Conceptual Design for a School for Contemporary Craft and Related Technologies in Bitola, Macedonia - A Dialectical Design Approach for the Repurposing of and Existing 19th Century Building, the FormerPepovska, Eva (Avtor) Robinson, Paul O. (Mentor) obrt / spretnost / industrija / sinergija / revitalizacijaThe two starting points for this thesis are the problematic of cultural descending in the town of Bitola addressed through the programmatic content of the project - a school for contemporary crafts and related technologies, and the many vacant buildings in the town addressed through the selection of the site - an existing 19th century building - the former "Art School of Crafts", with its later warehouse addition. Both artisanal and industrial craft have been a predominant economical factor of Bitola that has declined to a near extinction as a result of the onset of industrial manufacturing and its effects on craftsmanship and industry. Many consider craftsmanship and industry mutually exclusive and separate. Yet, certain industries embody qualities that have arisen from artisanal craftsmanship. Certain problems began to arise at the line where intangible values were lost e.g., diversity, appreciation for aesthetic uniqueness, dedication to quality and dexterity, to the efficiencies and profit proffered by mass production. The conceptual intentions of this project emerged from the location of the existing structures in the town and the relations within it. The school is intended to teach people, of any age, the skills of crafting wood, metals, stone, glass, and clay through an informal approach by facilitating workshops conducted by local and foreign craftsmen.20222022-11-07 14:42:13Magistrsko delo/naloga142416sl