Title

Author(s)

James Hepper, Daniel Rea, Paola Zanotto

Affiliation

Periscope

DOI

https://doi.org/10.65686/EVQM2511

Keywords

Adaptive Reuse, Shearing Layers of Change, Spirit of Architecture

PP

464-471

How to Cite

Hepper, James, Daniel Rea, Paola Zanotto. “Regenerative Processes at Scale An Adaptive Reuse Strategy for Port Talbot.” In Proceedings of the International Conference on Adaptive Reuse. Volume 1, edited by Andrea Crudeli, Francesca Molle, and Emanuele Carrai, 464–471. Firenze: STH Press, 2026.

Abstract

Across Europe, fossil fuel-based industrial sites are being downsized due to technological advancements and a global shift in energy production. In the UK, this transition is especially pressing in Port Talbot, home to the largest steelworks in Europe and a century-long industrial presence. With the move towards electric arc furnaces, the future of the site—and the communities shaped by it—remains uncertain. This research investigates how adaptive reuse can offer an alternative pathway for large-scale industrial recovery, using Port Talbot as a case study. Conventional approaches to industrial site reuse in the UK typically involve the erasure of industrial features, making way for housing and commercial development. While some iconic buildings are retained for their symbolic value, they are often divorced from their original context and meaning, transformed into aestheticised monuments rather than integral parts of a living heritage. This tendency overlooks the embedded material, cultural, and processual value of such sites. To broach this, our research proposes a method of adaptive reuse grounded in resourcefulness—viewing industrial sites not as derelict voids but as rich repositories of materials, knowledge systems, and narratives. By adopting a hybrid methodology involving landscape-led design, the reuse of reclaimed materials, and the diversion of industrial waste streams, the research demonstrates how architecture can engage with place-specific legacies while fostering sustainable futures. The project emphasises the importance of local craft, materials, and embedded knowledge in shaping an architecture of place. Rather than imposing a top-down vision, it calls for a situated, process-led approach to regeneration—one that understands these landscapes as evolving. Ultimately, the research seeks to define a new post-industrial vernacular for Port Talbot—one that reflects the complexities of transition while honouring the enduring identity of place.

Edited by
Andrea Crudeli
Francesca Molle
Emanuele Carrai

Publisher
STH Press, Firenze

ISBN Paperback – 9791281661141
ISBN Ebook – 9791281661158
DOI – https://doi.org/10.65686/SISY7263

Year
2026

Proceedings of
International Conference on Adaptive Reuse
hosted by The University of Pisa, Italy
15-19 September 2025, at the Gispoteca di Arte Antica dell’Università di Pisa.