Laudato si’: Franciscan monastery

How to use the potential of Franciscan ecological thought today? Papal encyclical “Laudato si’” has inspired the project that is materialized answer to its universal call for organic work for the environment. The ruins of the offshore torpedo plant are to become a place for monks to improve the purity of Baltic Sea by catching and reusing plastic waste.

Former Nazi-German torpedo plant was used to construct the monastery for Franciscans who devote themselves to God and organic work of reusing plastic waste from the Baltic Sea. Scenario for the monastery corresponds with the order history. In 13th century in Italy Franciscans also occupied abonded places and renovate them for own purpose. The monks spend a few hours a day hiking into the sea and on the beaches, clearing the environment of plastic. Friars use the collected garbage to produce building material supplementing the run-down structure. Production of the basic project material was based on the technology used to produce RPL (recycled plastic lumber) and Byfusion Bricks. Project is also a vision of transforming dystopia (death tools factory) into utopia. An important issue was to ensure self-sufficiency for the community by using renewable energy sources and own cultivation. Monastery was laid out around the traditional patio. Instead of the garden it is covered with the sea water with the Marian column in the center. The complex is surrounded by a breakwater. The north part with former foretop observatory was dedicated to the orientated church flanked by two towers. Western part is a Franciscan convent, the east - guest house. The building was designed in such way that all construction works were carried out by friars living in the cloister. Façade is offset from remains of old wall to highlight its beauty. The newly built southern part is a place of work for monks. There are made simple and ecological plastic blocks with low value of built-in energy, as the raw material is obtained from recovery. Bricks subsequent could be donate to help the poor and needy people. The proposed concept could in the future also be applied in other locations with different characteristics and struggling with other nuisances.