Sustainable Valorization of Cultural Heritage: A Systematic Literature Review of Adaptive Reuse

The worldwide cultural heritage is an origin’s cradle of many historical events, cultural integration and technological innovation. It represents an asset to preserve memory as well as the identity of a place. However, maintaining and using such places could prove challenging, given the initial purpose and the specific era in which they were built. As a consequence, many sites are now abandoned, partially destroyed, or in the worst cases, condemned. Adaptive reuse, seen as a possible solution to this phenomenon, nonetheless as a process of valorization of cultural heritage, can be initiated and employed in many ways, some of those addressed to modern use. The adoption of Adaptive Reuse (AR) strategies is the subject of diverse debates, from preliminary assessment to post-evaluation outcomes. However, there is a lack of understanding of why and how some projects succeed, or more generally speaking, what is considered success at all when AR practices occur. Accordingly, this thesis seeks to answer the question: ”How can adaptive reuse strategies effectively balance the preservation of cultural heritage with sustainability goals and economic viability?”. The research is organized as a Systematic Literature Review covering pertinent papers that have been published within the previous fifteen years. The process is based on screening many papers at each stage of the flowchart (identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion) using a PRISMA diagram. The literature review process began with 440 papers, and concluded with the final results of 40 papers. By integrating the taxonomy adopted by the authors of the literature, this research identifies six factors categories impacting the success of AR strategies, which include social, cultural, economic, environmental and functional factors. When combined, these offer an in-depth understanding of the variables influencing adaptive reuse's effectiveness as a heritage building revitalization tactic. Factors such as minimal structure intervention, social amenity, cultural identity of the community, saving embodied energy, increase of cultural demand and job opportunities, and innovative design, represent all critical factors to achieve in order to ensure success in AR initiatives. This thesis aims to aid professionals, entrepreneurs, designers and real estate developers regarding the complex decision-making of adopting as well as evaluating Adaptive Reuse strategies.