Questions to carry forward
- program fit
- existing-condition confidence
- structural and systems implications
- occupied phasing/service continuity
- site/new-construction constraints
- long-term adaptability
Use the question to test the project
The value of the exercise is not a universal answer. It is making criteria, assumptions, responsibilities, and unknowns explicit enough that the next phase can respond to them.
Professional boundary
This fictional article demonstrates communication strategy, not licensed architectural/engineering advice for a real project. Jurisdictional, code, engineering, healthcare, environmental, and specialist decisions require qualified professionals.
What changes when the criteria are explicit
A building with poor systems but excellent program fit may deserve a different comparison than a building with sound structure but fundamentally wrong circulation. Likewise, new construction may solve one constraint while introducing site, phasing, utility, entitlement, or service-continuity consequences.
The useful output is a comparison table whose criteria are specific enough to reveal why one option is stronger—not a universal rule that old buildings should always be saved or replaced.