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.