Join Aslihan who shares PhD research in progress. Room KPTK101 and online (Teams)

Respondents: (tbc)

Between Heritage and Development: The Case of Belper

This practice-based research seeks to generate a research-led design approach for a post-industrial UNESCO World Heritage Site that supports continuity and consistency in the historic built environment through innovative critical design practice. The focus is the town of Belper in the Derwent Valley, developed by mill owners from the mid-18th to the mid-19th century.

An example of the pioneering period of the Industrial Revolution, Belper's identity is defined by its overall form and its relationship to the industrial landscape. It is essential that these relationships are definite and recognisable. However, the town is currently under pressure from diverse and conflicting socio-economic forces due to the post-industrial decline of the cotton manufacturing industry.

This research project aims to generate a coherent design model for Belper that fits into the town's historical context, drawing from theoretical investigations of alternative urbanism and heritage studies, alongside extensive first-hand investigations of Belper's architectural heritage and urban fabric. It suggests a new design thinking developed with a holistic approach, which considers the site and its history together with lived experience. Knitting together the new and the existing, the research-led design proposal promotes appropriate and viable mixed-use development that repairs and upgrades Belper's existing urban grain while recognising the evolving nature of its historic character.