Refurbishment '20

The last 200 years have seen society evolve at a rapid pace, from the industrial revolution to the digital revolution. Urbanisation has however remained to be a common thread.

Taking the fragmented urban fabric of a city, Re: Urbanism and place making seeks to reknit a complex set of spaces to come together within context, aiming at spatial continuity (this being both an urban and spatial issue) occurring at the architectural scale.

 As cities continue to evolve, so do their programmes and functions. Invariably calling for a change in the forms that make it, often crucial in ensuring that it does not fall in to misuse/ disuse.

Adapting over time, can the existing fabric of the building/city assume the role of a cultural memory? 

Can the transitional element, acting as a bridge between the past and the future, mean that its users draw parallels with the ones that were there before them?

Can refurbishment become a way to renew the urban fabric, refurbishment being not only a matter of aesthetics but also that of social, economic and ecological impact? 

Focusing on the most basic of frameworks (typologies) of built spaces, UNI introduces Architecture (A- Z).

 ‘R for Refurbishment’ aims to bring together global design talents that explore one of our most primary needs as a population.

Inviting entries of spaces that are converted, renovated, restored or retrofit, this theme aims to recognize residential, retail, hospitality and industrial spaces which have evolved with the utmost understanding of its user groups, its function, its adaptability, its environmental responsibility and its urban context.

 

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