Coastal continuity; contextual design approach for a small scale industry building

Abstract

For centuries, the social interplay and the culture of Bohuslän were shaped by the seafaring and fishing which in return has formed the building traditions in the region. The villages along the coast are the results of another time’s needs and values but nevertheless, they have remained attractive for residents and they have eventually grown in status, leaving less room for all year-round businesses, hence local job opportunities. In an attempt to establish all year-round activities in a place like this, winning the local opinion is key. Businesses and industries nowadays often require buildings and installations which are less pleasant to look at, but job opportunities also play a central role in municipalities. Maintaining continuity between the old and the new has proven to be complex considering many new buildings lacking local character and connection to building traditions. This thesis has focused on Hälsö, an island in southern Bohuslän. The old part of the village, Kwia, is a historically sensitive environment with a history of seafaring and boatbuilding. The new additions in this environment aimed to exploit local history and site-specific opportunities to attain contextual belonging and create all year-round activities that both inhabitants, visitors and society can gain from. The thesis design approach has been showcased through the proposal of a Competence Centre for Maritime Crafts & Boat Preservation on the old shipyard plot in Kwia. A centre as such is suggested to be run as a commercial yard where also external groups can run projects, visit and learn about the boatbuilding tradition, adding value to the local community, visitors and cultural heritage. The proposal was conducted in one detailed proposal for a main yard building in the northern part of the plot, elaborating on the architectural translation of the context. Along with the practical design methods, contextual methods and studies of built references have been applied to conduct this study. The findings suggests that today´s rational way of constructing can be balanced with care for local backtracking and traditional building composition to maintain continuity between old and new. This in combination with the building function, the building earn belonging and strengthens local identity