masterwork
Néptelek (People's camps)
Block rehabilitation in Népszínház street
In my masterwork, I present the possibility of complex rehabilitation within the dense urban fabric of apartment buildings typical of Budapest. I do this through the transformation of the first apartment building on Népszínház Street. Building on the existing conditions, I attempt to create new quality communal spaces within the block that serve as a transition between urban life and residential areas. I respond to the condition, spatial order, and functionality of the buildings by adapting the scale and location of the interventions. Through minimal demolition, I create new, diverse spatial setups in the rear sections of the houses to replace badly designed flats in poor conditions. I also create open, covered, and enclosed public spaces through small-scale rearrangements. I address the resulting housing shortage by reinstating the missing flats on the respective levels and by supplementing their functionality with the new public spaces. I transform the auxiliary staircases of the block into vertical ventilation shafts, adapting the climate elements as described in Lilla Szabó's research. These channels facilitate the airflow from the roof-level layer to the courtyard level and connect the elevated communal walkway I designed with the ground-floor spaces. My aim with addressing the spatial challenges of the Népszínház Street block is to showcase the hidden possibilities of the built and social environment.
thesis
Climate Adaptation Superzone in Népszínház Street
I aim to demonstrate the legitimacy of both the location I chose for my masterwork and the conceptual approach that I consider realistic in my dissertation. I delve into the historical research of Népszínház Street, as well as the emergence of the characteristic urban structure and the composition of the population. I explore the social and socio-economic phenomena that evolved further in the 20th and 21st centuries, when Népszínház Street became a meeting point of the most miscellaneous cultures in terms of ethnic diversity. I present the emerging grassroots and top-down organised new wave infrastructure in the area, as well as my involvement in the Terek Közti Körök (Round Between Squares) event series, which explores public spaces in the district. Taking a broader perspective, I investigate Szabó Lilla's climate adaptation research. My goal is to combine the existing resources of the area with innovative climate research to establish the guiding principles for the design programme of my masterwork.
