Published on: June 2026
BEYOND PLASTICITY: A SHEARING LAYERS EVALUATION OF FLEXIBLE ARCHITECTURE STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING LONGEVITY
Ar. Swati Punyal
Dr. Preeti Nair
Article Status
Available Documents
Abstract
Problem: No systematic, criteria-based framework exists to evaluate why certain flexible build-ings succeed while others fail.
Objective: This study develops and applies a multi-criteria evaluation framework based on Stewart Brand’s ”Shearing Layers” (Site, Structure, Skin, Services, Space Plan, Stuff) to assess five typologies of flexibility across 15 international case studies (built 1850–2016).
Methods: Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) using a validated 0–3 ordinal scoring rubric. Cases selected via purposive sampling. Inter-rater reliability: Cohen’s κ = 0.84. Expert validation from 8 practitioners.
Key Findings: (1) Successful buildings (life >40 years) scored 0 on Services and Structure and 2–3 on Space Plan and Stuff. (2) Failed cases all exhibited Services plasticity ≥1 with central placement of bathrooms/kitchens. (3) Expert validation achieved 100% agreement on the Services=0 condition.
Conclusion: Flexible architecture succeeds only when plasticity is concentrated in non-structural, non-service layers (Space Plan, Stuff, Skin). Services and Structure must remain entirely per-manent.
Keywords: Flexible architecture, building adaptability, shearing layers, building longevity, post-occupancy evaluation, circular economy.
How to Cite this Paper
Punyal, A. S. (2026). Beyond Plasticity: A Shearing Layers Evaluation of Flexible Architecture Strategies for Building Longevity. International Journal of Creative and Open Research in Engineering and Management, <i>02</i>(6). https://doi.org/10.55041/ijcope.v2i6.249
Punyal, Ar.. "Beyond Plasticity: A Shearing Layers Evaluation of Flexible Architecture Strategies for Building Longevity." International Journal of Creative and Open Research in Engineering and Management, vol. 02, no. 6, 2026, pp. . doi:https://doi.org/10.55041/ijcope.v2i6.249.
Punyal, Ar.. "Beyond Plasticity: A Shearing Layers Evaluation of Flexible Architecture Strategies for Building Longevity." International Journal of Creative and Open Research in Engineering and Management 02, no. 6 (2026). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.55041/ijcope.v2i6.249.
Search & Index
References
- Brand S (1994) How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They’re Built. Viking, New York
- Kronenburg R (2007) Flexible: Architecture that Responds to Laurence King,
London
- R¨ock M, Saade MRM, Balouktsi M, et al (2020) Embodied GHG emis-sions of buildings. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 132:110085. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2020.110085
- UNEP (2022) 2022 Global Status Report for Buildings and UNEP, Nairobi
- IEA (2019) Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction IEA, Paris
- Eurostat (2021) Waste European Union, Luxembourg
- USEPA (2020) Advancing Sustainable Materials Management (EPA-530-F-20-007). Wash-ington, DC
- Di Maria F, et al (2018) Quality assessment of construction and demolition waste. Waste Management 77:208–217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2018.05.015
- Douglas J (2006) Building Adaptation, 2nd Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford
- Remøy H, van der Voordt T (2014) Adaptive reuse of office buildings. Journal of Corporate Real Estate 16(2):78–92. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCRE-04-2013-0011
Ethical Compliance & Review Process
- •All submissions are screened under plagiarism detection.
- •Review follows editorial policy.
- •Authors retain copyright.
- •Peer Review Type: Double-Blind Peer Review
- •Published on: Jun 18 2026
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. You are free to share and adapt this work for non-commercial purposes with proper attribution.