An Opportunity in Contemporary Remains: Change of Use and its Relation to the Urban Fabric.
The regeneration of urban areas is a multi-layered topic, characterised by a high level of complexity. One of those layers is the transformation of existing productive areas, in many cases abandoned or in disuse, from enclosed and private properties (with restricted access) into public facilities, able to restructure socially, culturally and spatially the surrounding urban fabric. These transformation processes and their relation to its changing permeability, accessibility and sequencing of spaces from public to private or vice versa will be the aim of the research. It will use the existing results of (1) Research on urban renewal of old industrial area’s (2) Research on gentricifation problems and societal change and (3) research on permeability and public private relationships with a clear focus on streetscapes. This research will allow a profound reflection and discourse on the architectural and urban reuse related to abandoned former industrial properties on inclusive models of collective space. The process of investigation will involve reviewing theoretical models and already adaptive reuse built projects, in addition to visiting different case studies and interviewing architects and professionals involved in that design transformation, as well as finding out local opinion and vision within the neighbourhood and stakeholders in order to gain a better understanding of spatial and social processes, together with my experience as an architect practitioner, interested in sustainable reuse. Treating the material as a whole by attributing an equal level of interest to each component will facilitate an initial overview that will serve as a basis for an objective analysis.

PhD project, Patricia Tamayo (prom. prof. Kris Scheerlinck, co-prom. prof. Yves Schoonjans)