AN ARCHITECTURE CENTER INSIDE OUR HERITAGE A demonstration project for a sustainable building transformation

Abstract

Architecture creates the framework in which we all live our lives and together. It creates observations and interactions. In other words, it shapes life and makes us experience our surroundings. We all encounter it every day, it affects our well-being daily. It can change our existence today, tomorrow and in the future. Further, current, and future generations are facing a new era. An era that requires change and responsibility in the way we live oureveryday lives to reduce the consequences of climate change. The construction industry is one of the major sectors that has contributed to the global warming that we have seen over the years. Architects will be part of the modification required to lead the construction industry in the right direction which will require a change in the way we work and design. We have a responsibility to react and act. The vision of the thesis is to develop an Architecture Center inside an existing industrial building to show the power of architecture. The project will be transformed inside a former shipyard building where both functions and added building materials will represent sustainability in different ways. In other words, a space to share and experience knowledge about architecture and sustainability in a transformed building. To develop a successful Architecture Center and transformation an investigation for a potential program was done. Through interviews, case studies of existing architecture centers and transformation projects of industrial buildings, several different functions and qualities could be analyzed during the process. To be able to select sustainable additional parts for the transformation, alternative building methods were researched through literature studies. The final outcome achieved a public Archi tecture Center where knowledge and experience can be shared to increase the general interest for architecture in the city. The transformation project represents alternative sustainable building methods where the existing structure and architectural qualities, such as long sight lines and repetitive construction, have been respectfully taken care of. The project represent architecture for the future.