Adaptive Permanence
A Structural Response to Energetic Vulnerability.
S.I.B. Scheiwe (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
U. Knaack – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
F.J. Speksnijder – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
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Abstract
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.