Is demolition the biggest mistake in architecture?
In the recent episode of Urbcast, we explored how architecture can move beyond aesthetics to drive real social and environmental change. I spoke with Anne-Marie Gernstrup, director of Gernstrup Architects and jury member of the Obel Award, and Enlai Hooi, Head of Innovation at Schmidt Hammer Lassen and a part of HouseEurope!. Together, they discuss the importance of retrofit, policy-driven design, and the future of sustainable urban transformation. The conversation highlights why HouseEurope! — winner of the 2025 Obel Award — is not just an initiative but a movement challenging demolition culture and pushing for a new architectural norm built on reuse, resilience, and community.
Why we need to transform instead of demolish
The construction industry continues to focus heavily on new builds, often at the cost of demolishing existing structures. This approach, however, brings significant financial, environmental, and social drawbacks. As members of HouseEurope! emphasize, the fear that transformation means “less work” is misplaced. In reality, retrofitting and transforming buildings creates more jobs—and often more meaningful ones.
When building new, around 70% of the budget is spent on materials extracted from the earth, manufactured in factories, and shipped worldwide. This spending creates low-wage, environmentally harmful jobs far from where the projects are located. By contrast, transformation work channels money locally into skilled labor, consultancy, and design, strengthening local economies.
As Enlai Hooi explained:
“Transformation doesn’t mean less work. It actually means more work, and more valuable work that stays within communities.”
The financial and community case for retrofit
Transformation is not just about sustainability; it is also a financially viable and socially beneficial choice. While costs per square meter may be comparable to new builds, retrofit ensures that money stays within communities and contributes to the local economy rather than global extraction industries.
The only actors who lose out in this scenario are large-scale investors—pension funds, hedge funds, and equity groups—who rely on standardized, repeatable developments for predictable returns. For these groups, treating each building with care and nuance is too complex. But for local communities, retrofit means greater value, more jobs, and healthier neighborhoods.
The problem of speculation in housing
Speculation drives two destructive practices:
Demolition for new build, erasing cultural memory and community ties.
Speculative renovation, where companies like Blackstone acquire existing properties, make superficial upgrades, and drastically increase rents, often displacing residents.
HouseEurope! seeks to counter both forms of speculation, promoting instead the transformation of vacant, underused buildings—such as offices or retail spaces—into much-needed housing. This approach adds value without displacing communities and avoids the cultural erasure that comes with demolition.
Embodied culture and the value of existing buildings
Even unloved or “ugly” buildings hold cultural value. Demolishing them not only generates pollution but also wipes out the collective memories and relationships tied to urban places. By transforming such structures, cities can turn what was once neglected into something beautiful, functional, and celebrated.
Enlai put it simply:
“When a building goes down, all of the memories and relationships with that place are erased.”
This idea of “embodied culture” reframes architecture’s potential: every building, no matter how mundane, contains opportunities for renewal.
Recognition through the Obel Award
House Europe’s efforts were recognized with the Obel Award, a prize focused not on aesthetics but on impact and change-making. For its members, the award validated years of frustration within the architectural profession—between wanting to create positive change and being paid to design projects that often worked against those values.
The recognition underscored that transformation is not only environmentally necessary but also socially and economically smarter. By shifting away from demolition and toward adaptive reuse, architects can align their practice with long-term sustainability and community well-being.
For Anne-Marie, being invited to the jury was an opportunity to align with an award that prioritizes social change over visual spectacle.
“It’s not only about pretty buildings we do, but the whole kind of impact they have on wider society, which is really what we are put in the world to do as architects.”
The award often recognizes unconventional initiatives rather than “star architects,” offering visibility and support to those creating meaningful impact.
A theme-based approach
Each year, the Obel Award sets a theme to guide its selection. In 2023, the theme was “Ready-Made”, reflecting transformation and reuse. This approach fosters international and interdisciplinary conversations within the jury, enriching the process and broadening interpretations of architectural value.
Why House Europe stood out
HouseEurope! was selected as the winner because it represents architecture as action and advocacy rather than just buildings. By campaigning for retrofit to become the norm, the initiative parallels broader cultural shifts, such as how awareness of food waste has entered mainstream consciousness.
Unlike purely academic proposals, HouseEurope!advances real policies and case studies, making transformation tangible and achievable.
Retrofit as a global agenda
Retrofit is already common in countries like Denmark, but systemic barriers—such as tax incentives favoring new builds—hinder wider adoption. HouseEurope!’s focus on policy reform seeks to change these economic structures, making retrofit attractive across Europe and potentially beyond.
Anne-Marie noted that if regions like the Middle East or China shifted their development models toward retrofit, the global environmental and social impact would be enormous.
Addressing housing crises through retrofit
European cities face acute housing challenges: inaccessibility, affordability issues, and speculative vacancies. By promoting retrofit, HouseEurope! helps maintain the diversity of neighborhoods, ensuring that regeneration does not erase communities but instead supports varied demographics, generations, and cultures.
Toward mainstream retrofit practice
Recognizing retrofit through an international award signals a cultural shift within architecture itself. Architects are urged to:
Design with adaptability in mind – new builds should be created for longevity and future reuse.
Educate clients – by showing the long-term value of transformation over short-term savings.
Prioritize reversibility – favoring methods like “screws, not glue” to ensure structures can evolve.
This mindset makes retrofit the default mode of practice rather than an exception.
A message for the next generation of architects
Anne-Marie encouraged young practitioners to:
Learn to see the qualities of existing buildings, valuing their reuse potential.
Explore material banks and integrate circular economy principles.
Collaborate with engineers and quantity surveyors early to ensure long-term economic viability.
Challenge assumptions by always asking, “Could we not? What if?”
While awareness of retrofit is growing, Anne-Marie stressed that the field must move beyond discussion. Real examples, real projects, and real policy changes are needed to demonstrate feasibility and inspire adoption.
HouseEurope! shows this by presenting concrete case studies and actionable policies, showing that transformation is not only possible but already happening.
As Anne-Marie concluded:
“We need to do it, go out and do it and not just talk about it.”
