ABSTRACT - POSTGRADUATE THESIS 2023

prarthana murali

Impermanence of Architecture: an antidote to the take-make-waste building

practice.

The characterization of buildings as monuments and as symbols of durability and

perfection has been long ingrained in our minds. Over a period of time, this
perceived permanence of architecture has brought about adverse environmental
consequences. In today’s modern world, buildings are frequently abandoned or fall
into disrepair when they no longer serve a specific purpose or offer convenience
from a location standpoint. This combined with misdirected notions of “keeping up”
with modern buildings and gaps in heritage building policies result more commonly
in complete or partial demolition, over preservation or repurposing. Cumulatively,
the construction industry accounts for more than 30% of the waste in landfills, a
significant proportion of which comes from the demolition of buildings.

Though buildings are designed for longevity, the principle of weathering and decay
exists in all facets of life, including architecture. On that account, instead of striving
for longevity and perfection, should buildings be designed for obsolescence and
decay? With this understanding of impermanence of architecture, this research
proposes to explore the ephemeral quality of architecture, while being mindful of
nature and the environment. The process investigates design in two ways - the
materiality as a sum of its parts and the ephemerality as a whole.

As sum of parts, a mindful design approach of disassembly is called for, that

employs both low-carbon or ecologically sensitive materials and a circular
construction practice. What are the ways of achieving this in the urban built
environment where the prevalent building practice is linear – of extraction, usage,
and disposal?

As a whole, the study sets out to investigate the intangible qualities – while the
structure is temporal, what makes the experience and perception of a space
impactful and last longer for a culture or community?

I would like to work with Elisa Engel for this project. I envision my thesis to have a
live project or a prototype component and I feel Elisa’s way of approaching a
project through an entrepreneurial perspective is essential to the process. Since the
topic deals with circularity of materials touching upon the economic sustainability
standpoint, Elisa’s expertise on the topic would be invaluable.

Alternate supervisors preference (in order) – Gian Franco, Nina Pawlicki, Markus
Dobmeier.