SINDH UNIVERSITY RESEARCH JOURNAL (SCIENCE SERIES) Analytical Study on the Viability of Adaptive Reuse of Heritage Building, Case study of Asia Heritage Row, Kuala Lumpur B. BASHA, A. R. SOOMRO, F. ABDULLAH Faculty of Architecture and Environmental Design, International Islamic University, Malaysia Received 10 th June 2018 and Revised 15 th September 2018 1. INTRODUCTION The Heritage is something that is passed down from one generation to another. Thus, the identity of a people and nation is largely defined by their heritage and one of the heritage objects, which have to be kept for the future generations, is heritage building. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) considered heritage building as a tangible man made environment with its cultural (heritage) significances. It is mainly through conservation of heritage buildings that we can pass on to future generations what is currently identified as being of cultural significance today. An important phrase to consider when discussing cultural conservation is "adaptive reuse," the process of retrofitting building for new uses, which allows structures to retain their historic integrity, while providing for the occupants' modern needs 3 . Where a building is no long able to function with its original purpose, a readapted use may be the only way to preserve its heritage significance. 2. BACKGROUND Preserving and reusing historic buildings has long- term benefits for the communities that value them. If adaptive reuse is applied well, it can restore the heritage values of the building, help to ensure its survival, and become a place for community .interaction. New relationships between human and architecture is adapted through reuse. Without understanding and prioritizing .sustainability, buildings, no matter how environmentally and economically sustainable, are not truly sustainable. Several initiatives of adaptive reuse have been applied to heritage buildings throughout the world. In Malaysian Context, since 1990’s until 2000, the government, through the Department of National Heritage has taken several initiatives to protect and conserve the Malaysian heritage buildings. Many historic buildings have been preserved and conserved while others have been converted to become premises for a bank, restaurant, information centre or a printing office. The adaptive re-use of the Central Market building, in 1986, in Kuala Lumpur has opened the eye of all Malaysian on local heritage building conservation. In addition, building conservation has long been of concern, although its popular application is relatively recent in origin, particularly in Malaysia 5 . The conservation in Malaysia is guided by the three types of laws and regulations relating to the conservation of historic buildings: Johore Enacment 1988, Malacca Enactment 1988, and National Heritage Act 2005. Asia Heritage Row, located in Doraisami Abstract: Historic buildings maintain the local characteristics and preserve the culture and history of a country. It is mainly through conservation of heritage buildings that we can pass on currently identified cultural significances to future generations. Adaptive Reuse is an effective way to preserve building heritage, especially when the building is no longer able to function its original purpose. In the pursuit of sustainable development, adaptive reuse holds different dimensions of sustainability. The aim of this study is to investigate the viability of adaptive reuse application to historic buildings as an approach to achieve .Sustainable Heritage. In this regard in this paper, an attempt has been made to explore adaptive reuse with .sustainability through literature review. After that, the case study of Asian Heritage Row located in Doraisami Street and Jalan Yap Ah Shak, Kuala Lumpur has been used for the hypothesis testing. The variable measured as parameters in achieving .sustainability are categorized into cultural, aesthetical, .and human comfort. Data collections were obtained from case study, survey questionnaires at Asia Heritage Row and literature review. The associations between variables are examined by correlation. The findings of this research have presented facts that the successful adaptive reuses of historical buildings hold .value approach. It preserves the heritage significance of a building, ensures its sustainability, and generates the building into a .interaction place. By the means of adaptive reuse, the .life of the inhabitants in historical buildings at Kuala Lumpur can be preserved sustainably in the end and passed on to future generations. Keywords: Adaptive Reuse, .Sustainability, Sustainable Preservation, Built Heritage, Architecture, Historic Building Sindh Univ. Res. Jour. (Sci. Ser.) Vol. 50 (3D) 194-198 (2018)