A Conceptual Interdisciplinary Framework for the “Dual-Use” of Abandoned Gypsum Mine Goafs in China

Amid growing global instability and the escalating impacts of climate change, there is an increasing
need to develop resilient human habitats, particularly underground environments.
At the same time, resource-extraction activities have left behind extensive underground
voids in abandoned mines, presenting a valuable opportunity to expand multifunctional
spaces that can serve daily needs as well as emergency shelter functions (dual-use), while
also supporting urban–rural transformation and sustainable development goals. Due to
their geological conditions and mining methods, underground goafs offer inherent advantages
for dual-use development. In light of this, this study proposes a theoretical approach
to address the three fundamental challenges associated with the dual-use of underground
goafs in gypsum mines from the perspective of architectural space creation. This study
does not present a completed empirical validation; instead, it develops a conceptual and
interdisciplinary methodological framework intended to guide future empirical research
and engineering implementation. Specifically, the framework is as follows: (1) defining
escape safety capacity under disaster impacts by constructing a dynamic assessment model
integrating disaster physics, behavior simulation, and VR-calibrated experiments; (2) elucidating
the correlation mechanism between spatial topological features and human response
patterns using space syntax and multi-modal psychological experiments to reveal how
spatial morphology influences orientation, emotion, and behavior; and (3) moving beyond
the traditional notion that space should be adapted to functional requirements, proposing
an innovative strategy involving adapting predefined functions to the space.