Intending Repair: Exploring Architectural Value through Embodied Material Mending

PhD project by Aislinn McCarthy

This research investigates the perceived architectural value of existing homes, their physical materiality and continuity in the context of social housing in Denmark, through a lens of repair. Building on current discourse, the study situates itself within ongoing explorations of repair as a restorative force, inherent in the practice of care, tending to the existing built fabric, the longevity of materials and the systems that support this.

Repair work is typically defined as the act of fixing something that is broken. The study begins with a review of this definition, situated in today’s context, focusing on its relational role to the current design practice. Graham and Thrift’s notion of the living nature of materials is explored under the argument that “buildings are in a constant state of flux as they strive to constantly to fend off decay”. This mentality could uproot the present definition of repair work from reaction-based, occurring only when a building material or part fails, towards a continuous, proactive approach, unfolding inherent maintenance mindsets. During the project’s testing phases, the research will guide the integration of intended reparative methods that begin to influence the early design process while observing the outcomes through an unconventional, inverted approach.

‘Dust Breeding, Man Ray, 1920’ Singular Images, Sophie Howarth, ed., Tate Publishing, 2005

The hypothesis of this research suggests that if factors such as use, time and decay of a home are not realistically premeditated initially by the architect, the longevity of material lifespans that make up parts of the home may disengage from the core design values ingrained in current and future practice as they individual materials begin to break down.

This mindset is crucial in a global crisis, where there remains a pressing national need for affordable housing, while the trajectory launches towards resource depletion. Housing initiatives like Byggestop Bevægelsen (Building-stop Movement) and HouseEurope emphasise the knowledge gap in evaluating the quality of existing European housing stock, directing the project’s specific focus upon buildings erected between the 1960s and the late 1970s, during an industrial-scale construction boom taking place across Denmark.

The two initiatives call for a re-examination of the systems capable of facilitating the necessary shift away from demolition and replacement- a challenge currently facing the Danish social housing sector, where the question of perceived worth and maintenance of these residential buildings is subject to investigation.

The project aims to critically examine current practices, mentalities and values that could impact the continuity of these homes, by activating repair work and observing instances where repairs are not undertaken. The study is analysed from three distinct perspectives- the designer, the dweller and the overarching social housing organisation.

The work builds on Stewart Brand’s maintenance-based mindset, exploring the concept as an imaginable driver to reposition design outputs away from the production of new, whether that’s a single material or an entirely new home. When integrated by architects, repair work is explored as a means of informing the dweller on how to care for their home’s materiality throughout the use phase, as well as the systematic maintenance schemes that organise the level and type of upkeep.

The theoretical framework of repair and value perceptions shapes a methodological approach for identifying building piece pathologies and enacting mending processes, together providing the foundational structure to address the two research questions:

1. In what ways can maintenance mentalities on a domestic scale uproot the current repair definition in design, shifting perceptions of value of existing materials under disrepair, and what effect might this have on the continuity of homes in the Danish social housing context?

2. How might a catalogue of proactive repair practices be integrated into the early design process, and in what ways could this inform an alternative resident-led maintenance framework, addressing inherent limitations of caring for the individual home?