I n the BLE supported project "Reuse potential of agricultural building structures and their meaning for the development of rural areas", selected building types were studied on the basis of detailed constructio-nal study of the building volume, type of building and typical building damage and damages caused by the previous use. Plans for a "4-column-half-timbered house" from 1850, a three sided farm from 1910 and a farm from 1973, a relocated farm stead, were made. The work at the object level

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... included the planning survey of the building with measurements and evaluation of the conditions, the planning of reuse alternatives and the cost assessment. The University of Münster evaluated previously the supply and demand structures in each region. Planning survey The prerequisite for every reuse plan is, in addition to measuring [3] and creating the plans, the systematic evaluation of the construction substance. With the help of digital photogrametry it is possible to get 3-D data as a basis for CAD-programs. There the condition of the object is established in both words and pictures and the damages are noted (Fig. 1). In an evaluation of the condition , the general condition and the immediate safety requirements, deformations in parts of the building, breaks, visible damage at adjoining building parts, characteristic animal and plant pests, discoloration, signs of moisture and salt damage are observed and documented. In the evaluation of damages, it is necessary to make sure that non-or minimally destructive processes are used in order to keep loss of the substance at a minimum. Planning of Use Variants Several reuse variants were planned for each of the three selected objects and the costs were calculated. In order not to overstress the building substance, uses were sought that were suited to the given structure. For the building type "4-column-half-timbered house", the variants were "restoration work-shop" (Fig. 2), "living accommodations", "organic food shop" and "advertising agen-cy". For the building "Three Side Farm", the variants were "holiday apartments and se-minar" and "vegetable processing and car-penter's workshop". For the relocated farm stead, the variants "food processing" and "spin-off bicycle developer" were planned. Many former agricultural buildings stand empty today, because few suggestions for possible reuse exist [1]. This often results from a lack of knowledge of the environmentally relevant, economic and construction-functional aspects. The useful exploitation of empty buildings is sensible, since they have a hierarchical economic meaning and serve sustainable development [2]. Creating guidelines should show how comprehensible data can be gained for the potentially reusable buildings, which can serve as the basis for decisions by public authorities and investors. Rieke K. Güttler (Dipl.-Ing. M. Eng.) is a guest-scientist at the IBB of the FAL and was employed as a scientist by the University of Münster for a joint research project; Dipl.-Ing. Arch. K.-W.