Haptic Green: UCL MEng Unit 1 (2022-2023)

Healing and regenerating the city through hyperlocal buildings of ‘care’, Unit 1 continued to explore the themes of adaptive re-use and the associated environmental benefits; this amongst the context of climate crisis. This year the unit focused on the philosophy of ‘urban acupuncture’. An alternative to conventional development processes, urban acupuncture represents an adaptable framework for urban renewal.

The site for this year is Zorrotzaurre island in Bilbao, Spain. The site has a myriad of existing industrial buildings, many unused and open space in between with opportunities for development, whilst there are also still buildings being used both in permanent and temporary state.

Working under the philosophy of urban acupuncture, the unit asks students to re-examine how the site can be developed and new programs be introduced but under a mantra of Re-use/Re-enforce/Re-vitalise/Re-connect. Students were asked to develop small and large buildings and should aim to use as many of the existing structures as possible to form their architecture whilst also proposing new additions / new builds.

Read more about the unit here: MEng Unit 1-2022_2023

Click her to view Unit 1’s final pieces (2023): UCL_Urban_Acupuncture