The Ensemble Unveiled - Research by Design in Adaptive Reuse

Abstract

This research project explores the methodological approach of research by design in the context of contemporary heritage theory on modernist architecture. The research applies the research by design method to an extended case study of the modernist housing ensemble Arenawijk by Renaat Braem in Antwerp. The Arenawijk is in a vulnerable position today, as it will be partially demolished —like many other projects. Yet, its potential for adaptive reuse remains unexplored. The research question is: To what extent can the method of research by design be used to investigate the potential for adaptive reuse of the Arenawijk? The question is answered in three parts. Part 1, entitled ‘As Found: From Modernist Housing Ensemble to the Arenawijk’, covers the concepts and ideologies that led to the construction of post-war modernist housing ensembles through an interactive timeline. It also includes an in-depth analysis of the as found of the Arenawijk and examines the future (demolition) plans. Part 2, ‘Intervening on the As Found’, discusses the hidden potential of the Arenawijk and proposes an alternative design: the ‘contre projet’. The counter project reflects on notions of adaptation, transformation, repair, and reuse from the perspective of the potential and discusses them through five design motives. The concluding section defines the new insights gained from the Arenawijk project on a fundamental and methodological level. Respectively, it presents the ‘ensemble’ as a historical, spatial, and social construction. The approaches and tools used are extrapolated into design education in the form of a design guide, taking into account the specific conditions of the ‘as found’. In that way, the current frame of reference of research by design is extended.