DS6 RETROFIT
The building industry has not only become a major consumer of materials it has also become a source of pollution, over extraction and the destruction of natural habitats. Currently, 85% of building materials could be reused or recycled, yet we are only recycling 25% and adding built fabric the size of Paris weekly. For this reason, current ways of thinking, designing and building need to be critically evaluated to generate better, more sustainable and adaptable architecture and construction technologies.
“Never demolish, never remove or replace, always add, transform, and reuse!” (Lacaton & Vassal)
Retrofit and reuse is currently a major topic within the building industry. Yet to address climate change we need to be building much less and with greater awareness of how the built fabric influences urban resource use, material and technological demands and the wellbeing of both human and non-human ecologies. But this cannot be possible without seeing nature as system rather than merely a resource for accomplishing human-centric goals.
The studio encourages a scientifically driven approach sustainability and critical, iterative experimentation with notions such as materiality, technology and ecology. We will be looking at how reuse and retrofit can support a circular economy, drive down embodied carbon, and create innovative and spatially rich architectural solutions that are adapted to local climate, global initiatives and a biocentric future, where humans and other members of the urban environment share agency in creating a post-anthropocentric built environment. We will demonstrate that reuse not only creates efficient buildings, but spaces that are joyful, and respond sensitively to place, community and existing ecologies.
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Design: Charlotte Khatso, Alexandra Lacatusu, Adriana Useche Munoz Hossein Sadeghi Movahed (Technology Lead), Martin Waters (Structures), Nadia Krupska (MPL)
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Toby Shew, Raha Farazmand, Marko Milovanovic, Jason Coleman, Adam Holloway, Nick Cross
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Zhi Jing Lim, Yanheng Lew, Xuan Yi Liew, Julie Jose, Junghwan Kim, Jack Phan, George Wade, Esha Sonar, Elvin Seyhan, Barath Dhanasekaran
Silver Redemption: Reclamation of Industrial Remnants
Yanheng Lew
This project seeks a possibility where tunnel boring machine can be reclaimed as part of a building and enhance the quality of space. The design brief is about retrofitting the Silver Building, a brutalist office building stood derelict for decades before facing demolition ahead of new development plans for Royal Docks, London. The reclaimed steel from boring machine serves primarily as new circulation element to replace the existing layout. The industrial composition of machine inspires me to create connections above roads, across levels and means of transport to connect community around into this reborn monument. Programs such as residential, artist studios and retail facilities are integrated as part of the new dynamic circulation system. In term of reaction to the climate, a renewable energy centre is introduced by running on hot air extracted from underground tunnel. Stack ventilation is incorporated to increase natural ventilation.
“Yanheng worked on repurposing machinery used in infrastructure to revitalise the artist community residing in the Silver Building”
Atrium
Atrium section
Co-working space
Escalator access
Escalator section
Footbridge access
Material Catalogue
New circulation
Sectional model
Summary of Intervention
Factory-Reset: From Industrial Relic to Leisure Destination
Liew Xuan Yi
In the heart of the city, where the echoes of industry once reverberated through the streets, stood a forgotten factory—an industrial relic frozen in time. Its towering smokestacks and weathered brick façade bore witness to a bygone era of manufacturing and production. Yet, amidst the rust and decay, a vision began to take shape—a vision of renewal, transformation, and rebirth. It was a vision of "Factory - Reset: From Industrial Relic to Leisure Destination."
Their mission was clear: to breathe new life into the aging structure and reimagine it as a vibrant hub for leisure and recreation. With reverence for the factory's storied past, they set about preserving its industrial character while infusing it with fresh purpose and vitality.
The transformation began with a careful examination of the factory's architectural features and spatial layout. Old warehouses were repurposed into spacious galleries and performance venues, their cavernous interiors now bathed in natural light streaming through restored skylights and expansive windows. Loading docks were transformed into bustling marketplaces, alive with the sights, sounds, and aromas of local vendors and artisans.
Outside, the once barren asphalt lots were transformed into verdant oases of greenery and tranquillity. Lush gardens, punctuated by bubbling fountains and meandering pathways, provided a respite from the hustle and bustle of urban life. Visitors strolled beneath the shade of towering trees, pausing to admire sculptures and installations that celebrated the site's industrial heritage.
Water, too, played a central role in the site's rejuvenation. Ponds and streams wove their way through the landscape, their gentle ripples reflecting the shimmering light of the sun. Visitors gathered by the water's edge, drawn by the soothing sound of cascading water and the cool breeze that danced across its surface.
As day turned to night, the factory site transformed into a beacon of light and activity. Dynamic lighting installations illuminated the site's architectural features, casting dramatic shadows against the night sky. Concerts and cultural events filled the air with music and laughter, drawing people from all walks of life to gather and celebrate beneath the stars.
In the end, "Factory - Reset: From Industrial Relic to Leisure Destination" was more than just a transformation—it was a testament to the power of imagination and ingenuity. It was a reminder that even in the face of decay and decline, there is always potential for renewal and growth. And as the factory site embraced its new identity as a vibrant hub for leisure and community, it became a symbol of hope and possibility for the city and its inhabitants.
“Xuan Yi’s project curates novel community spaces and human-nonhuman interactions by challenging the longstanding boundary between architecture and ecology”
Design Concept collage
Experiential Greenway
Inspirational collage
Project Aerial View
Project Overview
Proposed Indoor Tropical Event Hall (Day)
Proposed Indoor Tropical Event Hall (Night)
Proposed Water front
Proximity to water front
Social Economics and Ecological Relationship Diagram
Inhabit The Factory
George Wade
CONTEXT & BRIEF Half the world is on fire, and the other half is drowning in waste. The world faces multiple super-wicked problems; some of these are new, but many have been around since time immemorial. Are we at a tipping point and what can we do? Many of these issues are too big for the individual, or even a society. Perhaps we need a different way of living and working. Switching to a sustainable, circular economy will require a corresponding cultural and societal shift. Co-living represents one such way of sharing resources to make the best use of what we have and to minimise our waste.
‘The Factory’ is a collection of dilapidated warehouses in East London’s Royal Docklands. Operated by ‘Projekt’, it currently houses flexible working and events spaces for small businesses and charities. Through adaptive reuse and retrofit, this project proposes introducing accommodation to part of the site for a waste-free community to live and work alongside the existing programme. Deeply concerned about the global climate emergency, and struggling to afford housing as local regeneration pushes up prices, a group of current creative tenants are looking for an alternative model for living. Could we create co-housing enclaves on disused sites like these to share resources and reduce our waste and impact?
METHODOLOGY Through an exploration of anatomical systems and biological processes of decay, much of the development was a biomimetic investigation into how the site could be reorganised and structured to support this new circular-economics community. Using a wild stag as a metaphor for both the history of the Docklands and the evolution of the Anthropocene, this was primarily a functional biomimicry, but the analogy could have easily been pulled in other directions. Furthermore, how do we achieve the right balance between the cold beauty of a former factory’s ‘corpse’ and the warm comfort of the home?
PROPOSALS & OBJECTIVES The structure of this co-living community is based on pooling and sharing resources for a socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable way of life. It is a waste free collective. Leveraging co-operative finance to make buying and owning affordable. Multi-generation living for community, support, and well-being. Shared cooking and eating to reduce waste and cost while fostering community. Minimising and reusing waste with onsite recycling and fabrication. Reorganisation of the site to retain and integrate the existing programme. A new continuous thermal envelope of the upper story for residential flats to meet EnerPhit standard, with new raised external circulation and balconies. Landscaping of the Western yard to create habitat, parkland, and gardens for both residents and the public.
“ George’s systematic approach to researching the site’s history has led to a highly pertinent and sensitive proposal that puts circularity at the heart of community building.”
