The world is under immense pressure from human activity. We continue to build, expand urban areas, and in doing so, lose valuable agricultural land. This thesis highlights the Magna factory in Maribor as a clear example of this issue.
Today, as food security and self-sufficiency become increasingly important, one of the most fertile agricultural areas in the country was sacrificed for a production hall that, only a few years after opening, now stands unused. The building was constructed, resources were spent, and the land was destroyed. The thesis argues that the existing structure should be preserved and transformed to encourage more sustainable environmental practices.
Its strategic location at the intersection of major transport corridors and its large spatial capacity enable the development of a new, sustainable production model. The programme primarily aims to shift the mindset of existing industry and strengthen the agricultural landscape of the Dravsko Polje region.
Agricultural residues, by-products of crop cultivation, account for up to 80% of total yield and typically rot, are burned, or end up as waste. With adequate infrastructure, they can be combined with mycelium, which acts as a natural binder, to create a recyclable and highly versatile material. Conventional methods of material production are often environmentally harmful and require substantial investment, whereas the use of agricultural residues provides farmers with an additional source of income and strengthens the circular economy. In this process, conditions ideal for greenhouse cultivation naturally emerge, enabling the recovery of lost agricultural production areas.
The transformation of the hall offers more than a reduction in environmental impacts. It creates the opportunity to convert a space defined by generic, enclosed industrial walls into an open, sustainable, contextual structure. The master’s thesis demonstrates an approach through which misguided investments can be reimagined as projects of the future.
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