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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This is an extension project for the radio building complex (Raadiomaja) in Tallinn as a multimedia studio providing both supplementary facilities for the staff and communal spaces for nearby residents. Through sensitive treatment of material, integrated design of sound, light, and nature, and principles of order and proportion, the project tried to provide an apolitical perspective for people to understand the monumental value in Raadiomaja and thereby Tallinn city. At the same time, it creates a warm and peaceful place where people can enjoy art, music, and social activities.

One of the most important concerns of the design is the T-shaped threshold space in between sheltered by an adapted cassette ceiling structure. It carries multiple climate strategies including acoustic, lighting, and ventilation and guides the circulation of different groups of users, realizing both functional and aesthetic values.

Reshaping the shopping mall into a public space - Over the last century, shopping has been transformed into an urban institution through the shopping mall. Originally designed as a meeting place for the population, it was meant to serve as a multipurpose town center that would enhance the human network of activity in the suburbs, safe from the seasons. However, since its conception, retail spaces have taken precedence over the consumer itself and their use as a ‘public space’. However, with the rise of e-commerce, the typical mall design favoring retail is struggling to compete, resulting in closures and abandonment. It is at this crossroads, that this project reconsiders the structure of the mall as a public space that sets the individual above retail and seeks to answer, ‘How the architecture of consumerism can be reshaped to create public space?’.

This project takes the Nautica Keskus mall by the ferry terminal in Tallinn, Estonia, and deconstructs
the consumerist design factors to reach its underlying presence as a public space. The existing
building is given a new rooting in its surroundings by fragmenting the mass and softening its edges.
Taking precedence from the closure of malls and their abandonment, nature is allowed to take over
and revitalize its interior. The building is transformed into an urban park creating natural wildness in an otherwise organized typology. Rather than destroying the building, a heritage approach is taken, seeing malls as a remnant of their time. Three new functions are specified in the building: public functions (library, workshop, and theater), greenhouses and open nature reflecting the Estonian landscape. The building is reused to show the varying states of possible decay, either through complete reuse of the existing, structural reuse only, or natural decay of the structure.

An analytical collection of theoretical, psychological, and methodological research applied
to spatial appropriation. Understanding our innate need to modify existing conditions to
satisfy personal needs begins with understanding user perception and action to uncover
the user’s needs and motives. This research is explored on the balcony and applies its
history and multi-programmatic character to understand the residents of the Lavapies
Neighborhood in Madrid. Site visit research and interviews reveal how locals reflect,
project, and respond to the current situations of their personal and communal needs
through balcony and gallery appropriations. Utilizing the Catalogue of Balcony
Appropriations, the main visual supportive source of my field research and site
understanding, revealed seven reasons for spatial appropriation. The analysis of these
seven derived four general conclusions that can be applied to learn from the amateurs of
other locations.

The plan to construct the Federal Ministry of digital Affairs was conceived in response to the increased focus on the digitalisation of Germany and its government. Historically, a new German cabinet has often formed a new ministry in response to current issues. The new Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs aims to represent the aforementioned ambition to spark and represent digital innovation.
The key ingredients to design this new building were primarily determined through site visits and online archival research. This was, the appropriate program, location and stakeholders were found. The program is based on existing ministries, with adjustment for digital processes occurring inside and overall a more transparent arrangement. The location is Schiffbauerdamm due to its contextual links and the stakeholders included government parties, the city and those in the immediate vicinity. The final design proved to be an extroverted building that angers with its surroundings and complements the existing context.

The goal of this research is to create a new understanding of the individuality of the city of Liége, by constructing a “logic of architecture”, a logic rooted in place, through a personal (dynamic) understanding of the site and its people & positioned within architectural theory, presenting a new interpretation. Hence, the design acts as a testsite for the research: testing, validating and showcasing the newfound “logic of architecture”, which is a product of the research process. The research strives to define three key elements (window, entrance, structure) within their autonomous reading as well as the part they play in the social ecology of Bressoux, thereby creating ground for the elements to propose design solutions based on the way they invite human life into their consciousness. Researching construction of the city over time through ordinary elements that give meaning to the city.

Both urban voids and Bressoux are facing the same issue - exist in the city but do not belong to it. The voids are the by-product of urban planning, and the relationship between positive space (massing buildings) and negative spaces (voids) is barely included in design consideration. Generally, these spaces are perceived as a phenomenon of emptiness, neither productive in the urban fabric nor possessing a recognizable role in the neighborhood. Therefore, they never truly integrate into the neighborhood and indeed exist as urban segregation.

However, the nature of emptiness is also regarded as a kind of spatial quality and possesses a certain degree of potential. The project aimed to reposition the role of voids by seeing them as volume and a new interior to the neighborhood. By exploring the movement between interior and exterior, inverting the solid void, it is aimed to transform voids as a mending tool to reconnect the dispersed neighborhood as well as create an alternative public space that truly belongs to the locals.