Challenged by The Wall (+ The architects role in bridging past and present)

This thesis aims to challenge the preconceived ideas by which we encounter our surroundings. By observing, illustrating and curating, it hopes to reveal the unseen in the left behind.

The pursuit of a better life has motivated people to move and settle in different parts of Västerbotten. Traditionally, some building typologies have moved together with the people but due to various reasons some homes have been left behind. Goals have been set up to decrease the amount of construction demolishment waste in EU and Sweden is following quickly with new regulations on waste management and sorting. But what happens with the houses that no one intend to deconstruct, the ones that is left on its own and are considered useless? This thesis springs from a curiosity of deserted homes, the narratives they witness, the value they hold and the lessons that they can teach.

Let me introduce you to a wall that has served its purpose for centuries, framing space and giving support. The showcased fragments, representing its adaptivity yet enduring steadiness. The Wall invites us to consider the idea of value. 

Throughout the research, reflections have been made as to whether the architect can treat the romanticism of the past in a nostalgic way that is helpful for contemporary architecture. With the illustrated samples as evidence, it argues that the broader spectra of value has to be discussed and thus the final resolution of the thesis hopes to urge on that dialogue.

Studio 10: DISPLACEMENT – The Global Challenge, 22/23
Teaching Team: Amalia Katopodis, Prof. Robert Mull and Sangram Shirke