Energy networks can not only be perceived as purely technical systems but also as geopolitically significant strategic assets. As societies transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, new vulnerabilities emerge as well as new opportunities. This is especially true in Lithuania, where key energy infrastructure, geopolitical tensions, and ambitious energy transition objectives are closely interwoven. The region of Klaipėda which sits in immediate vicinity to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, provides a unique context in which questions of energy security, resilience, and military preparedness are inseparable.

This thesis investigates how architecture can contribute to both protecting and transforming existing energy systems. It proposes a military base in the northern part of Klaipėda and its strategically important LNG terminal. Instead of viewing the military base as a solely defense entity, it the project embeds it within a broader masterplan that supports renewable energy development, research, and critical infrastructure protection.

The master plan is structured on a risk-based zoning system. Large-scale energy logistics and hydrogen infrastructure are in the highest-risk zone of the port, while renewable energy test fields provide intermediate research facilities. The military base is located in a low-risk zone, creating a safe and strong relationship with both the port and city. Due to the proximity to Klaipėda University, the design creates a platform for collaboration and innovation between military, academic, and industrial stakeholders.

At the architectural level, the headquarters building of the military base presents itself as the central point of contact between the civilian and military sectors. Powered by a decentralized biomass microgrid, the building exposes processes of energy generation, storage, and consumption through its spatial organization, use of materials, and structural composition. Biomass is not only stored within dedicated facilities but is integrated into the building envelope itself, transforming architecture into an energy storage and energy generator. During times of crisis, these reserves enable continuous operability, while the building's spatial hierarchy and assembly allow for functions to adapt to changing geopolitical conditions impacting accessibility and energy availability.

The project is a structure of anticipation that responds to pre-conflict, conflict, and post-conflict scenarios. Rather than relying on permanent military occupation, it proposes a long-term transformation in which the military compound gradually evolves into a research and education campus dedicated to renewable energy. Through this approach, the thesis argues that resilient architecture should not merely withstand uncertainty but actively facilitate societal transition. That way, architecture can have the capacity to remain relevant across changing political, environmental, and operational conditions.
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In Oman, there are a variety of structures that are worthy of preservation and safeguarding. The government of Oman has put much effort into the preservation of its heritage, culture, and tradition in the past. Still, there has been a shift towards prioritizing preserving structures for tourism and economic profit rather than preserving the cultural value that the structures hold for the communities. Nowadays, people tend to neglect their traditional structures and prefer to build completely new, modern architectures, perceived as Western architecture, as a symbol of modernization and status. The study aims to raise awareness of this development and inspire people to engage on a deeper level with their heritage at risk of being neglected, not solely for economic interest, but to improve the urban patterns and develop interconnected and diverse urban structures. The Thesis focuses on how the local community can profit from more engagement with their architectural remains. Since Islamic architecture is unique in how it is used and organized, especially in the arid climate of Oman, the special features of domestic Omani mudbrick architecture are identified and explained with the help of the example of Bait al Safah in Al Hamra, Oman. Following this analysis, frameworks for preserving its unique features are explored and questioned, whether they match this exemplary type of architecture.
The paper explains the UNESCO protection framework, focusing on Tangible and Intangible Heritage, and evaluates what parts of it can be implemented in the example given with Bait al Safah in Al Hamra, Oman, and what parts need alteration given the dynamic and flexible nature of domestic Omani mudbrick architecture.
Subsequently, the study delves into the existing local legal framework and ways of dealing with Omani heritage structures and evaluates its strengths and weaknesses.
The thesis concludes by pointing out the special requirements of domestic Omani mud brick architecture, giving directions on what steps can be taken to create possible frameworks, and explaining the local community’s role in complementing this aim. Finally, the paper demonstrates how architects and urban planners can navigate within the current conditions concerning heritage preservation and restoration in Oman and to what extent the local communities can profit from a heritage successfully integrated with the urban structures of Oman. The study showed that a combination of international and nationally established approaches is likely to lead to a well-integrated and accepted result by the local community. However, it is crucial to further strengthen the legal frameworks to ensure that, in addition to considering the touristic and economic value, the cultural significance of the heritage for residents is also properly acknowledged and safeguarded in preservation efforts. In this respect, there is a need to further develop the legal and practical frameworks for safeguarding architectural heritage. At the same time, involving the local community throughout the process is crucial to truly integrate the structures within the environment of their original users.

Further research and experimentation could explore the development of these frameworks and create more effective strategies for dealing with this kind of architecture to create an extensive catalog of guidelines and give examples of ways of dealing with architecture, which is characterized by a change in dynamic societies, and that is worthy of being safeguarded as heritage.

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