Tides Of Change
The thesis reimagines a fragmented part of Whitehaven, located in Cumbria, through the lens of mental health, social inclusion, and architectural empathy. Once shaped by vibrant industry, the area now contends with dereliction, social disengagement, and diminished wellbeing. This project responds to the urgent need for spaces that not only serve functionally but also support emotional and communal restoration. Through a research-driven methodology, the proposal engages five design principles—Socio-Cultural Resonance, Contextual Sensitivity, Integrated Connection with Nature, Intergenerational Knowledge Sharing, and Social and Spatial Cohesion—to form a regenerative framework for Whitehaven’s future.
At the core of the proposal is a multi-scalar spatial program comprising a library, art studios, counselling spaces, workshops, café, yoga zones, and sensory gardens. These elements are arranged as a constellation of healing environments, enabling routine, reflection, and reconnection across age groups and communities. Each space is designed to facilitate autonomy, participation, and care.
Anchoring the site both symbolically and physically is The Thread—an elevated bridge that stitches together the dispersed program elements while offering shifting perspectives of the town. More than a circulation path, it is a spatial narrative: a slow, sensory journey through green zones, water sounds, birdsong from inbuilt nests, and curated views from a high observation tower. It creates visual and physical continuity, reinforcing the idea that healing is nonlinear and experiential. The Thread uplifts the everyday, framing Whitehaven not just as a town of loss, but as a place of layered potential.
Material selections, corten steel, timber, and polycarbonate, are responsive and expressive. Weathering steel reflects endurance; timber softens and warms; translucent polycarbonate diffuses light and reveals silhouettes. Together, they construct an architecture of feeling—gentle yet grounded, open yet protective—where the built and the natural environment become active partners in holistic individual and collective wellbeing.
