EXPERIENCING THE PRESENT AND EXPLORING THE FUTURE WITH IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGIES CASE STUDY: ” ST. LAZARUS CHURCH PEDESTRIAN STREET”, MACAU

ABSTRACT

THIS DISSERTATION ADDRESSES A CENTRAL AND PERSISTENT CHALLENGE IN CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE: THE NEED TO PROVIDE HIGH-QUALITY, SUSTAINABLE HOUSING THAT IS BOTH ECONOMICALLY ACCESSIBLE AND RESPONSIVE TO THE DIVERSE NEEDS OF ITS INHABITANTS. IT INVESTIGATES THE HYPOTHESIS THAT ADVANCED MODULAR PREFABRICATION, WHEN COMBINED WITH DIGITAL DESIGN AND OPEN-BUILDING PRINCIPLES, CAN SUCCESSFULLY SYNTHESISE THE TRADITIONAL VALUES OF AFFORDABILITY, FLEXIBILITY, AND CUSTOMISATION. THE RESEARCH GOES BEYOND THE STANDARDISED, OFTEN RIGID, MODELS OF HISTORICAL PREFABRICATION TO PROPOSE A NEW FRAMEWORK FOR A RESPONSIVE AND USER-CENTRIC SYSTEM. THE RESEARCH DOES A CRITICAL REVIEW OF PREFABRICATION’S HISTORICAL TRAJECTORY, IDENTIFYING WELL-DOCUMENTED CASES IN COST REDUCTION AND SPEED OF CONSTRUCTION, ALONGSIDE AESTHETIC VARIETY AND FUNCTIONAL ADAPTABILITY. THIS LEGACY HAS CREATED A PERCEPTION OF PREFABRICATION AS A LIMITING, RATHER THAN LIBERATING, ARCHITECTURAL APPROACH. THIS DISSERTATION ARGUES THAT CONTEMPORARY TECHNOLOGICAL ENABLERS HAVE CREATED A PARADIGM SHIFT, MAKING IT FEASIBLE TO MANAGE COMPLEXITY AND VARIETY. THE METHODOLOGY EMPLOYS A QUALITATIVE APPROACH. FIRSTLY, A THOROUGH THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK IS ESTABLISHED THROUGH A LITERATURE REVIEW, SECONDLY , COMPARATIVE CASE STUDIES ARE ANALYSED, EXAMINING INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS THAT EXEMPLIFY DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO MODULAR DESIGN. THE DISSERTATION DEVELOPS A NOVEL CONCEPTUAL MODEL BASED ON A STABLE STRUCTURE THAT SERVES AS THE CORE, WHICH PROVIDES ECONOMIC AND TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY. THIS IS PAIRED WITH A NON-STRUCTURAL, HIGHLY CUSTOMISABLE SYSTEM OF MODULAR COMPONENTS THAT CAN BE EASILY ASSEMBLED, DISASSEMBLED, AND RECONFIGURED. THIS APPROACH EFFECTIVELY DECOUPLES THE LONG-LIFE BUILDING SUPPORT FROM ITS SHORTER-LIFE, ADAPTABLE COMPONENTS. FURTHERMORE, THE RESEARCH SHOWS HOW A DIGITAL CONFIGURATOR TOOL CAN SERVE AS AN INTERFACE FOR A CLIENT ENGAGEMENT, ALLOWING CUSTOMISATION WITHIN A PREDEFINED AND MANUFACTURABLE SET OF RULES, BALANCING CHOICE WITH FISABILITY. IN CONCLUSION, THIS DISSERTATION AIMS TO SHOW THAT THE TRUE POTENTIAL OF MODULAR PREFABRICATION LIES IN REDEFINING STANDARDISATION NOT AS AN END GOAL OF UNIFORMITY, BUT AS A MEANS TO ACHIEVE EFFICIENT VARIETY. IT PROVIDES A VALIDATED FRAMEWORK FOR DELIVERING ARCHITECTURALLY SIGNIFICANT, SUSTAINABLE, AND AFFORDABLE BUILDINGS THAT CAN EVOLVE OVER TIME TO MEET CHANGING USER NEEDS AND LIFESTYLES. BY SHOWING THAT AFFORDABILITY DOES NOT NEED TO BE OPPOSITE TO DESIGN QUALITY AND PERSONALISATION, THIS DISSERTATION CONTRIBUTES A SIGNIFICANT MODEL FOR ADVANCING ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE AND ADDRESSING THE GLOBAL HOUSING CRISIS.