Renovation, Restoration, and Adaptive Reuse
Why the “already-built” home is often the smartest home to improve
Around Nashville, I hear versions of the same question all the time:
“Would it be better to tear it down and start over… or can we make what we have work?”
And the honest answer is this: some of the best homes we can build are the ones that already exist.
Not because they’re perfect—but because they’re full of potential. Older homes carry real value: financially, historically, and yes, environmentally. And in a city like Nashville where established neighborhoods and historic housing stock define much of the character of the city, that value matters.
Here’s the part most people don’t talk about enough: the greenest building is often the one that’s already built. A home that’s been standing for 40, 60, or 100 years already represents an enormous investment of materials, energy, and labor. The framing, foundation, brick, stone, plaster—those aren’t just components. They’re resources already spent.
When we renovate intelligently, we’re not just upgrading finishes. We’re extending the life of what’s already here, improving comfort and performance, and avoiding unnecessary waste.
Why existing homes matter more than ever
When it’s January, 20 degrees outside, and your old, drafty windows just aren’t cutting it, it’s tempting to pine over your neighbor’s brand new home. There’s definitely something to be said about the new and efficient building materials of the 21st century–better windows, tighter insulation, improved HVAC, etc.
But here’s the bigger picture: new construction alone doesn’t address the carbon footprint that already exists in the buildings around us. Put simply, the energy it took to create and deliver the materials in your current home has already been “paid.” If we bulldoze a solid home just to replace it with something new, we’re not starting from zero–we’re adding to the total cost of building in the first place.
That’s why renovation, restoration, and adaptive reuse play such an important role in sustainable building. Especially in cities with rich architectural history like Nashville!
Why not just move?
That’s a fair question. If a house no longer fits your life, why not sell it and find one that does?
Sometimes, that
is
the right answer, but in many established Nashville neighborhoods, moving turns out to be far more complicated and expensive than it first appears.
When you move, you’re not just buying a house. You’re buying a location, a lot, a street, a commute, and sometimes a school zone. Homes that truly “check every box” in the neighborhoods people want to stay are increasingly rare. When they do come on the market, they often come with a premium price–or compromises that only become clear after the move.
There’s also the math. Moving comes with real costs: commissions, closing fees, moving expenses, higher interest rates, and often higher property taxes. By the time those are accounted for, many homeowners find that a well-planned renovation or addition delivers more usable space, better performance, and greater long-term value for the same–or less–total investment.
Renovation also offers something moving can’t: control. Instead of adapting your life to someone else’s floor plan and decisions, the house adapts to–your family, your work, and how you actually live. Renovation can have a reputation for being stressful, and sometimes that reputation is earned. But with the thoughtful planning and clear scope that Artisan provides, improving the home you’re already in is often less disruptive than uprooting your life entirely–especially in a tight housing market like Nashville.
What we try to save—and why
When the team at Artisan Build Construct walks through an existing home with a client, we’re doing two things listening to the homeowner and working to understand how they live and want to live well, and looking at the bones first.
Even if a home needs real work–cosmetic updates are easy— deferred maintenance, water damage, wood rot sections, settling, outdated systems–if you’ve still got solid bones and a roofline worth saving, there’s a way to repair and fix - and almost always something valuable to preserve. Sometimes clients think “saving” means keeping old materials just to be sentimental. That’s not it.
Saving materials is about keeping what still has value both structurally and functionally. We want to use your budget where it actually moves the needle.
Instead of replacing everything we ask:
- Can we keep the structure and improve the performance? We often work with homes that are structurally sound but uncomfortable. Maybe drafty in winter, hot in summer, and expensive to heat and cool. In these situations, we can reinforce and repair what’s there, add insulation in targeted areas, improve air sealing, and modernize mechanical systems.
- Can we reuse framing, brick, masonry, flooring, trim, and doors? This is one of the things the Artisan Build Construct team takes sincere pride in saving. We love getting creative (some on our team say let's get weird)! In most older homes, the framing is honestly better- older growth timber, and still in excellent condition, and materials like brick, real wood or (swoon) heart-pine floors, plaster, and solid wood doors are often better than what’s commonly used in new construction today. Rather than replacing them, we can repair and integrate these elements into the new design. Maybe we refinish floors, restore and match original trim, reuse brick in features areas or additions, or relocate doors and windows to support a better layout. This preserves character, reduces waste, and keeps budgets focused on the upgrades that actually matter.
- Can we upgrade the envelope and systems without gutting the soul of the house? A house doesn’t always need to be stripped to the studs to work better. We regularly upgrade electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and insulation while keeping original room proportions, ceiling heights, staircases, and architectural details intact. Walls may come down where the layout needs to evolve, but the goal isn’t erasure–it’s continuity. The home feels familiar. Just healthier, quieter, more efficient, and easier to live in.
At Artisan, the goal isn’t to make an old house look new. It’s to make it work better while still feeling like the place you chose to live in. The balance is what turns renovation from a compromise into an advantage. We believe a home should live well for the occupants.
Why this is becoming the next big shift in building
There are moments when an industry has to evolve because the world changes around it. Years ago, building codes dramatically improved fire safety and life safety. That was a major systemic shift–and it saved countless lives.
Now we’re seeing a similar shift happening with energy use and carbon reduction. Cities and communities are beginning to set standards and expectations around sustainability, and the building industry is going to be forced to respond.
The fastest way to reduce environmental impact isn't just building new "efficient" homes. It’s keeping good structures in place and improving them. That’s what renovation really is when it’s done right.
The takeaway for homeowners
If your older Nashville home no longer fits the way you live, that doesn’t mean it’s time to start over.
A well-planned renovation or addition allows you to keep the things you love about your home–your location, your lot, your neighborhood–your community—while improving the way the home lives for you and your family. Instead of replacing everything, you’re making thoughtful, targeted upgrades that improve comfort, efficiency, long-term value, and durability.
At Artisan Build Construct, we focus on historic remodels, restoration, and adaptive reuse throughout Nashville. Our work is about improving performance and longevity while respecting the unique architectural identity of each home. You could say this is our bread and butter. When renovation is done with intention and experience, it becomes more than an alternative to moving. It becomes a smarter, more sustainable way forward.
If you’re considering a renovation, addition, or adaptive reuse, the Artisan Build Construct team would be glad to walk your home with you and talk through what’s possible.
