Name: Hai Tom Nguyen
Track: Architecture
Studio: Explore Lab
Year: 2025
Type: Graduation Project
Tutor: Christopher de Vries, Matthijs Klooster, Nikos Katsikis
Description:
Neither quite a village nor fully a city — small towns, or so-called “in-between” towns, are often described in these terms. Much like rural regions, they are affected by declining populations and the corresponding deterioration of their building stock. The first phase of this research reconsiders spatial development in shrinking urban–rural regions through the lens of the post-growth debate. The resulting insights are consolidated into a spatial design framework, which is further developed into a territorial network model. Within the design project, this framework is applied to the case study of my hometown, Stadtroda. Using reclaimed components from a standardized school building scheduled for demolition, the proposal envisions the creation of a “repair school” — a hybrid facility that integrates a community workshop, an educational space, and a building-component exchange. In doing so, the project underscores the critical importance of care and restoration in urban–rural regions, particularly through the adoption of a circular design strategy that cultivates a community-oriented environment centered on repair, reuse, and preservation.