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Learning From The Redesigned : Takeaways From Unauthored And Emergent Spaces

Fernandes, Jace Marc

This thesis investigates the phenomenon of "redesigned spaces," informal environments that emerge in response to unmet human needs, shaped and defined by the people who inhabit them. Unlike common architectural typologies, redesigned spaces are fluid, and dynamic, arising from a blend of resilience, necessity, and creativity. Through analyzing case studies in the UAE, East Los Angeles, and Hong Kong, this research explores how diasporic communities transform underutilized urban spaces into vibrant social and cultural hubs, creating subcultures that are neither entirely imported nor assimilated. The study identifies key components of redesigned spaces: the built environment as a neutral canvas, catalysts that activate use, and the diasporic contexts that influence form and function. It highlights their ephemeral, adaptable nature and their ability to fulfill complex human needs that traditional architecture often overlooks. Finally, a speculative fictional sequence is used to examine how an abandoned site in Vancouver might be occupied and transformed over time. By simply removing barriers and fences, spontaneous activities might emerge, exposing how public space functions beyond formal regulations. This study highlights the value of observing unplanned urban dynamics, questioning how existing by-laws shape, limit, or enable meaningful interactions. Ultimately, it proposes a new tool for architectural design approaches-one that learns from, rather than imposes upon, the organic evolution of space.

Text

University of British Columbia. ARCH 549

Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library

10.14288/1.0448790

Applied Science, Faculty of; Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School of

Unreviewed

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/