This thesis explores the lifecycle of industrial remediation through the lens of thermal transfer as part of a broader architectural narrative that ultimately aims to address the possibilities latent in post-industrial landscapes.
The consequences of large scale mining often outlast the lifespan of the industry. Over the last fifty years, the mining town of Centralia has witnessed an underground mine fire that is projected to burn well into the next century. This project is primarily concerned with the question of resettlement post disaster.
While initially the nature of the fire was sporadic, this project will explore a combinatory strategy that harnesses the latent energy into a predictable and constructive force to be metabolized by the architecture program instrumental in the refertilization of a barren landscape. The manifestation of an active industry becomes the physical trace of the unseen turmoil of the site that otherwise, remains invisible. By situating this project between the event of the disaster and the ultimate resettlement of the site, the intervention becomes the catalyst for the reconstitution of a devalued landscape.
