Yeah, in the cases of refurbishing very old buildings I've heard (is Lisbon), they often tear everything down - including the floors - except the structural bri

Yeah, in the cases of refurbishing very old buildings I've heard (is Lisbon), they often tear everything down - including the floors - except the structural brick walls, then rebuild from those. From that to full rebuild is just a small step. That said, they generally integrate the facade with the building, not just leave it as a screen in front!