Adaptive Reuse as a Low-Carbon Design Strategy in the Indian Context: An Embodied Carbon Comparison with New Construction

The building and construction sector is one of the largest contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for a significant share of both operational and embodied carbon. While regulatory frameworks such as the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC 2017) have improved operational energy performance in India, emissions associated with material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, and construction remain largely unregulated. As buildings become more energy-efficient, embodied carbon constitutes an increasing proportion of lifecycle emissions, particularly in reinforced concrete commercial structures. This study evaluates adaptive reuse as a low-carbon design strategy by comparing the upfront embodied carbon of an adaptive reuse workplace and a newly constructed commercial office building in Bengaluru, India. The analysis focuses on lifecycle stages A1–A5, representing emissions generated prior to building occupancy. A comparative case study methodology is adopted using secondary data sources, institutional benchmarks, and lifecycle assessment principles. Embodied carbon values are normalized per square meter (kgCO₂e/m²) to ensure comparability. Results indicate that conventional reinforced concrete office buildings typically exhibit embodied carbon intensities between 450–750 kgCO₂e/m², whereas adaptive reuse projects range between 300–500 kgCO₂e/m² depending on structural retention levels. The findings suggest that adaptive reuse can reduce upfront embodied carbon emissions by approximately 30–50%. Structural retention emerges as the primary driver of this reduction. The study highlights the need to integrate embodied carbon assessment into architectural practice and policy frameworks in rapidly urbanising Indian cities.