Land, Building, Dwelling Part 1 Project 2024 Yaowen Zhang Bartlett School of Architecture (UCL) | UK Rotterdam faces a severe housing crisis, driven by the economic value placed on homes, overshadowing their primary function – ‘to dwell’. “Land, Building, Dwelling” critiques this financial-centric approach and proposes a ‘slow mode’ for housing development, emphasising our collective design responsibility and the legacy on the resources we inherit as custodians of land. The project aligns with Rotterdam’s 20-year urban regeneration plan, starting in 2024 with a local modular factory to serve the construction of clay-based residential terrace housing on site by 2035. As construction progresses, the factory is gradually dismantled, leaving a ‘modern ruin’ as the foundation for a future community centre to serve residents.The factory processes two local materials; river clay to form reusable moulds due to its ability to attract and hold fluid molecules, and marine clay as cast for eco-concrete housing due to its high sediment content essential in the development of environmentally friendly clay-based material. This modular construction workflow encourages a circular economy, sustainability and meaningful community growth. As Heidegger stated, the real housing crisis is not the lack of housing but the need for people to learn ‘to dwell’. Buildings should not be defined at completion; their life begins and evolves with their occupants. Yaowen Zhang Tutor(s)