The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse

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The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse

Information

  • Project Name: The [Re]Construction Museum
  • Student Name: Maream Merza
  • Awards: The Bristol Society of Architects Commendation Prize | The RIBA President's Bronze Medal Nomination | Physical Model displayed at HOME Gallery
  • Softwares/Plugins: AutoCAD , Sketchup , V-Ray , Enscape , Adobe Photoshop
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Excerpt: ‘The [Re]Construction Museum’ is an architecture thesis by Maream Merza from the School of Architecture and Environment – University of the West of England that seeks to revive a lost community in an abandoned historical site through adaptive reuse and modern design methods. The project aims to enable individuals unable to practise construction skills to create, display, and sell their work conventionally, enabling gradual reintegration into society through technological resources and transitional housing.

Introduction: The [Re] Construction Museum explores the idea of reconstructing a lost community on an abandoned historical site in Bristol, England. St. Paul’s church has gradually faded away, is no longer the hub of the neighbourhood, and is unable to offer the help that is required nowadays. The new structure will honour the church while serving the community in this modern era through the creative use of materials and traditional brick making techniques.

The purpose of the [Re]Construction Museum is to provide an opportunity for those who are unable to practise the skills required by the construction industry to make, display, and sell their work in a more conventional manner. This enables the building’s users to gradually reintegrate into society by utilising the technological resources made available by the structure’s construction and the transitional housing made available by a programme known as the [Re] Integration Cycle.

The [Re]Construction Museum, presented as the new pillar of the community, challenges its current designation as a Grade I-listed historical site. It contends that regaining control over the design by involving the locals in the building’s construction in the modern era is a means of safeguarding the site’s legacy and developing adaptability to future change.

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Site Context

The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
Introducing Portland Square in the Big Spectrum
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
In Depth Feeling to Typology Analysis of Portland Square
The site analysis that was done made Portland Square’s abandoned state more apparent. Upon arrival, it presented an unpleasant and hopeless situation: a community split as a result of previous abandonment.

The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
Historical Analysis of Portland Square in Relation to Bristol
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
Site’s Different Layers in Relation to the Sustainable Development Goals
The site offered a chance to learn how to weave the threads of the past and present together to shape the future, thus reviving a community that once flourished. In order to address current environmental and social issues, the project seeks to reconnect the fabric by designing a specific building typology in accordance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Design Process

Material Excavation of Portland Square

Early in the project, after the primary historical analysis was completed, it became clear that materials were the best means of preserving cultural continuity throughout history. Some stones did not have specific dates, and several bricks that date back to the 1800s. It occurred that these stones might be interpreted in new ways from their historical context into a modern setting where they could once again have a place. Linoprinting/monoprinting was selected as the material translation. 

The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
Printing the Monoprints onto the New Building
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
Concept Of Making
The process of monoprinting, which involves the simple idea of printing whatever is picked up from the rock without human interference, is an application that avoids the personal bias of selection after the site has been excavated and materials that were thought to hold the utmost value and archaeological footprint have been taken.

The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The [Re]Integration Cycle
The idea would be to etch the patterns onto the new bricks that were used to construct the new structure. A programme called the [Re] Integration cycle was developed to guide the building’s design. It is an initiative that will be carried out both during and after the building’s construction. It focuses on helping the most vulnerable, imparting construction skills (or other material manipulation skills if construction is not an option), and assisting them in gradually reintegrating into society by utilising the technical resources made available by the buildings that are constructed and the temporary accommodation that is provided.

The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The Concept of Schedule of Accommodation
After analysing the site’s safety and noise levels, it was determined that the workshops would be safer located in the basement next to the kiln. This is because the workshops’ noise levels are excessive for the neighbourhood, and having them on the ground floor would put people in danger should they decide to wander around the site and enter the workshops without the necessary experience. The concept used here is a structural continuation of the existing design, with the building’s construction done with current technology but enhanced with modern methods to ensure optimal insulation.

The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
Making Deconstructing A Reconstruction and Manifesto Of The [Re]Construction Museum
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The Timeline of the [Re]Construction Museum
The Grade I Listed Site presents a challenge in and of itself because it encompasses not only the front of the building but the four buildings as a whole. However, because the historic site has been deserted and is now the residence of people without a place to sleep, it faces challenges to not only its status but also its materials and emotional significance to the community.

Final Outcome

The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The Building on Site
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
Plan Of Basement
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
South Elevation
The [Re]Construction Museum is divided into four floors. The bottom floor, also known as the basement, is where users excavate materials from the earth, use those materials in workshop spaces, and manipulate them to create displays that can be seen on the upper floors. When the kiln is not in use and does not pose a risk, the stack effect occurs. As a result, heat naturally moves out in the summer and returns in the winter.

The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
Plan Of Ground Floor
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
East Elevation
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
Interior Of Markets
The ground floor depicts the chimney as a sculpture in and of itself, protruding from beneath the floor and providing a transcending into the activities happening below. In addition, it features the main storefront to draw customers to the location, which includes the exhibition on the first floor and the cafe or local markets that are introduced.

The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
Structural Strategy
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
Detail
The chimney seems to be challenging the church, which was the community’s first pillar. Extruded models are displayed as gallery exhibits on the first and second floors, while the scaffolding area features a constantly changing exhibit. Additionally, the heritage building can be used as temporary accommodation for those in need.

The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
Interior Of the Reconstructed Cafe
Conclusion: Through adaptive reuse and by using traditional brick-making methods, the [Re]Construction Museum seeks to reestablish the lost community on an abandoned historical site while encouraging reintegration into society. The project challenges its Grade I-listed status, advocating for modern design control to preserve the site’s legacy and adaptability to future changes.

[This Academic Project has been published with text submitted by the student]

Site Context

The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse

Design Process

The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse

Final Outcome

The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse
The [Re]Construction Museum | Architecture Thesis on Adaptive Reuse

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