ASU LARA AMCA
Grangemouth Energy Commons // Grangemouth, Scotland
The Grangemouth Energy Commons (GEC) transforms a former oil refinery into a post-industrial hub centred on community ownership, renewable energy, and environmental regeneration. A site once dedicated to fossil fuel production is reimagined as a source of community-owned energy through the integration of wind turbines, rooftop photovoltaics, and battery storage. A new assembly hall supports a collective governance model, enabling residents to participate in decisions regarding energy generation, management, and the reinvestment of profits.
The scheme promotes sustainability on a human scale through material reuse workshops, artist studios, and educational spaces that encourage public engagement with circular economy principles. New cafés, co-working spaces, winter gardens, and courtyards create welcoming civic destinations that attract both residents and visitors. A civic route connects the town to the Commons, functioning as a walking heritage trail through the industrial landscape while improving public access to previously restricted infrastructure.
Environmental restoration forms a key component of the proposal. A steel recycling and reuse yard processes materials recovered from the site, while extensive bioremediation and rewildering strategies enhance biodiversity and address industrial contamination. The architectural approach prioritises radical reuse, retaining existing structures and retrofitting them for improved environmental performance. Materials recovered from demolished buildings are repurposed into new construction elements, while the former cooling tower is transformed into a public watchtower overlooking the site.
Overall, this thesis argues that industrial transition should not only replace energy systems, but also transform ownership, participation, and public access to infrastructure. Architecture mediates between industrial infrastructure, governance, ecology, and community by creating spaces where these systems become publicly accessible and collectively experienced.
