Ka Kwan Andrew Mak

Cumbernauld was an ambitious project for its expandable nature and adapting the Linear City concept to accommodate the overcrowded Glasgow, and recognised as the icon of post-war megastructural design theory. However, Historic Scotland refused to list it and the council has planned to demolish the building in the future. Metabolism, founded in Japan, was a post-war architecture ideology that was proposed to accommodate overcrowded Japan through expandable and destructible buildings by introducing capsules, a modular component that could be assembled and disassembled from the structure. They were both a response to the change in society after the war, in an architectural way and were designed to be expandable. Could Cumbernauld be reimagined as a Metabolic town? A Metabolic Cumbernauld would be a self-growing, sustainable town that could adapt to change. It would be built using modular construction and prefabrication so that it could be easily expanded or reconfigured. This project is an attempt to study the legacy and vision of Cumbernauld through the lens of Metabolism. It aims to reimagine Cumbernauld as a self-growing megastructure that is sustainable and adaptable.