It is imperative for architecture to immediately address the climate crisis. No longer does it make sense to destroy existing building stock just to re-erect a building serving the same or similar purpose; no longer can buildings be designed for demolition; no longer can architecture blindly use materials and methods of production without interrogating the implications they have on the environment. These obligations have only become exacerbated by the pandemic which has upended our way of life and has forced us to re-evaluate how our built environment addresses our most basic needs.
My thesis explored the adaptive reuse of ‘redundant’ structures and in doing so questioned how we live in the city, pushing the physical and psychological boundaries of home. Only by pursuing the intersectionality of structure and programme can we fully realize the freedom our existing built environment can support.
