Refurbishment is a term used to describe a process of improvement by cleaning, decorating and re-equipping. It may also include elements of retrofitting to make a building more energy-efficient and sustainable. As a broad term, refurbishment is often used interchangeably with renovation or restoration (which is to do with restoring a building to its former condition). In general, refurbishment can encompass such works as cosmetic renovations (such as painting and decorating), upgrading, major repair work, alterations, conversions, extensions, and modernizations.
The lifecycle of a building can be significantly extended by effective refurbishment. As every building is unique, not only structurally, technically and typologically, but also in the local context, the correct approach to refurbishment should be assessed according to the particular conditions. The refurbishment has a key role to play in the change of use of buildings. Instead of demolishing buildings that are no longer used, it may be possible to refurbish them for another use. The change of use in existing buildings could keep existing neighborhoods intact, occupied and safeguarded for the future. For communities, their buildings can represent the historic, cultural and visual fabric of a neighborhood.
The re-use of a building can be achieved if their primary structural integrity is intact. This process is used worldwide, especially in historical buildings with remarkable architecture. The material interventions used to change the function of buildings may have similarities to the original building. Different changes could be applied to buildings, e.g. the conversion of offices and public buildings for residential use, or the conversion of factories or large industrial units for public use such as museums or art galleries. In many cases, these buildings should be saved and restored since most of them form part of the heritage of the nation. The value of these buildings is found in their architectural or structural form, uniqueness or even because they were conceived by a famous architect. However, it is not always economic to take this approach due to the buildings location, size, capacity and the technical requirements associated with the conversion.