Design for the cycle

Design for the Cycle investigates, evaluates, and aligns contemporary ideas to propose a system for the design of fabric buildings that respond to social and cultural changes through the manipulation of form and materiality over time. In doing so, a building’s continued relevancy over time allows a project to reduce its need for embodied energy associated with demolition and repurposing due to premature obsolescence. This can be done through communities driving co-ownership development and tractable design strategies, enriched by the study of existing buildings that have evaded demolition and successfully been repurposed. These elements are brought together to establish a set of guidelines for designing the life-cycle of fabric buildings within an urban context. Using the guidelines, the following thesis proposes a new process for designing and constructing fabric buildings woven into the city with a foundation of resiliency and values reflecting the importance of our earth’s finite resources.