Living life differently and embracing the spirit of place

Our homes reflect our lifestyles. This fact is more true now than at any other time, as housing has no choice but to adapt to rapid changes in family structures, work patterns and environmental issues. These structural changes raise questions not only around the way buildings are designed, but also our ability to adapt existing buildings to meet these new demands. Architect Antonin Yuji Maeno believes that “far too many homes across Europe are being destroyed right now. Reusing existing buildings is a very important thing. That’s even more true today, when there’s a real appetite for non-standard spaces”.

Buildings with stories to tell

Combining historic charm with modern architecture is the answer offered by architect Theo Wunderlich in his design for the eco-community on the island of Eiswerder, a Covivio-owned former industrial site in Berlin-Spandau. But doing so demands greater experience and tighter coordination. “The clinker brick facades of the new buildings have been chosen to match the listed industrial buildings as closely as possible, but in conjunction with large areas of glazing. The buildings tell a story. And those who live here feel it too. A lot of people prefer living somewhere with a rich heritage”, he explains.

Restoring the spirit of place

This need to reconcile old and new is reflected in many Covivio projects. In Bordeaux, the Noème development is converting a lakeside office site long abandoned in favour of more industrial activities into a new residential community. The same desire to conserve and protect the spirit of place is also clear in the Les Terrasses du Mont project in Rueil-Malmaison and Suresnes, just outside Paris. This project involves converting a former head office building into a residential complex, while conserving the historic building and reusing the existing ashlar stone for the new buildings.

Measuring wellbeing more accurately

As Caterina Locati, founder of Habitat Evolutivo®, points out: “Over time, every building gradually lays down the strata of its own history, both visibly and invisibly”. Her analysis draws on both quantum physics and epigenetics to explore the idea that our environments influence the expression of our genes, and therefore, in this case, of buildings, to reveal the energy of life spaces. Her beliefs and practices have been applied in the Covivio Ca’ del Chiostro project to convert an historic building in the city of Padua that has in its time been a monastery, a Napoleonic barracks and the headquarters of the financial administration into new residential units. She believes that “the home of tomorrow must deliver everything it does today: aesthetics, functionality, quality and durability. But it needs to add something to that list that has more to do with our inner selves, our wellbeing and our balance”.

The Global Wellness Institute estimates that the wellness property market was worth $548 billion in 2024. So it would seem important to be able to determine at an early stage whether an old building has the potential to convey ‘soul’, a particular genius loci, before embarking on its conversion…