The Hackable Condenser

Abstract

The need for adaptable buildings as a response to climate change is known. Repurposing existing structures and building materials are significant means of reducing the environmental impact of space making. This process of users appropriating and adapting the built environment, overwriting past functions and meanings with new ones, is prevalent within the urban fabric of Berlin and has become part of the identity of the city. Two terms which shaped the early explorations were loose fit architecture and hackable buildings. This research proposes a typology between these terms which provides the scaffolding to allow and encourage users to alter the space to suit the changing needs placed upon the building. The primary aim of this typology is to reduce the initial resource input into buildings, increase the longevity and resiliency of the structures, and help form more meaningful relationships between people and spaces they inhabit.
Berlin, like many cities, is experiencing the effects of gentrification as property prices continue to rise. The area of Friedrichshain currently boasts the second highest housing expenses in Berlin, despite an average income under the city average. Segments of the population heavily affected by these changes are young families and those in creative fields, many of whom require shop spaces and studios in order to do their craft. In many urban areas the trend of coworking spaces, collaborative workshops, and makerspaces can be observed in response to this. These spaces leverage the increased density and shared resources to make creative spaces more accessible. Such a function would allow residents who may otherwise have been forced to move to other parts of the city to stay in their neighborhood and social networks.
The prototype that is the subject of this graduation project would also provide a platform for the exploration of hackability and selfbuilding as tools for developing more local and self-reliant communities.