This project repurposes the former headquarters of the Scottish Law Commission, an abandoned brick and concrete structure slated for demolition, into a community centre for the Edinburgh Student Housing Co-operative (ESHC). Identified through the Buildings at Risk Register, the structure offers reusable materials that, when combined with earth construction, can generate self-managed, affordable student spaces in line with the ESHC’s residential model.
The thesis proposes a methodology that adheres to the ESHC’s ethos of bottom-up reclamation, gradual transformation, self-management, and self-build. Developed through a year-long process of hands-on experimentation and prototyping with prefabricated earth blocks that culminated in the construction of a live-build structure for ESHC’s members, Cooperative Constructions scales up this material system, also combining it with subtractive protocols for the transformation of the existing building.
The project comprises a set of flexible indoor spaces, a thick scaffolding skin that doubles as a multi-level open-air balcony, and an outdoor plaza. The indoor area uses an open plan with cut-away concrete floors and earthen walls to enhance natural lighting, thermal performance, humidity, and the interaction between spaces. The transitional scaffolded balcony connects interior and exterior, with customisable corners featuring coffee stations, green islands, and sunbathing areas. The outdoor plaza occupies the original structure of the former library, offering eight distinct outdoor experiences.
The occupation and re-construction processes emphasise community-crafted, manually extruded raw earth walls, while promoting a low-tech, low-cost building method that incorporates circular materials. Beyond the revitalization of the existing building, the project’s approach to sustainable materials and public participation may serve as a model for the bottom-up reclamation and repurposing of vacant buildings.
