cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/1125686
Archived version: https://archive.ph/vL1mC
Archived version: https://web.archive.org/web/20230806071111/https://www.businessinsider.com/employees-work-from-home-benefits-as-good-as-raise-2023-8
The upside to these empty buidings is they can - and should be - transitioned to housing. It’s just the rich companies who own the buildings don’t want to have to invest any money in that.
Gov’ts should force them to, but that won’t happen either. :/
I am all for converting commercial to residential. However, a civil engineer or architect (I can’t remember)on reddit explained all of the reasons that’s not practical or sometimes even feasible due to how commercial buildings are constructed. Plumbing, electric, HVAC, etc aren’t designed for units. Retro fitting is cost prohibitive to the point where they’d need to be torn down and built from scratch.
I don’t know how accurate that is, but it sounded legit.
Yet other engineers have said it can be done by refitting the window-facing offices as sets of single/double units with the interior of the floor as communal kitchen/gathering spaces, and separate floors for larger family units and spaces.
It’s not that hard to figure out ways to do it but companies will have to be forced, either by threat of bankruptcy or gov’t rules.
communal kitchens sounds like a freaking nightmare. Thats not realistic or practical. You are asking people to “just change their culture and social norms”.
