Stronger Together: How Structural Engineers and Owners Unlock Adaptive Reuse Potential

As office buildings age and demand grows for housing and mixed-use spaces, adaptive reuse is emerging as a smart alternative to demolition and new construction. For Jennifer Greenawalt, P.E., S.E., LEED Green Associate, an associate with Thornton Tomasetti's Washington, DC office, this transformation represents something deeply meaningful: “It's exciting to see a building take new life, instead of just trashing it.”

Greenawalt's passion for adaptive reuse stems from both its environmental impact and architectural possibilities. But her experience has taught her that success depends on one often-overlooked factor: early involvement of a structural engineer.

The Power of Early Partnership

Bringing in a structural engineer at the start can pay huge dividends. “Early engagement with the structural engineer, particularly for spaces with heavy loading and for demo extents, can result in huge savings,” Greenawalt explains. From assessing the existing building's condition to identifying the most efficient layout, structural engineers help ensure feasibility and cost control from the outset.

Every building has quirks—some more challenging than others. Post-tension concrete, massive floor plates, or the need for thousands of core drills (as seen in DC's Watermark office-to-residential transformation, which required more than 8,000 core drills) can make adaptive reuse complex. But Greenawalt emphasizes possibility over limitation: “Anything is possible. Don't write off existing buildings and think it can't be done and needs a new building.”

This optimistic approach reflects her deep belief in adaptive reuse’s potential to breathe new life into aging structures. Adaptive reuse requires close collaboration between owners, architects, and contractors—and the structural engineer often sits at the center of that puzzle. "If we can have the structural engineer figure out that puzzle early, we can get the best solution that is both architecturally compelling and structurally efficient,” Greenawalt notes.

Structural engineers bring critical value to adaptive reuse projects through:

• Cost control and feasibility assessment – Early evaluation prevents expensive surprises and identifies the most efficient approaches

• Creative problem-solving – Finding innovative solutions for challenging existing conditions, such as post-tension concrete or massive floor plates

• Sustainability optimization – Maximizing the reuse of existing structural elements to reduce environmental impact

• Schedule efficiency – Early planning helps avoid delays and keeps projects on track

• Safety assurance – Ensuring public safety while meeting owner priorities and architectural goals

Beyond cost and logistics, adaptive reuse offers undeniable environmental benefits that fuel Greenawalt's enthusiasm for the practice. “The embodied carbon savings are incredible when you can reuse the structure. It's nothing compared to having everything come down and pouring new foundations. The amount of embodied carbon in new materials is significant,” she explains. Reuse not only saves work but also makes a powerful statement of environmental responsibility.

For Greenawalt, adaptive reuse is more than a technical challenge—it's a way of honoring and extending the life of buildings. Her vision of successful adaptive reuse is ambitious: "When done correctly, people often don't even know it's adaptive reuse — it looks and functions like a brand-new building." This philosophy drives her work and informs her approach to adaptive reuse projects, where she sees opportunity where others might see obstacles.

By working closely with the project team, Greenawalt ensures that public safety and owner priorities are met while often achieving additional sustainability and architectural goals for the project. For owners and developers, early collaboration with a structural engineer isn't just about preventing problems—it's about unlocking opportunity. As Greenawalt demonstrates through her work and passion, adaptive reuse is full of potential, and structural engineers are the partners who make it possible.