The research of the thesis explores to what extent a multi-species design practice in architecture based on affordances informed by the act of human and non-human space-making in abandoned ruins helps to achieve a symbiotic relation between architecture and biodiversity. For this purpose, a theoretical framework triangulating affordances, multi-species design and architecture was developed. This was done throughout different exploratory methods such as reviewing literature, as well as an on-field studies of the abandoned ruin “Palácio Ford” in Porto, Portugal. The architectural project is about the design of a multi-species residency consisting of different kinds of towers that contribute to the growth of an urban forest by interaction with the environment. The interventions were developed as Baubotanik structures which combine living trees and technical construction methods in one object. Thus, the project explores new ways of living in a growing architecture which forms an urban forest within the city of Porto.

Currently due to the virtualization of the way of money and the role of the bank itself of money transactions being replaced, although the National Bank of Belgium has a huge space, it is difficult to play a role in the current society. In addition to this, this huge banking system not only embodies national capital but also alienates it from its urban context. In the future, the National Bank of Belgium will have fewer employees, how to use the extra space to make this building permeable and maintain it as a symbol of the National Bank?

This project aims to transform the traditional space of the bank and add new public spaces open to the public by using the working mode of co-working, so as to provide better working space for different social groups. Besides, my project also provides a new public interior for city dwellers by introducing other public spaces. Through the introduction of different programs. The bank will be turned into a huge collection of workspaces, as well as new containers that can contain various urban activities.