New research by architectural firm Hassell and the Property Council of Australia is reigniting debates about the potential to convert office towers into residential complexes.

But while the research reveals the surprising scale for potential office-to-residential conversion, even the staunchest advocates of adaptive reuse are saying that the practice is no silver bullet.

Underutilised offices in Melbourne alone could provide at least 12,000 apartments for 20,000 residents, according to Hassell principal Ingrid Bakker, but owners of under-tenanted office towers need to closely consider each building on a case-by-case basis.