Layers of the city - Exploring the potential of adaptive reuse at Monkola to support community, sustainability and urban vitality
Abstract:
This thesis explores how architectural means can be used to create both environmentally sustainable cities and socially sustainable communities through adaptive reuse. The design project focuses on a proposal for a new use for Lohja city hall, Monkola. In the concept, the city hall becomes a house for the citizens, a hybrid building where different but complimentary functions encourage residents and visitors to meet and interact throughout the day. These encounters could help strengthen community ties, build social capital, and bring more vitality to the area. The literature review draws on sources that support the design concept. The main theme of the concept is to identify architectural features that encourage a sense of community and to explore how design can influence spontaneous encounters between people and support social sustainability.
Adaptive reuse means giving an existing building a new purpose. It is a sustainable approach that extends the life of a building by preventing demolition and avoiding new construction. A key part of adaptive reuse is to respect the existing identity of the building. Preserving at least part of it helps the transformation blend into the surrounding urban context, maintain the layered history of the city, and strengthen residents’ sense of belonging.
Flexibility is also the key in extending a buildings’ life. By creating spaces that can adapt to different uses in the future, the building can remain functional for longer. Flexibility can be achieved both through structural design and by allowing spaces to be easily rearranged.
To support community and social interaction, planning should pay attention to how people move through the building, what they see along the way, and how inviting and comfortable shared spaces feel. Buffer zones, semi-private areas also play important role. From an architectural point of view, social capital develops best in spaces that encourage different kinds of interaction.
In a hybrid building, the combination of different functions allows people to move freely and meet naturally. Bringing several activities into the same building creates constant movement and makes the are more attractive and lively. Hybrid spaces also make better use of the building´s capacity and efficiency. When a space can serve multiple purposes, it creates opportunities for social encounters and supports sense of community by being open and accessible to everyone.
See also
Alone or together? Flexible student housing in Merihaka
Diploma work by Jessica Eerikas (2024).
Designed for Deconstruction - Design for Deconstruction as the Enabler of Flexibility and Resource Reuse
Diploma work by Taika Pirilä (2023).
Housing Design
The Professorship in Housing Design conducts internationally recognized and impactful architectural design and research, applying this knowledge in its teaching. The research and design efforts concentrate on two main areas: housing design quality and circular construction, with a vision for the future of housing, particularly in the Nordic region. Since 2022, the team has been led by Assistant Professor Antti Lehto
Diploma works in Housing Design
The diploma works for the professorship in Housing Design encompass a wide range of topics. Students have the freedom to pursue their interests but are urged to explore topics covered in the research and artistic work of the professorship.