(no images downloaded yet)
# Project Description The Rebuilt Home Alessandro Larxe Summary Final work My name is Alessandro. I am Spanish and a RIBA Part 1 graduate from Central Saint Martins. My studies here have allowed me to explore design rooted in the politics of space and material reuse. I am particularly interested in how small-scale, low-tech interventions can spark large-scale social and environmental impact. My work often investigates the intersection between civic infrastructure and design that responds to social precarity. I am drawn to the role of architecture in everyday life and how buildings support care exchange and agency within communities. The future of architecture lies in designing with empathy, adaptability and collaboration, designing not just structures but strategies that empower people and repair our shared environments. My name is Alessandro. I am Spanish and a RIBA Part 1 graduate from Central Saint Martins. My stu... College Central Saint Martins Course BA (Hons) Architecture Graduation year 2025 How can the library evolve into essential civic infrastructure, uniting advocates, makers, and overlooked members of society while empowering citizens to reclaim agency in the housing crisis? The Rebuilt Home reimagines the traditional library as a vital civic infrastructure, offering radical support in the face of the housing crisis. Situated in Camden along the canal, it unlocks new public access routes and creates public spaces previously denied to the community. Designed around three key users, the Transient, Maker and Advocate, it hosts repair workshops, resting zones, and advocacy hubs to empower citizens, particularly tenants and those in social housing. Promoting dignity, resilience, and collective support, knowledge is shared through tools, guidance, and care. It is not just a building but a movement for reclaiming ownership when ownership is denied. Final work Central Auditorium - A Space Encouraging Encounter and Exchange This image captures the central auditorium, a key spatial connector that runs vertically through all three building floors. Acting as a light well and social core, it diffuses natural daylight while encouraging spontaneous interaction across user groups. As a civic learning space, the auditorium is designed to foster open dialogue and knowledge-sharing around issues of housing and collective agency. Section Exploring Layers of Use The Rebuilt Home offers a modern, proactive typology for civic infrastructure. Makers, advocates, and transient individuals coexist within a shared framework to collectively address housing and community crises. Through spatial layering and an adaptable program, the building becomes a vessel for repair, support, and belonging. At the ground level, the Maker's Zone embraces a robust material palette. The existing building's shell is exposed, accompanied by brickcrete, concrete flooring, and steel shutters. These heavy-duty surfaces are chosen for their durability and tactile honesty. The exposed structural shell and modular timber waffle grid celebrate craft and accessibility, creating a hands-on space for repair culture to thrive. There is an environment of reuse; here, discarded and locally found materials can be legally dealt with in the material pavilion and repurposed to combat issues such as fly-tipping and housing disrepair in Camden. The first floor, or Advocate Level, shifts atmospherically to support calm, dialogue, and acoustic control. Natural linings like treated plywood and acoustic panelling absorb sound and encourage focused engagement. This zone fosters peer-led learning, support, and agency through civic programming rooted in care and conversation. At the top, the Transient Level offers temporary users moments of stillness, warmth, and familiarity. Lighter palettes, clerestory glazing, and timber accents create a quiet refuge, with spatial strategies designed to diffuse light and encourage pause. This layer supports informal rest, casual encounters, and transitional presence, integrating publicness without institutional rigidity. Together, these levels form a cohesive system that reimagines the public library not only as a space for knowledge but also as an infrastructure for empowerment, material repair, and civic care. View Gallery View Gallery View Gallery Research and process Share this project How can the library evolve into essential civic infrastructure, uniting advocates, makers, and overlooked members of society while empowering citizens to reclaim agency in the housing crisis?The Rebuilt Home reimagines the traditional library as a vital civic infrastruc... A link to this page has been added to your clipboard Browse related work Activism Climate Emergency Community Craft & Process Futures Materiality Social Justice Architecture
# Links ## Official page - https://ualshowcase.arts.ac.uk/project/636049/cover ## External - https://linkedin.com/in/alessandro-larxe - tel:07925612071 - mailto:alexlarxe@icloud.com - https://portfolio-tools.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/02042946/SHOWCASE-PROCESS-AND-RESEARCH.pdf - https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fualshowcase.arts.ac.uk%2Fproject%2F636049%2Fcover&text=The+Rebuilt+Home - https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fualshowcase.arts.ac.uk%2Fproject%2F636049%2Fcover&media=https%3A%2F%2Fportfolio-tools.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F06%2F02014859%2Faxonometric.jpg&description=The+Rebuilt+Home