The Reuse of Disused Industrial Buildings: Analysis and Proposals for a Case Study

The discussed topic concerns “decommissioning industrial”, i.e. the process of deactivating areas, sites or single buildings used for production activi-ties. In particular, the subject of reuse is investigated as a practice to contrast the risk of degradation and as a possible solution to meet the usage needs of today’s society. The functional reconversion of an industrial site can be an opportunity, leading to positive effects on both the environmental and the social and economic context, and can make a decisive contribution to sustainable land regeneration policies. The analysed case study, concerning the area of the Solofra industrial district and a former tanning factory now disused, shows how the reuse practice can not only meet the needs of contemporary life but, at the same time, preserve the soil from gradual consumption. The developed proposal is based on a multi-scalar model, which starts with the urban-functional reorganisation of the area and then addresses the reuse of a single building as a sample. The new use for the disused factory is the result of a needs analysis that gave rise to a project that aims to contribute to solving the problem of the housing crisis for disadvantaged people. Possible developments of the work could concern the deepening of intervention techniques to recover the building, the evaluation of the social impact of reuse and the setting up of an administrative structure model dedicated to the management, maintenance and development of real estate for social purposes.