From ruin to resource - the decision to reclaim: exploration through adaptive reuse

Abstract

Through the investigation of adaptive reuse strategies, this thesis explores how an industrial ruin might be recovered, restored, and repurposed to re-engage with Sudbury’s industrial past. By contextualizing the relationship between embodied knowledge, architectural craft, and industrial heritage, the appropriate scale of change can be addressed. As a tangible record of Sudbury’s industrial history, the Northern Breweries site will be transformed to foster community engagement, and preserve its unique characteristics. By conducting case studies of sites of global, national and local significance, this thesis assesses the varied approaches of adaptively re-using industrial ruins into museums. The thematic analysis of these findings shape the scope of a design proposal for a new industrial museum for Sudbury. By transforming Northern Ontario’s last industrial brewery into a museum, the aim is to encourage discovery and elicit curiosity, allowing forgotten histories to once again contribute to contemporary understanding of the region’s industrial legacy.