)

ARP is found after determining effective useful life (ELu) using the seven obsolescence values. The values above 50% shows they are of high potential, range 20 to 49 shows moderateand1to19showslowpotential.

2.5 Literaturecasestudy

Cases are selected where adaptive re-use has been implemented on and effectively worked. Atabulationof the functionaland design flexibilityelementsiscreatedforeachcase andiscompared.

2.5.1 Alembic Industrial Heritage and Re-Development

The Alembic factory is located in the middle of the city and along the main railway line of the city of Baroda. In its 112th year of existence, the first-ever Alembic industrial building in Vadodara has seen multiple surgical interventions. The building got altered over time due to change in the original purpose of the facility. Starting from manufacturing penicillin to alcohol; the space within is meant to serve the Alembic Museum, art studios, displayandexhibitionspacewithancillaryspacesforalibrary, AVroom,andacafé.

Originaldesign Intervention Use Inference

Exteriorwall Accesspoints Differentfunctions introducedinthebuilding

Blindarches Openarches Increasedcirculation

Largespan Interiorwalls Moreroomunits

Table 2: Design features and intervention in Alembic

2.5.2 Toronto carpet factory

Deterioratedroofscan openupspaceandbe usedascourtsinstead offixingit.

Originally built as a carpet manufacturing facility between 1899 and the 1920s. A historically listed, turn of the century office complex featuring several buildings clustered around internal courtyards and laneways, in the heart of Liberty Village. Suites feature high ceilings, exposed brick and beams with large, operable windows. Companies in the Toronto Carpet Factory maintain that the nature and quality of the office accommodation have enhancedtheirabilitytorecruitandretainemployees.

Originaldesign Intervention Use

Blocks Accesspoints Differentfunctions introducedinthebuilding

Builtheight Mezzaninefloors Increasedoccupancy

Largespan Interiorwalls Moreroomunits

Inference

Abuildingcomplex withdifferent ownershipcanbe unifiedasoneentityby givingthemdifferent functionsofthesame category.

Table 3: Design features and intervention in TCF

2.5.3 Pepper House

Located in Calvetti, south of the Calvetti Juma Masjid and north of the Boat Jetty, Pepper House was originally a warehouse for spices that has now been converted into a cultural center and coffee shop. The 1,486-square-metre complex

comprises of a waterfront heritage property with Dutch-style clay roofs and two historic warehouses. This two-storied building constructed outof wood, laterite, and lime is a typical example ofthe designand architecture of traditionalwarehousesin Kochi. Duringnon-biennaleseason, thevenuefunctionsasan art residencyhousingafewretailstoresaswell.

Originaldesign Intervention Use

Courtyard Vegetation, seating Differentfunctions introducedinthebuilding

Goodsstorage Provisionfor installations Galleryspace

Narrowgoods loadingentrance Openingattwo sides Retailshop, library

Backyard loading/unloading Waterfront facingthejetty Recreational viewing space forvisitors

Inference

Year-longplanningof activitiesand programmes conductedbythe complexaspartof biennalesbutnever losingits original intendofembracing traditionalandmodern art.

Table 4: Design features and interventions in Pepper House

Figure7:PepperHouse,Kochi(CulturalMapping)

Speculative

Sumofobsolescence,∑Oi=O1+O2+O3+O4+O5+O6+O7

3 THECASEOFCOMTRUST

An obsolete run-down factory at the urban centre of a city is chosen to study and determineisadaptivereusepotential.

3.1 CommonwealthTrustHandloomWeaving Factory

The building is located in the heart of Calicut city and overlooks the iconic Mananchira Tank. Surrounded by important city landmarks like the Town hall and the CSI cathedral church, the building is a reminiscent of 19th century Calicut and living proof of the dawn ofprogressthatthecitywitnessedinthelateryears.

3.2 Historyofownership

The weaving factory was established in 1844 by a German Protestant Christian Missionary society called the Basel Evangelical Missionary. Hermann Gundert, a German linguist who had contributed a lot to the Malayalam language, came to Kerala as part of this missionarygroup.

Figure10:ArielviewofMananchira(Anonymous) Figure11:Comtrustbuildingviewedfromthe adjacentroad(IndianExpress)

After World War 1, the company was taken over by another British company named Commonwealth, based in London. In 1977, it was registered as an Indian company. Since thenithasbeenatrust-ownedfactory.

In the mid-2000s, following the gradual decline in the market, the company started delaying orders and laying off the employees and finally in 2009, the illegal closure of Comtrustoccurredandacomplaintbytheemployeeswasfiled.

3.3 Legacy

During 1830s, German missionary organisation, the Basel Evangelical missionary reached South India. Around this time, Kerala’s practice of caste system was at the worst peak and certain castes were assigned to only follow certain professional practices. As a result, the new converted Christians through the missionaries were left unemployed. Earlier, weavingwas only carried out by the Chaliyas community, who had migrated from Nagercoil andTirunelveli.

Amidst the growing industrial age hustle, the Basel Missionaries introduced handlooms and machineries and started the weaving company in order to employ the new minority. They introduced modern looms: European-frame loom, dyeing-based chemical processes, mechanisedyarns, steamengines for spool winding anddyeing, says a booktitled, ‘Basel Mission Industries In Malabar And South Canara (1834-1914): A Study of Its Social AndEconomicImpact’,writtenbyprofessorJayaprakashRaghavaiah.

The large weaving factory produced exceptional products and was in great demand. Branded ‘hard to break, since 1844’, the COMTRUST collection included some exquisite items like silk tapestry, candy stripe bed spreads and cellular blankets. Their clientele included the Buckingham Palace (for royal tapestry) and Air India Aircrafts (for nonflammable silk and carpet). They manufactured all types of clothes, including shirts, pants, dresses, pajamas, cotton bed sheets, table cloths, Turkish towels and some specialised types ofcloth,readsthebook.

After the World War and the takeover by the Commonwealth Trust, the company started to decline. The management tried to sell off land and parts of it to accumulate losses allthatresultedinthe‘soul’ofthecompanybeinglost.

Present sitecondition

Getting closer to the building, the enormity of the building is left behind as one sees the level of deterioration and neglect the site faces. The site sits next to the entrance of Mananchira ground which is very well maintained by the municipality, the contrast is verystarkaswellasunfortunate.

3.6 Obsolescencefactorsofthe building

Subjective observation of obsolescence based on collected data and expert talk and discussion.

3.6.1 Physical obsolescence

Currently there has been little to zero building maintenance that has occurred ever since the factory has beenshutdown. Due to the active strike byComtrust ex-employees that has been going on since 2009, there is no one held responsible for a maintenance policy and thebuildinghasalwaysbeenclosedandunkemptformorethantenyears.

But during its time of its functioning, it used to be well maintained for a majority of its life. The most remarkable feature of the building is its long rows of roofing above the weaving hall which is also endangered from environmental decay and negligence in repair. Experts urge the need for working on and treating the roof to avoid complete dilapidation of the intricate and innovative design. The rows of high quality timber columns made of Anjili woodisverydurableandanassettopreserve.

The thick vegetation around the structure is also leading to deterioration of walls, increasing dampness and possibility of crack formation. Additionally, Comtrust also suffers from man-made destruction on walls, glazing and doors from the thefts that occur because of the poor security. Thieves have broken into the buildingcomplex androbbed parts ofthe old,

expensive handlooms from Germany. It is a pity to see valuable entities of the past getting disrespected and looted right in front of our eyes. Other important heritage artefacts of Comtrust include and rows of books inthe libraryfull ofhandwritten records and manuals as well as the beautiful handmade catalogues of threads and colour combinations that goes into thesehandlooms.

Higher ceilings provide a number of benefits, from greater flexibility for biotech or high-techusesto potentialmezzanineareaforaddedresidentialspacetomoreattractiveretail spacedemandinghigherrents.

3.6.2 Economic obsolescence

The buildingcomplexissituatedatafocal point of Calicutcity. Mananchira squareis one of the most populous areas of Calicut as well as a venue of several significant historical events rangingfrom the time of Zamorins to British rule. The site is also surrounded by busy landmarks andnodeslikeMananchira ground, pond, SM Street, Townhall,CSIchurchetc.It wasonethefirstindustrialventuresontheMalabarCoast.

Comtrust’s relationship with the market used to be very valuable too. The production of the world famous Calico cloth was propagated from the handlooms in this factory. It was flourishing decently with exports and tourist visits till the mid-2000s. But the sudden withdrawal of activities by the Commonwealth Trust management tied with the two nowclosed Comtrust Tile Factories at Calicut and Feroke, halted all production activities and left alltheemployeesindespair.

A revival of the handloom culture is a necessity here but to know how it may sustain today, the demand for handloom textile in the market is to be analysed. The clothes coming from Comtrust are luxury products but later the introduction of power looms in the factory madewaytocheaperandaffordableproducts.

3.6.3 Functional obsolescence

The building is an example of a spatially well-planned factory with all the necessary functions and required utilities catering the workers. There are open areas and voluminous rooms with huge ceiling height and long span. The weaving hall is a huge one-storey work shed with large handloom capacity. The labour requires adequate amount of lighting and thereforethe buildingis naturallywell-litwith cleverceilingandwindowopeningsthatallow in diffused light in. This is very sustainable even for today’s standards as the opening on the wallsofallfoursidesalsoallowsnaturalventilation.

The introduction of power looms made several concrete additions to the building like interconnecting halls in the complex for capacity and the open spaces; these are area that can be turned into desirable area for an intervention. The building height is also another element that increases the design flexibility; a mezzanine floor can be easily added. The architecture, overall, is not very complex and the possibility of redesigning and reuse would be very feasiblehere.

3.6.4 Technological obsolescence

The company started off as completely manual handloom run without electricity usage. These handlooms are unique and of high quality that are imported from Germany. By 1980s, better technology made its way to Comtrust as they introduced power looms to the factory.TheGermanmachinerieswasagreatspatialinterventionaswell;itusedbothmanual and electric power to run and produced high quality fabrics. Extra rooms were added later to the building complex to accommodate the new machineries. The office building seen as the facade is linear in form and the uses electricity for running fans, lights (no ceiling lights; wired through walls) but most of the time it doesn't require lighting as the buildings are open on all sides with proper ventilation. The vast weaving unit provides adequate ventilation through series of huge circular vents on the walls allowing hot air to rise and escape acceleratedbythehighceilingheight.

3.6.5 Social obsolescence

The workers of Comtrust have now moved on with life and other occupations but there is still a need for a reliable weaving center in the area as a lot of small scale handloom weavers are found at different locations of Calicut and other Malabar regions. A huge company like Comtrust would bring skilled workers from weaving clusters of Koilandy and Kommeri together and have a better platform for unity and production as well as the transfer ofknowledgeandskills

Thecommonpeoplearoundare notveryawareof thesignificanceof thebuilding, the history behind it and the socio-economic empowerment it provided to the underprivileged. But the commercial entities around the area are concerned for the future of this building. Along with the sentiments of nostalgia, they have once had a great economic boom because of the functioning of Comtrust and being at close proximity. The theatre adjacent to the site, Town Hall and SM Street market are all equal beneficiaries of an intervention brought to Comtrust.

3.6.6 Legal obsolescence

The building is more than 100 years old hence the current building standards and regulations do not apply here and it comes under the heritage built category. It had been kept well throughout its useful life but since the complete shutdown, the poor maintenance has resulted in greatdeteriorationandunsafeconditionsinsidethebuilding.

There is no structural rectifications taken place in the recent times and the last modification made was among the extensions made for accommodating new dyeing unit in thefactory.

3.6.7 Political obsolescence

Thedownfalltrajectoryofthisestablishment beganfromitspoliticalobsolescenceand couldbedeterminedastherootcauseof otherobsolescencetooccur.Thereisahuge multiple-ownershipdisputethatisstill ongoingevenafteryearsofthemanagement switchup.Afterthetrustabandonment,the originalworkerswereappointedstakeholders ofComtrustalongwiththegovernmentand KSIDC,withamonthlyrewardfromthetime theyspentworkingatthefactory.

The same is situation at Comtrust Tile factory at Puthiyara and Feroke, where the stakeholders are hesitant to accept change and development. They have failed to accept the potential lying in the building and do not realize the revenue it could generate if managed properly.

3.7 ARPcalculationof thebuilding

life

A)

obsolescence- measuringphysicaldeterioration

life worksheet-

Range

effects faced caused

Verticalmovementsafety

Economicobsolescence -relationshipwithmarket

Comtrust?

range: 0=city center; 1=corner lot; 3=visible lot; 5=inner lot

Historicalusemarketability

than 100 years 5=built within the decade

Functionalobsolescence- designflexibility

existing façade

Ceilingheight range: high=0;

significantly

Technologicalobsolescence- relianceonenergy

Socialobsolescence-ownership

property condition, stable property

possible=0

not change=5;

Legalobsolescence-quality

Wasthebuildingwasoriginallyconstructedinlessqualityandmaintained throughout

Method of construction range: 5=Light wood frame; 3=Heavy timber; 0=iron/steel

0.09

Politicalobsolescence -public/stakeholderinterest

Amountofstakeholders

PublicinterestinComtrust

PhysicalObsolescence=67%

Onascaleof0to0.2(O1)=0.13

EconomicObsolescence=22.8%

Onascaleof0to0.2(O2)=0.04

FunctionalObsolescence=36.7%

Onascaleof0to0.2(O3)= 0.07

TechnologicalObsolescence=45%

Onascaleof0to0.2(O4)=0.09

SocialObsolescence=53.4%

Onascaleof0to0.2(O5)=0.10

LegalObsolescence=46.7%

Onascaleof0to0.2(O6)=0.09

PoliticalObsolescence=72%

Onascaleof0to0.2(O2)=0.14

Totalobsolescence, Oi=0.66

Buildingage,Lb= 80years(lastrefurbishmentdate= 1941)

Usefullife,Lu=77.6years

ARP= 70.8%(calculationspreadsheet-AppendixB)

4.1 Resultandobservations

The obsolescence factors for Comtrust were determined using a checklist of detailed criterion and it is observed that the main issue lies with political obsolescence. And physical obsolescence, although is very high, in most harsh cases can be rectified with proper reconstruction. Since economic obsolescence is low, bringing in adaptive reuse of the buildingisgoingto behighlyrewarding.

PhysicalO1

EconomicO2

FunctionalO3

TechnologicalO4

SocialO5

LegalO6

PoliticalO7

Obsolescencerate

On the other hand, the obsolescence factors for Pepper House were assumed using an assessment rubric, and it was found that the building had suffered more from physical, economic and legal obsolescence. The current physical condition is optimum as it went through restoration prior to Kochi biennale. This event also compensated the economic obsolescence because it opened up more opportunities for the building to be utilized despite not beinginacitycenter.ARP=61.5%

PhysicalO1

EconomicO2

FunctionalO3

TechnologicalO4

SocialO5

LegalO6

PoliticalO7

Obsolescencerate

The ARP value of Comtrust is 70.8% which is positive and indicates that it is highly eligible for adaptive reuse. The new function introduced should be able to tackle the political issuessurroundingthebuildingsensitivelyandplanoutinawayallthestakeholdersbenefits.

Ifthe valueislowerfor: Possibilitiesfora newfunction

PhysicalObsolescence Officebuilding Design studio Museum

EconomicObsolescence Textilefactory Market

FunctionalObsolescence Lodging Restaurant Viewpoint

TechnologicalObsolescence Textilefactory Institute

SocialObsolescence Multiuse Publiclibrary

LegalObsolescence Museum Temporaryevents

PoliticalObsolescence Busterminal/publicservice Recreational

Table7:Potentialalternativefunctionsforthebuilding

4.2 Inference

In order to benefit all the stakeholders, the building complex of Comtrust might be needed to divide itself and introduce broken-up programmes and functions that complement eachother.Forexample,anintegratedhandloomcenterdesignprogramcomprisingof: an institute; where the ex-workers can continue their service and even pass down the craft bydemonstrationandtrainingtostudents exhibition; where the intangible elements shall be preserved by openingup to visitors toexperiencethehandloomculture retail; revenue must be generated for the running of such a huge establishment, the high quality textiles can be reintroduced to the market while also inviting other weaver societiestocollaborate.

TheuseoftheARPmodelhasbeenexploredandappliedonabuildingintheKeralacontext. Itisfoundthatthebuildingsuffersfromphysicalandpoliticalobsolescencethemosteven whentheeconomicobsolescencerateisverylow.Thismeansthatthe builtresources,that areleftwithoutpropermanagementandareforgottenamongpoliticaldisputes, isgetting wastedmindlesslywhentheyhavehighpotentialtobeutilizedtoprovide withserviceand revenuegeneration.Recentenvironmentalconditionanditsconsequencessuggestauthorities andstakeholdersthataction shouldbetakenassoonaspossibleinordertoreceive the benefitsthatComtrusthastooffertotheeconomy,orelse the heritagebuildingisevenmore endangeredthatitalreadyis. Thisistheconditionwithalotofotherindustrialbuildingsin Kerala,ifnotthesamehuge scale, itcanstillbeusedreusedefficiently.

REFERENCES

i. CraigLangston&Li‐YinShen(2007)ApplicationoftheadaptivereusepotentialmodelinHong Kong:AcasestudyofLuiSengChun,InternationalJournalofStrategicPropertyManagement,11:4,193207Hawking,S.(2009). A Breif History of Time: From Big Bang to Black Holes. NewYork:RandomHouse Publications.

ii. Conejos,Sheila&Langston,Craig.(2010). Designing for future building adaptive reuse using adaptSTAR. MirvacSchoolofSustainableDevelopment National family health survey. (2015-2016). RetrievedJanuary21,2020,fromhttp://rchiips.org

iii. Shipley,R.,Utz,S.,&Parsons,M.(2006). Does Adaptive Reuse Pay? A Study of the Business of Building Renovation in Ontario, Canada. InInternationalJournalofHeritageStudies(Vol.12,Issue6,pp.505–520)

iv. Zhang,S.(2007). Conservation and adaptive reuse of industrial heritage in Shanghai.InFrontiersof ArchitectureandCivilEngineeringinChina(Vol.1,Issue4,pp.481–490).SpringerScienceand BusinessMediaLLC

environmental context

Eachquestioncarriespointsandeveryyes ‘y’addsorsubtractstothephysicallife

Physicallife worksheet

occupational profile

y/n

Isthebuildinglocatedwithin1kilometerofthecoast? n

Isthebuildingsitecharacterizedbystablesoilconditions?

# y

Doesthebuildingsitehavelowrainfall(<500mmannualaverage)? y

Isthebuildingconstructedona'greenfield'site? n

Isthebuildingexposedtopotentialfloodorwash-awayconditions? n

Isthebuildingexposedtoseverestormactivity? n

Isthebuildingexposedtoearthquakedamage? n

Isthebuildinglocatedinabushfirezone? n

Isthebuildinglocatedinanareaofcivilunrest? # n

Areanimalsorinsectspresentthatcandamagethebuildingfabric? # n

Isthebuildingusedmainlyduringnormalworkinghours? n

Areindustrialtypeactivitiesundertakenwithinthebuilding? # y

Isthebuildingopentothegeneralpublic? n

Doesthebuildingcomprisetenantoccupancy? n

Isabuildingmanagerorcaretakerusuallypresent? # y

Isthebuildingintendedasalong-termasset? # y

Doesthebuildingsupporthazardousmaterialstorageorhandling? n

Isthebuildingoccupationdensitygreaterthan1personper10m2? n

Isthebuildingprotectedbysecuritysurveillance? n

Isthebuildingfullyinsured? n

Isthebuildingdesigntypifiedbyelementsofmassiveconstruction? y

Isthemainstructureofthebuildingsignificantlyoverdesigned? n

Isthebuildingstructurecomplexorunconventional? n

Arebuildingcomponentsintendedtobehighlydurable?

Arethereotherstructuresimmediatelyadjacenttothebuilding?

Isthebuildingfoundedonsolidrock?

Wastheworkmanshipstandardfortheprojecthigh?

Istheroofsusceptibletoleakinginbadweatherconditions?

Isthebuildingprotectedagainstaccidentalfireevents?

Isthebuildingdesignedasapublicmonumentorlandmark?

Suggestedforecast(years)

Adaptivereuse potentialcalculatorspreadsheet

adaptive reuse potential (ARP%)= 70.8

Itwillbechallengingtofindasuitablereuseforastructurethateffectivelyhasnowindowsorfloorsandhasa smallfootprint.Itislocatedinapopulatedurbanlocation.Ithashighheritagevalues.

physicallife(Lp)= 150 years index= 190 buildingage(Lb)= 80 years override=

original construction date= 1884 today'sdate= 2021 lastrefurbishment date = 1941

physical(O1) 0.13 economic(O2) 0.04 functional(O3) 0.07 technological(O4) 0.09 social(O5) 0.10 legal(O6) 0.09 political(O7) 0.14 total= 0.66 obsolescenceratepa= 0.44

usefullife(Lu)= 77.6 years adaptivereusepotentialishigh anddecreasing

yearstousefullife= -2.4 years

maximum arp score (%)= 73.2 ARPdifference(%)= 3.4 %

Source: Craig Langston, Validation of the adaptive reuse potential (ARP) model using iconCUR,