This graduation project investigates how circularity can facilitate civilian protection and defence in times of hybrid warfare. In the context of increasing militarisation in Europe and the ongoing war in Ukraine, the project questions whether higher defence spending must automatically lead to large-scale new construction. Using Lithuania as a case study, it proposes that abandoned Soviet-era buildings can become part of a decentralised defence network based on adaptive reuse, preparedness, and continuity of life.

The project works across macro, meso, and micro scales. On the macro scale, vacant buildings across Lithuania are understood as a country-level defence network. On the meso scale, Soviet-era typologies are matched with new defence-related functions according to their spatial qualities. On the micro scale, two complementary routes are developed: a top-down approach of planned adaptive reuse and a bottom-up approach inspired by squatting and rapid inhabitation.

The project approaches Soviet-era heritage with historical sensitivity while recognising its spatial and typological potential. Through retrofit, kit-of-parts interventions, microgrids, emergency medical facilities, and communal shelter spaces, the project imagines defence infrastructure not as hostile enclosed structures, but as spaces of care, resilience, and collective protection.

Ultimately, the project argues that protection can be both planned and improvised, It seeks to oppose the narrative of aggression and militarisation by proposing an architecture that protects civilian life, supports continuity during crisis, and remains valuable beyond conflict. ... Read more

In 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. Besides, the Baltic States are preparing for a possible
attack from Russia. NATO wants to show its presence in Lithuania in order to scare off
Russia. A Dutch NATO base will be placed and the Dutch Military of Defense asked TU
Delft Architecture students to come up with a design proposal. Since attacks in Lithuania are very likely, the overall aim of this literature research tested by design is to provide a suggestion for a permanent military base in Lithuania – a design that provides a defensive resilient base for the soldiers. In times of war, soldiers need to be able to work from and return to a defensive resilient base. In times of peace, the base needs to protect soldiers against surprise attacks and provide direct visual connection to the outer world. Otherwise, NATO will easily lose strength. A literature research is done via selecting and combining literature. The literature discussed the basis of bunker design, building configurations in relation to ground level, partial blast-resistant elements and compact and dispersed spatial configurations. Case-studies are added to enrich and provide more ideas.
Defensive resilience can be created by either a centralized or decentralized base.
The deception of the attacker is important to make it harder for them to destroy the
military base. In addition, a combination of buildings, that function as shelters, that are
entirely underground, or above ground contributes to the resilience of the base. This
combination contributes to the element of misleading. Besides, adding surrounding
structures with sand make the base more blast-wave-resistant. The shelters themselves
have several characteristics in order to be resilient and therefore contribute to a resilient
base. A few functions of the military base are developed with the main focus on the
sleep facility. The functions to be developed are determined during the design phase,
namely the area in the masterplan where sleep and eating come together. The design
phase determined which materials are needed for the structure, with the building
being made in a way to provide time for the soldiers to escape in case of bombing. It is
important to use as many natural/local materials as possible to lower CO2-emissions. The Ministry of Defense is invited to take inspiration from FLOAT hide and see, a design that moves via water. ... Read more

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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This Graduation Report presents the pre-design research for my architecture
graduation project, which takes the planned German brigade base at Rūdninkai,
Lithuania as a testing ground for rethinking the military base as an adaptable
field network rather than a single fixed camp. The work sits at the intersection of
architectural theory, military basing doctrine and territorial design, and is intended
to prepare a rigorous framework for the design phase of the project.

The research grew out of a long-standing interest in architectural systems that are
deliberately incomplete: structures that anticipate change, negotiation and drift
rather than finality. Encounters with the work of Cedric Price, Archigram, Yona
Friedman, Constant Nieuwenhuys, N. John Habraken and Buckminster Fuller
revealed a body of twentieth-century projects that already grapple with networks,
megastructures, open building and planetary limits. Bringing these visions into
dialogue with contemporary defence infrastructures on NATO’s eastern flank has
raised both disciplinary and ethical questions that shape this project.

This report is the first step in translating that dialogue into a design practice.
It develops a comparative framework based on systemic architecture, using
case studies, thematic dimensions and scalar analysis. Supported by two
complementary modes of research: a top-down framework analysis and a bottom-
up unstructured analysis. These are then condensed into designable actions that
can guide later spatial decisions about how the Rūdninkai base network might
adapt, hide, appear and withdraw over time. ... Read more

This project investigates how landscape can be re-introduced as a defensive typology. Positioning landscape as a form of power and control rather than a passive background. The theoretical framework, that goes in depth about defence theory, historical landscape-based defence strategies, and biological defence mechanisms, function as the backbone of this project. The research focuses on the Lithuanian landscape, where forests, wetlands, and water networks historically played an important role in territorial defence but are currently underused or treated as obstacles within contemporary military planning. The project aims to develop a military base design that integrates landscape as defensive typology. The project positions architectural design as a mediator between landscape systems and contemporary defence needs, proposing an alternative approach to military architecture that is embedded within the landscape. ... Read more

The project is an exploration in creating a connection, physically linking the city and sea and a spiritual threshold for the youth of Tallinn, revealing their interconnectedness with the environment. Through a series of revelations, the building becomes a religious experience, where the presence of sea is magnified and brought closer to man. ... Read more

Pause
My project is a pause.
In architecture, many different buildings exist in the same realm. A pavilion, community centre, airport. The list goes on. But can architecture also be designed to function as a pause? A small break in between the traffic? Or a small break in your daily routine?
The project is situated at three different locations along the edge of Tallinn’s medieval centre, where the old city meets newer developments. A sudden boundary, without a threshold designed to ease the shift from one to the next. These sites were selected based on the various intensities and intervals of public transport. The first location, next to the old town and the Viru hotel, serves as the main site. The second sits in the middle of traffic, beside Freedom Square and surrounded by a three-lane road on either side, with buses and trams passing frequently. It offers a stepping stone to the city’s newer parts. The third is placed in the park, bridging two green areas and creating a safe place to wait for transport at night.
In a city centre challenged by layered scales and diverse architectural languages, the project responds with a system designed entirely at the scale of the human body. These scales are found in material choices, subtle height differences, and depths that shape the walls, elevations and surroundings. It mediates the differences in scale, people, and spatial languages.
Built on the idea of small implementations to create a larger impact, Pause offers a space not just for transit, but for presence. It functions as a social threshold. Part shelter, part meeting point, part memory. An anchor where people pause, reflect, and reconnect with their city and with one another.
Together with this framework, soft curves shape the landscape. They guide and embrace visitors, leading them toward the various functions embedded in the site. The canopy enhances this embrace, creating a space where people can wait, spend time, and meet with others.
Rooted in Estonia’s local materials and shaped by the colours of its seasons, the project suggests a pathway for new locations to come. What does it mean if half of a site is lowered by a torso? If the step toward the coffee bar shifts up or down by one foot? These small spatial gestures offer another layer, a new dimension that enhances everyday use.
Pause becomes a breathing point in the city. Not monumental, but a necessity.
... Read more

The project is situated between the vast and repurposed harbour industry area and the intimate scale of the Kalamaja neighbourhood. By introducing a building that serves the local community, it activates an area that was once detached from the urban tissue and dominated by tourism.

At the heart of the site lies a previously abandoned building, now repurposed as a public hub. A newly added circulation tower connects this core to the adjacent sports building and swimming pool.

The volume of the swimming pool is set lower to preserve visual and pedestrian connections to the sea, and to respect the presence of the existing building, whose prominent elevation once defined the site. On the opposite side, the sports hall asserts itself through a distinctive wooden exoskeleton. This expressive structure not only gives the building its character but also provides the necessary stability, allowing the sport hall and gym to remain fully open to connect with the surroundings.

A public, transparent ground floor opens up towards the entrance square, encouraging interaction before and after sporting. The building was designed with human scale in mind, guided by twelve key principles that shape spatial experience. Among them, depth, fragmentation, configuration, circulation, and transitions in scale played a crucial role in informing the design.

The Sport and Leisure Centre proposes a new way of embedding human scale into large-scale architecture. At the same time, it reconnects the site—both vertically and horizontally—to Tallinn’s urban fabric, activating the once detached area of the city ... Read more

Tallinn residents were promised a new commercial landmark on the most prominent site in their harbour in the form of a new retail shopping mall: The Porto Franco Development. But after years of delay, the city and its people are left with a colossal concrete structure, blocking direct viewing lines and impairing orientation within the harbour area. In response, the original concept of a retail shopping mall was radically reimagined: its architectural typology and characteristics were repurposed into a public mediatheque where instead of consumer goods, users now browse, test, and process information. A building that revitalizes the connection between the Harbour and the City centre of Tallinn and helps to cherish the arrival at the harbour of this Baltic capital. ... Read more

In light of the current trend of redeveloping former industrial sites in Tallinn, this project aims to address the potential architectural quality and unique spatial experience of the industrial heritages, and to utilize these qualities for the improvement of public inclusiveness of the newly developed neighborhoods.

On the early stage of this project, an analysis of the current redeveloped neighborhoods in Tallinn was done, focusing on their building composition, public access, as well as specific architectural technique adopted to highlight the historic meanings. Besides, a study on this exact building in Krulli Kvartal is also done about its special architectural quality, which are the repetitions, regularity, extensive footprint as well as the currently inadequate climate protection.

By the interplay of these qualities, a vocational school on this site is designed, which provides the future neighborhood with several regular target users. Its required programs has also paved a path for the flexibility of the use of space by both students and public users.

This design consists of 3 main blocks of buildings, which from the left hand side of the floor plan respectively are conventional learning block, interactive learning block and public gymnasium block. By situating these blocks in a parallel order and respecting the existing building conditions, 3 public space are also formed, which are the warhouse garden (top), school atrium (bottom left) and public ramp plaza (bottom right).

In terms of building technologies, this project has played with the extent of climate and sound insulation to create a spectrum of publicness and privateness. For example, the double storey workshop space in inetractive learning block has adopted a passive climate insulation, which leads to an ambiguity between the inside and outside of school and favours the extension of the use of space to the outdoor public realm. ... Read more

Set in the heart of Tallinn, this project addresses the challenges of spatial uniformity and the disconnection between public and private realms at the urban scale. It proposes a new framework for mixed-use development that reimagines housing as a dynamic, layered system that moves beyond the generic. At the base of the project lies a transparent urban hall: a column-free space formed by a waffle structure. This area acts as a public living room for the city, offering openness and a sense of collective ownership. It accommodates community functions, small-scale commerce, and flexible programs that invite constant reactivation by the surrounding neighborhood. Above, a green landscape - the “petri dish” - serves not only as a shared space for recreation and reflection but also as a spatial and social mediator. Rising from this platform are tree-like structural cores that support cantilevered housing units while preserving the ground level for shared use. The varied massing and fragmented volumes prevent the formation of monolithic blocks, allowing light, air, and people to flow between spaces. ... Read more

The Dwellers of Väikese Rannavärava proposes a new kind of urban ecosystem within Tallinn’s Old Town—one that promotes coexistence among diverse groups by creating a system of shared resources and unique contributions. The project offers what is currently missing in the area: a cohesive, resilient neighbourhood. Through the adaptive transformation of the Väikese Rannavärava Bastion, this intervention integrates everyday life with privatized activities, revitalizing both the space and its community.

While the site was selected based on a threshold analysis that revealed a clear physical and symbolic separation from the Old Town, the design response—puncturing the site into smaller, human-scaled elements and the creation of a public square—respond directly to this condition.

I also acknowledge the ongoing debate about preserving Tallinn’s historical appearance. But, as Alatalu states, “today’s creation is tomorrow’s heritage.” I believe that new interventions—if done with sensitivity, clarity, and care—can enrich heritage rather than diminish it. The Dwellers of Väikese Rannavärava is my contribution to that evolving dialogue. ... Read more

This research and design project investigates heat inequality in Madrid, focusing on how architectural and planning decisions shape urban microclimates and impact vulnerable communities. Through a combination of analysis on current methodologies in heat studies and on-site research—including field observations and a questionnaire—the study identifies critical gaps between scientific data and lived experiences of heat.

The design intervention reimagines a social housing complex in La Ventilla to enhance thermal resilience while maintaining affordability. Key strategies include passive cooling techniques such as balcony extensions for shading, improved cross-ventilation, and the integration of green infrastructure. Additionally, the project revitalizes underutilized spaces, improves accessibility, and fosters community engagement through co-living arrangements and shared public areas.

Rather than imposing a large-scale solution, the design leverages existing site conditions to create a climate-responsive, low-impact transformation. By bridging research and architectural intervention, this project advocates for a more adaptive, equitable, and sustainable approach to urban housing in the face of rising temperatures. ... Read more

This research paper aims to explore performative dissident practices within the context of Madrid, focusing on how architectural practice can gain insights from these practices to inform the design of interventions or conditions that foster empowerment, particularly for vulnerable communities. The intention is not to provide a socio-political critique, but rather to advocate for the significance of these urban battlegrounds as pedagogical instances that can enrich architectural discourse. Therefore the research seeks to answer the following question:
How can architectural practices, focused on contested urban environments, draw from the dissident practices manifested in the built environment and thus foster resilience for the vulnerable communities?

In the rising action of the research, the paper first constructs a methodological and theoretical tapestry, developing a lens through which to conduct a site analysis. This is done by employing architectural analytical drawings, as well as narration and experimental writing, to highlight the more latent, experiential aspects of dissident practices. The climax of the research applies this lens to three squares within Madrid’s most vulnerable neighborhood, Embajadores/Lavapiés. In the falling action, the research delves deeper into the site of choice and its significance for the project and expands on the conceptual framework that can be applied towards a design of conditions. ... Read more

Within the framework of this paper, spatial practices between the built and the un-built in the context of urban regeneration of neighbourhoods at city fringes are explored. The proposed spatial practice, called spatial nuancing refers to the reconsideration and redefinition of public space. Spatial nuancing is applied in the context of existing spatial and social dynamics as a means for initiating regeneration through new approaches. It can be applied at various scales and contexts. In this work, the focus lies in the context of post-war modernist developments, that are widely characterized by large-scale and under-managed public spaces. This work challenges the perception and considerations of those kinds of under-managed public spaces and follows along the main research question: What if under-management is considered as a quality in public space?
By proposing a strategy that includes the punctual implementation of places of common the public space can be reactivated, not by increasing management but by connecting the main actors of the public space: the people. It argues that spatial nuancing with the example of the creation of places of common binds together and reinforces social and spatial qualities. This has a catalysing effect on the development and quality of life in a neighbourhood. ... Read more

Casa de Campo, Madrid’s Field of Play, has yet to fully integrate into the city's everyday life and ecology. This forest, rich in archaeological and natural heritage, is nearly forgotten, with its playgrounds sitting empty and unused. This project takes an infrastructural approach, creating directed fields where both human and non-human activities can unfold. The design lays the groundwork for future events and building activities, operating flexibly in the division, allocation, and construction of surfaces, while also engaging architecture's ability to communicate through its imagery.
The research identified multiple sites within Casa de Campo to become a series of interconnected yet diffuse elements. These elements are intended to induce movement, create new atmospheres, and establish visual connections and ecologies between the park and the city. Site selection was based on factors such as accessibility, proximity to roads and trails, viewpoints, and archaeological significance. The networked imagery of these architectural elements fosters new associations and movement patterns between city dwellers and their playground, Casa de Campo.
Key research methods included mapping, drawing, navigation, and walking, all of which helped to immerse the project within the context of Casa de Campo and Madrid. These tools revealed the site's suppressed and intangible qualities. Some maps were playful and internal, while others were systematic, helping to address the complex implications of the proposed intervention. Operational mapping, used as a design tool, allowed for the exploration of functions and possible outcomes over an extended time frame. This approach balanced structured, fixed elements with more flexible, negotiable ones. As a result, the urban strategy aims to create a flexible system rooted in ecological and infrastructural thinking. Time and process are integral to the landscape's growth and microbial activity, connecting air, surfaces, substrates, and rhizomes. The architectural design materializes these anticipated event scenarios, and the construction process is made visible to the public, embracing the messy realities of urban building rather than concealing them.
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This thesis explores the interplay between urban underground spaces and the concept of time, aiming to transform our perception and use of these hidden areas. Beginning with an extensive mapping of Madrid's underground, the research reveals the often-inaccessible nature of these spaces. Through typological studies and philosophical exploration, the thesis reinterprets these spaces as temporal phenomena, emphasizing their dynamic potential.
The theoretical foundation is grounded in concepts such as Bergson's duration and Bakhtin's chronotope, which highlight the entanglement of time and space. The design project proposes a shift from place-based to operation-based design, focusing on the temporal dimensions of space. It envisions a flexible art hub in Madrid, adaptable to various activities and extending beyond its physical boundaries, reflecting the concept of Urban Uchronia—a utopia of time that challenges existing temporal norms.
The manifesto envisions a network of interconnected underground spaces across the city, forming a system of Urban Uchronia. This vision integrates subterranean environments into the urban fabric, transforming how we engage with these spaces. The thesis concludes by reflecting on the transferability of these concepts, offering innovative strategies for urban regeneration and architectural design in diverse contexts worldwide. By reimagining underground spaces through the perspective of time, this thesis proposes a new paradigm for urban development. ... Read more

At the heart of diverse, thriving inner-city areas are the community gardens, impromptu skate parks and self-managed community centres where residents can build intercultural connections, and achieve a sense of belonging. This thesis defines these as ‘Open Third Places’: public areas whose disorder generates spontaneous encounters and unexpected vibrancy.
Open Third Place can be found in the El Laboratorio squatted social centres of inner-city Madrid. The gentrifying, inner-city neighbourhood of Lavapies has historically hosted a diverse variety of outsiders, ranging from international immigrants to Spanish activist groups. Where their needs were not met by costly governmental regeneration efforts, El Laboratorio group used the act of occupation to explore the creation of low-budget, user-led social centres, free from bureaucratic constraints. These spaces became valuable hubs for coexistence in an otherwise fragmented community, despite financial and legal constraints.
Therefore, this paper examines how El Laboratorio diverged from mainstream building conventions, to demonstrate where such disorder is crucial in the formation of Open Third Places. This analysis is structured by three divisions, or ‘thresholds’, which exist in the formally planned city, but were blurred within El Laboratorio centres: ‘spatial thresholds’, ‘designer-user thresholds’ and ‘temporal thresholds’. Using archival visual and written material from the social centres, the paper suggests a connection between the conviviality of El Laboratorio and their bridging of these thresholds.
In this way, the thesis reveals possibilities for architects to similarly work with these thresholds, when designing for the community of Lavapies. Despite this, it concludes by foreseeing difficulties of translating ideas from the ‘disorder’ of a squat, to the ‘order’ of a more formal design scheme, outlining potential conflicts in the application of these ideas. ... Read more

The proposal, titled “Forum for the Built Environment,” surged in response to the observed deficiency of physical spaces conducive to reflection, gatherings, and citizen participation in the city. It was prompted by Estonia’s post- independence trajectory characterised by a shift towards digitalisation. Its primary aim is to function as a platform for democratic dialogue among Tallinn’s citizens on matters of public interest within the domain of the built environment.

Consisting of four distinct buildings, each distinguished by unique architectural features, the project encapsulates the multifaceted essence of Tallinn. These architectural variances symbolise the diversity of perspectives and identities inherent within societal structures, embodying the principles of democracy. The primary objective of Forum for the Built Environment is to establish a neutral ground for open discourse while facilitating collaboration between the city planning office and citizens, ensuring continuous engagement and dialogue. Furthermore, the project is not only experienced within the buildings but also in its outside environment. The project functions as a pathway, crossing through a city block. People can wander off and walk past different architectures. In addition, the ruinous garden is positioned on the eastern side of the project, which offers a space of tranquillity for reflection.

Functionally, the four buildings serve specific programmatic purposes: a Forum space for exhibitions and discussions, an Office for the City Architect for input and opinion gathering, an Archive housing physical and digital materials for city history research, and a children’s day-care facility to support parental engagement in civic activities. ... Read more