There is nothing more creative than adaptive reuse. In a world of earth movers and concrete slabs, redeveloping old buildings has become more rare than starting from scratch. Adaptive reuse forces creative builders to work in an existing space and create something that honors the history of the space while also recreates a new use for old bricks.
My favorite current adaptive reuse project in Richmond is the Live/Work Lofts at Beckstoffer’s Mill. I like this project because it’s compact (one city block), extremely well-done (down to the brick sidewalks), and it’s in the middle of a neighborhood. The old wood mill has been reimagined and resurrected for twenty-first century use. Yay for creativity and hard work in Church Hill.
This is a part of my, Cataloguing Richmond series on my RVA page.
Highways and Hallowed Halls 
You’re right, more people need to look to old buildings as a starting point for a new project. From a sustainability perspective, it’s one of the greenest things we can do. And the inhabitants of a renovated historic building have the benefit of occupying a structure that was built using extinct methods. It’s not an opportunity we get very often. Great post.