Turning an office building into apartments isn’t as easy as it looks

With so much office space sitting empty nationwide, it makes total sense to turn it into residences. But do they truly feel like home…or like being stuck at work? We got the scoop from Robert Fuller at architecture firm Gensler, which is converting over 5 million square feet of office space across nine NYC buildings into over 7,000 residential apartments. And surprise, it turns out these places come with perks you won’t find anywhere else.

Q: What are some of the main challenges of converting office buildings into residential apartments? “Office buildings are designed to be big and deep for lots of desks and meeting rooms, while residential buildings are long and skinny to accommodate requirements for light and air. So there’s a fundamental difference between these two buildings. Our challenge is to rework the existing dimensions to be suitable for a totally different use. Another challenge is that office buildings are designed for centralized restroom cores—not distributed kitchens and bathrooms like apartment buildings—and require extensive plumbing reconfiguration. Offices are also operated with centralized heating and cooling, which is why people are often too hot or too cold at work, while residents expect to have individual control over thermostats. So we often have to replace the existing heating and cooling systems.”

Q: Are office-to-residence conversions a good investment? “Many office buildings are undervalued right now, which makes acquisition costs more manageable. At the same time, many are underutilized, so owners are motivated to find new uses for them. Cities are also incentivizing conversions and lowering regulatory barriers, which makes these projects more feasible than ever. On the financial side, high interest rates of recent years have made ground-up residential construction difficult to finance. Investors have been looking to conversion projects, which are not only less expensive than ground-up but also quicker to complete. We’re in a unique moment now where the stars are aligning for a wave of new housing to come out of repurposing existing buildings.”

Q: What advice would you have for investors hoping to convert an office building into a residence? “You have to embrace a more creative approach to residential design that works with the existing building, rather than relying on the freedom that comes with starting a project from scratch. Luckily, we architects enjoy thinking through these complex considerations, so these projects are actually fun for us!”

Q: Are there any advantages to living in a former office building? “What makes these spaces so appealing is their uniqueness. Unlike ground-up residential projects, conversions often result in layouts and features you won’t find anywhere else. Amenities are one area where creativity comes into play: Apartments usually hug the windowline, so we are typically left with interior zones without daylight that can’t function as living spaces. These spaces, however, are perfect for shared amenities, like gyms, lounges, or laundry rooms. We actually had one of our clients move into a conversion we designed, and it’s easy to see why: These projects create opportunities for distinctive homes that stand apart from traditional residential projects.”