Remnants of Past: The case of an Abandoned Limestone Quarry Introducing a Stone Waste Refinery and Visitor's experience to rejuvenate desolated Landscape

Abstract

Architecture allows a unique relationship to be established with the site, in some cases it reinvigorates and activates the site for many different reasons. Wastelands, have become a global problem and are growing in number day by day, more to come yet. The percentage of wastelands in Pakistan amount to approximately, 9.14 million hectares. This poses a problem, as development begins eating away cultivable agricultural land, leaving behind sites that are exhausted. This thesis explores the possibility of reactivating a wasted site, that has a potential to benefit the communities. The particular site taken into consideration is an abandoned limestone quarry, leftover by the detrimental activity of mining. The demand for limestone in Pakistan is extremely high, and not bound to cease anytime soon. The Margalla hills have about 200+ quarries out of which 30 % of them are abandoned. These quarries are left in such a state due to the lack of finances and resources available to counter the adverse state. One of such sites is activated through a stone waste refinery, serving as a visitor and tourist friendly space as well. The hybrid program intends to become a source of ecological restoration along with a means of revenue generation and learning opportunity. The refinery provides different output materials which may be beneficial for the construction industry and land restoration. The process involves, cleaning, breaking, refining, categorizing etc. The architecture bridges the site, process and experience together to create a holistic environment, setting a precedent for wasted landscapes in the locality. Tourists get to experience sensually and visually the process not naked to the eye usually. It also redefines the preconceived image and stereotypes attached to industrial setups, of being stripped off of human friendly nature. This thesis allows users to explore architecture and industry, in a new manner, whilst understanding how damaged sites may be alive again.