

casagrande lab grows research center inside abandoned sugar factory

all images courtesy of casagrande laboratory / taitung ruin academy

multidisciplinary design studio casagrande laboratory (C-LAB) has constructed a research center for biourbanism inside an abandoned sugar factory. located in south taiwan, the core of the ‘taitung ruin academy‘ is contained around the industrial facility’s evaporator tanks, from where the scheme grows to engulf the entire factory.

multifunctional education spaces are complemented with extensive community gardening and the introduction of wild plantation. the building’s roofs and rain water channels have been reorganized to harvest rainwater, while part of the ceiling has been removed in order to allow rain to fall on carefully selected areas of vegetation.



the academy focuses on the research of the indigenous formosan tribes in the taitung county area

the academy focuses on the research of the indigenous formosan tribes in the taitung county area and how this organic knowledge can be transformed into design methodologies of biourbanism – the ecological restoration of existing cities. reflecting this mentality, at the heart of the plan a thick jungle grows out from the structure’s machinery with neighboring functions, (galleries, studios and saunas), seen as natural extensions of the building’s core.



a tatami room at the lower level of the scheme



part of the ceiling has been removed in order to allow rain to fall on carefully selected areas of vegetation



the core of the design is contained around the industrial facility’s evaporator tanks



galleries, studios and saunas are seen as natural extensions of the building’s core



shards of light enter through carefully positioned apertures



stairs leading to the upper level of the plan



two 2-person swings are found in the swing room



multifunctional education spaces are complemented with extensive community gardening



at night, the factory takes on an eerie and atmospheric quality

project info:

principal: marco casagrande

curator: sandy hsiu-chih lo

project manager: nikita wu (C-LAB)

workshop 1 operators: adda zei (C-LAB), vaan wang, mao hui, and shuai wen-hao (tamkang university); yang shan-chun(national taipei university of education); mao ching-yi, li ying-ying (national taidung jr. cpllege); wang i-hsiang (national chengchi university); yu chia-jen (assistant professor of mingdao university); lee me fe (feng jia university); hsu chu-chun (tainan national university of the arts); chen ruo-qing (cheng shiu university); lai yu-an (national jiao tung university); niu kuang-yu, guo ren-chiao, huang yu-nan, chung wen-hao, yen yu-tien (national taiwan university of science and technology); peng qien ru (soochow university).

local knowledge: tian-cai lin , curator of taitung sugar factory museum. mei-hsiu wang, horticulturalist. ding-yong lin, horticulturalist.

floor area: 450 sqm

materials: wood, soil, brick, white stone, tatami, recycled industrial elements

location: taitung sugar factory, taitung, taiwan

commissioner: the taitung county government , kindly supported by deputy governor chang chi-yi

completed: 2014