On Leveraging the Means of Production for Adaptive Reuse: Sustaining the Future of Derelict Industrial Buildings

Abstract

In Montréal, the decline of industrialization has resulted in numerous abandoned buildings, symbolizing economic disinvestment in working class communities. This study aims to redefine production, in an architectural program, as a means to foster resilience and self-determination. Using the abandoned Canada Malting Silos malting factory in Saint-Henri (Montréal) as a case study, this thesis argues that urban agriculture systems can serve as design strategies for architectural adaptive reuse, transforming derelict sites into vibrant hubs for cooperative economies. The methodology combines a theoretical foundation rooted in Lefebvrian perspectives on the production of space with architectural approaches to adaptive reuse from architects Francoise Bollack and Emmanuelle Réal. Ultimately, this research aspires to contribute to the discourse on sustainable urban development by proposing a model that reconciles the legacies of industrialization with the imperatives of ecological stewardship and social equity.