Closing the loop
Redesigning the textile (waste) cycle in Madrid through urban manufacturing
M. Vrgoč (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
A.S. Alkan (TU Delft - Theory, Territories & Transitions)
H.F. Eckardt (Architectural Technology)
R Cavallo (TU Delft - Theory, Territories & Transitions)
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Abstract
Current waste management practices pose a significant threat to humans, animals and our environment, contributing greatly to environmental pollution. Furthermore, the speed and the way we consume and dispose of things is changing rapidly, leaving us with little time to react to this global issue; particularly in urban centres, seeing that the cities have become the centre of flows and exchanges. This thesis investigates how architecture can enhance these networks in order to enable necessary economic, environmental and social transformations. It challenges the linear production-consumption-waste model driven by capitalism and explores the potential for creating resilient, self-sustainable cities through circular network flows.
Focusing on Madrid, the project proposes the reintroduction of urban manufacturing within the city to establish sustainable (textile) material flows. By ‘weaving’ this new program into the city's existing urban and material fabric, and reclaiming the former industrial site, the project envisions a space dedicated to textile innovation. With the intention of extending to other industries in the future, fostering cross-industry synergies and potentially acting as a catalyst for broader sustainable practices.
Architecture has a potential to serve as a catalyst of the change, by embodying the principles of sustainable production, rethinking the flows of material and embracing the interconnectedness of systems, communities and environment. Considering the industrial history and context of the site, the project reimagines the underutilized area as an innovation hub, contributing to a more resilient urban future.