This urban building project is based in Thornwood, a neighbourhood in the west of Glasgow. It severely lacks inclusive community spaces and amenities, and despite an abundance of green space, this is predominantly privatised and/or under-utilised. Both issues can be resolved by architecturally enforcing the practice of commoning, which will in turn create a more circular, and therefore sustainable, community.

My urban building site reclaims unused, inaccessible green space, giving this public realm back to the community through the growing gardens. The dramatic topography of the site provides opportunities to connect with the community through a variety of public realm treatments and thresholds at multiple levels, reinforcing the building as accessible and welcoming. The structure also emphasises that this is a subversion of the civic building typology, focusing on using more natural and inviting materials. Timber elements are exposed differently throughout, creating spaces which feel distinct but united in their openness.

The building will provide inclusive and isolation-reducing facilities, to combat the impacts of both gentrification and a majority of single-person households, such as a community café and kitchen, as well as independent businesses. These will aid in the creation of a circular community by aligning with the concept of sharing and re-distributing resources, with a focus on producing and using local products, facilitated by varied teaching and workshop spaces. Finally, the building is intended to become a physical, and visible, home for the community council. Currently an intangible and therefore inaccessible entity, by locating it permanently in the neighbourhood it will become a greater source of community creation and organisation.