Maxwell Kemplen

UNEARTH is a thesis project rooted in two critical texts: Marc Augé’s Non-Places and Kevin Lynch’s The Image of the City. Both explore the concept of ‘place’ - its qualities, meanings, and how it is perceived and remembered. During a visit to Whitehaven, he wandered the coastline and began noticing fragments of stone structures embedded in the landscape. These remnants hinted at a buried architectural history, prompting questions: What were these structures? What stories did they hold? How have they shaped the image of Whitehaven?

These relics, once central to community life, have become detached from memory - left to erode both physically and culturally. This raises important questions: What role can design play in reconnecting people with these forgotten places? How far can we intervene before the original identity is lost?