KelpHearth Part 1 Project 2024 Imogen Erskine Queen's University Belfast | UK Imagining a seaweed driven economy that breathes new life into Rathlin Island, seaweed glassmaking is the main programme of the scheme. A core chimney sits at the back of the site, for the drying and burning of seaweed needed for the glassmaking process. With a focus on heat and thermal experience, the projects aim expanded to the community and providing spaces of thermal comfort. Rathlin is a location that can experience fuel poverty, so this became increasingly important. A secondary chimney sits in-between the café and gallery, acting as a space to gather. Moments of thermal comfort are created throughout, expressed in the forms of heated seats and seaweed thermal baths. Tying the functional to the social, the chimneys are designed to heat water which is initially collected off the roofs and runs through pipes within the walls. This way, the seaweed acts as the source of heat. These walls are constructed in hempcrete, with impressive thermal properties. The scheme sits within the original stone walls of the site, carved into the slope with a series of stairs and ramps. Reflective of Irish Clachan houses, three main forms are present, offering spaces of protection and sanctuary for the community. Imogen Erskine Tutor(s) Sean Cullen Nuala Flood