Following the Flood
My thesis investigated how architecture can play a positive role in the climate-change conversation and encourage community engagement within the flooded townscape of Todmorden. As the town suffers from perpetual flooding, the project explores typological solutions to floods and encourages climate-based conversations amongst the town community through the creation of temporal water-based pavilions and a permanent research commons with workshops, recycling centre and community gathering spaces.
In a time of negativity and overwhelm, this project looks for positive potential against the inevitable impact of the climate crisis and the opportunity for architects to contribute solutions. Using a holistic approach, the project examines the issue in several layers; through the pavilion functions and the technical solutions adapting to the waterscape, to the materiality through regenerative materials like locally-sourced timber to reusing the plastics pollution in the local canals and rivers for shingle cladding.
Spatially and socially, the project emphasised the importance of a commons: a resource that belongs to the whole community and examines how collective conversations can help society deal with these overwhelming issues. The temporal chapter of the project involves community self-build pavilions for exhibition and education purposes based on low technology principles. Designed with traditional woodworking techniques and clad with recycled shingles, the pavilion serves as a low carbon approach to architecture with a focus on material circularity and a typological study to flood-adaptive architecture.
Presented at the STUcan festival hosted by the Architects Climate Action Network in March 2024, as part of a national climate conversation uniting architecture schools from across the UK. Taking inspiration from Venice, its architettura biennale and its own climate issues as part of a reflection on my lived experience in the city during my semester abroad in 2023. Shortlisted for the Jicwood Prize 2024 for innovative approach to process, materiality and sustainability.
