Office-to-Residential Conversion: Where It Actually Pencils Out

Office-to-residential conversion looks like an easy answer to vacant office space, but the buildings that actually convert well share specific physical traits: floor plate depth, riser location, and facade type.

Developers evaluate conversion candidates on vacancy rate and price alone, without checking whether the building's floor plate and systems support a residential layout at all.

Run a feasibility study before capital commits: floor plate geometry against unit layouts, riser locations against plumbing needs, and facade system against unit-level window requirements.

Positions PUR4's feasibility studies as the predevelopment step that prevents a developer from committing capital to a building that was never going to convert well.

Deep floor plates and single-expanse curtain wall systems are the buildings least likely to convert efficiently, regardless of how attractive the vacancy numbers look.

A feasibility study that costs a fraction of predevelopment spend is the cheapest insurance available in this asset class.