The natural landscape of western North America is being destroyed in the search for mineral resources. There is an opportunity for Landscape Architecture to play a role in the remediation of these sites, in which alternate reclamation plans can be proposed. This project is an exploration of industrial design in the early stages of a mine proposal. By analyzing the site as it sits prior to production, careful consideration of existing landscape elements can aid in better placement of waste material. Communication between the mining industry and affected communities allows for contributions to the final site design and the potential for an alternative end land use. Throughout this project I have explored layering the numerous industrial, social and environmental factors involved, and creating a design where these layers are represented in partnership with each other.

The natural landscape of western North America is being destroyed in the search for mineral resources. There is an opportunity for Landscape Architecture to play a role in the remediation of these sites, in which alternate reclamation plans can be proposed. This project is an exploration of industrial design in the early stages of a mine proposal. By analyzing the site as it sits prior to production, careful consideration of existing landscape elements can aid in better placement of waste material. Communication between the mining industry and affected communities allows for contributions to the final site design and the potential for an alternative end land use. Throughout this project I have explored layering the numerous industrial, social and environmental factors involved, and creating a design where these layers are represented in partnership with each other.

Thesis project; 'Post-Industrial infrastructure: re-imagined spaces of form' revolves around several important issues regarding the treatment, appreciation/non-appreciation and architectural qualities of abandon Post-Industrial sites. As many of these types of sites offer many fine qualities that I find valuable within the architectural construct. Furthermore, Post-Industrial sites offer an array of established infrastructure(s) e..g buildings, lots of space, high ceilings, lots of windows, natural light as well as connectivity and accessibility to the urban environment. I decided to study an abandoned site in Newark, New Jersey USA. The site had be shuttered since 1990 and is/was in very poor condition. A formal chemical company that was owned an operated by Maas & Waldstein Chemical Company. The main theme of the thesis was to remediate the contaminated site as well as re-purposed three remaining brick structures. As to re-imagine and re-generate the entire site with pathways, flower gardens, Zen-huts for sitting, relaxing and contemplation. There is also a tree mall with a walking paths that guide you around the site, lots of trees and a bee-coup area to help with the pollination of the large array of flowerbeds, a Post-Industrial walking park. As for the structures, each structure was designated in accordance with its condition. All three of the structures were salvageable, the Enamel building is to become an exhibition/gallery space with artisan lofts on the second and third floors. The Laboratory building will house a café with a nice sized sitting area as well as a small seminar area opposite the café. The second floor will become an office space for the administrators of the site. The third and final building is called the Lacquer building which is in very poor condition but it was saved and converted into a ruin-park. I kept the integrity of  the 'ruin' as natural as possible. As for the interior, an array of flowerbeds, sitting benches and a small sitting/tea-room to enjoy a tea/coffee etc. is an excellent addition to the structure. Of note, the entire roof infrastructure had been totally destroyed over time, creating prefect conditions for the inner-park concept.  The structure also needed to be stabilized with an iron exo-structure which has a two-fold design element, one being to stabilize the integrity of brickwork and the second being to create open air canopy, giving the inner space a more comfortable, dynamic atmosphere, additionally it also adds and architectural element and quality to the existing structure. To summarize, the project became very complex due to discovery and complexities of the contamination which added a fair amount dedicated research time to the project. The highlights of the project are the very detailed site plan as wells as the Lacquer building i.e. Ruin-Park and exo-structure as well as the Thinner building park (see the site plan) wooden planked pathway through the remediation flowerbeds. Over the course of the project, all three designs became the flagship(s) of the project.

Kenora, Ontario is a city with a strong industrial identity, linked specifically to forestry. Historically sawmills were situated on waterfront properties for purposes of harnessing energy and transporting logs. As technology has evolved, the proximity to water is no longer integral and industry has become less centralized in the city. This practicum explores the implications of the loss of an industrial presence, and the impact of industrial disturbance in both the urban fabric as well as the surrounding region. A design proposal for a specific site, that has been home to a sawmill for over a century, reacts to the research through the design of a large scale public landscape intended to remediate the post industrial conditions and take advantage of the strong historical past.

This dissertation aims to propose an appropriate architectural intervention within a site that requires both ecological restitution and the commemoration of industrial heritage. The Johannesburg Gasworks site serves as a clear example of how the Industrial Revolution and subsequent industrial technologies have both damaged the natural environment and left blighted legacies within ever developing urban conditions.The project aims to uphold the general significance of Industrial heritage as proposed by charters such as the Nizhny Tagil charter prepared by The International Council for the Commemoration of Industrial Heritage as well as the unique heritage significance of the Gasworks site. An appropriate theoretical framework and precedents are explored that reconcile the two seemingly opposing requirements of post-industrial sites - that of commemoration and ecological restitution. In post-industrial sites scarred by water, soil and air pollution, as well as dangerous or inaccessible places, maintaining an appreciation of heritage whilst employing the various rehabilitative actions required need to be balanced to ensure both. The project undertaken forms part of four schemes proposed for the site that aim to maintain the iconic identity of the Johannesburg Gasworks by proposing ecologically sensitive industries. These industries and interventions within the site aim to bring about urban resilience, site specific environmental rehabilitation as well as integration with the surrounding urban context. The proposed project for the site draws its program from global ecological issues as well as site specific heritage factors. The aim of scripting a new layer of intervention onto the Gas Works site is to make a legible reading between the site’s history and its ecologically resilient future legacy. / Mini Dissertation MArch(Prof)--University of Pretoria, 2018. / Architecture / MArch(Prof) / Unrestricted

This architectural thesis addresses a derelict urban rail corridor and the possibility of combining architecture and landscape to reactivate its latent potential as a dynamic seam in the urban fabric. Edmonton is a city built on a foundation of interconnectedness with the nation. Rail access has established the city as a staging hub for various industrial practices since the mid 19th century: import and export, agriculture, oil and gas, etc. As inner city rail access as been discontinued, parcels of rail land have been left as relics; nostalgic reminders of a formerly expansive arterial mechanical network, in turn connecting the city to a mechanical backbone spanning the nation. This architectural intervention will reactivate a piece of rail land in the northwestern part of downtown Edmonton by establishing a dynamic activity corridor around an energy-harnessing machine. / Apart from in-depth studies in renewable resource harvesting and climate, the thesis is driven by studies in rail and agricultural mechanisms, as well as existing post-industrial park typologies.

Current toxic interactions between the systems of man, nature and machine in the diamond mining town of Cullinan are volatile and cannot be sustained. When the mine and the main economic system regress, how can the remaining dependent cultural and biophysical systems be sustained and what can Cullinan become after the demise of the machine? Impending deindustrialisation could mean that Cullinan will be silenced and its associated meaning and memory lost. The architecture of the Age of the Machine represents contemporary interactions between the biotic and bionic where industrial buildings, and the introverted town, reflect the dominance of the machine over nature. The objective of this dissertation is to set a precedent for place-responsive regenerative architecture within a post-mining context that is inspired by local nature and culture. An architecture that expresses a new co-evolving mutualistic relationship between the existing town and landscape (cultural and natural systems) will be considered. Programme: A local food hub The intention of this dissertation is to address the future shift of human communities and economic activities back to the alignment and synergy with life processes. A bionic evolution from the Age of the Machine, to the Age of Life is explored. / Dissertation (MArch(Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2014. / Architecture / MArch(Prof) / Unrestricted

We do not see, to learn effectively from our past mistakes and, similarly, we do not seem to learn from the opportunities that architecture, beyond its utility, presents. The old Johannesburg gasworks site expresses the development of a city that originated from industrial sprawl. The massive post-industrial edifices of Johannesburg are canvases that portray years of production processes and reflect the Avant-garde of the time. However, the mono-functionality of the architecture of the Gasworks precinct, used for capital gain, has now left the site deserted after decommissioning in the late 1990’s. The site is an empty frame, privately bounded with no interaction with the surrounding context, or the city beyond. It is now a wasteland encroached by nature, infused with the remnants of human-made pollutants. But the critically located site oozes latent potential that, if managed appropriately, can transform the critical Empire Perth corridor, which stretches through the city of Johannesburg, a critical urban framework for the future development of the city. It is time that we learn from our past mistakes, using the memories of place, to produce an expressive and didactic architecture, educating people through a non-linear non-destructive space. This expressive architecture will create new memories and ideas, through encouraged dialogue. Where this architecture and process coincide in the urban context, it will deal with immediate environmental issues in spaces where constructive engagement with the public is encouraged. / Mini Dissertation MArch(Prof)--University of Pretoria, 2018. / Architecture / MArch(Prof) / Unrestricted

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The relocation of Chongqing Iron and Steel Company (CIS) in 2011 resulted in its old site’s demolition in 2012. As one of the largest post-industrial sites in Chongqing, it faces many future challenges. Framed by an existing redevelopment plan, this practicum proposes a design that responds to the current site conditions and lays groundwork for its future. The design capitalizes on the existing attributes of the site to create a variety of experiences. It employs phytotehcnologies to remediate contaminated soil and also offers opportunities for research, education and recreation. Personal experiences and reflections on China’s post-industrial regeneration are also discussed. / October 2016