MORECAMBE BAY A Study of Time and Tide
Ayaz Khan
SITE ANALYSIS
CONTENTS
Location 4-5 A Brief History 6-7 The Queens Guide 8-9 Geology 10-11 The Tide 12-13 Habitats 14-15 Issues Surrounding the Bay Area 16-17 Vegetation 18-19 Conservation 20-21 The Morecambe Bay Tragedy 22-23
PRECEDENT STUDIES Amphibious House 24-27 Last Resort 28-29 Floating House 30-31 Cockle Shells 32-35 The Ribcage 36-37 2
Tjibaou Cultural Centre 38-39 Floating School 40-41 Floating Structures 42-43
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT Precedent Development 44-45 Form and Functionality 46-47 Initial Design 48-49 Design Resolution 50-51 Revisiting my Concept 52-53 Developing the Design 54-55
FINAL DESIGN RESOLUTION Computer Model Development 56-57 Physical Model Development 58-61 Technology 62-63 Final Design 64-67 3
LOCATION
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orecambe Bay is situated between Liverpool Bay to the south and the Cumbrian Coast to its north. It is a large embayment fed by the estuaries of the rivers Wyre, Lune, Kent, Keer and Leven. It has the largest area of intertidal flat land in Britain and includes many different types of ground conditions. Some of these include; shallow areas of sands, tide-washed channels, rocky scars of glacially derived material, vegetated shingle and saltmarsh. There are also areas of terrestrial woodlands, wetlands, grassland and heath are also included within the Morecambe Bay area.
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A BRIEF HISTORY
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n 1846, work on the Morcombe Bay harbour began and was completed in 1850, connecting it to Bradford, Skipton and Keighley (located in West Yorkshire)for trade and development purposes. From that, a settlement began to grow around the harbour and railway, both to service the port and as a seaside resort. By the mid20th century, Morcombe was thriving and it attracted many visitors to its seaside resort. Not much later, Morecambe suffered from decline after two piers were lost. In 1977 West End Pier was partly washed away in a storm and the remnants demolished in 1978 and Central Pier was struck by a fire in 1933. Today there is a population of approximately 319,100 people living along the coastline of Morecambe Bay.
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THE QUEENS GUIDE
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he Queen’s Guide are prople who have been helping visitors and travellers cross the bay for centuries. They are appointed by the queen. Because there is a vast change in terrain as you move from shore to sand to water, there are many obstacles including quicksand and rapid tides and this makes it dangerous whilst crossing the bay. During and before the 19th century, it was particularly difficult crossing Morecambe Bay, due to the presence of the mountains of the Lake District. This could only be reached by crossing these sands or by ferry, until the Furness Railway was built in 1857.
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GEOLOGY
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he geology of the Morecambe Bay area is largely made up of clay, sand and gravel. High wave and tidal energies erode and redistribute a large amount of the sand and gravel from Morecambe Bay and the Irish Sea and move it onshore. On the western margin of Morecambe Bay between Morecambe and Silverdale there are boulder clay cliffs separated by land. It is the erosion of this material which forms the mounds of clay-like pebbles, called ‘scars’ or ‘skears’, that are found on the shore of Morecambe. To the south of Morecambe Bay there is a lot of northerly sand transport and onshore movement of its sand and silt into the Ribble estuary. This northerly drift continues into the southern part of Morecambe Bay but the general movement of other sediment in the bay is low.
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THE TIDE
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ong term sea-level change across the Natural Area is the result of a combination of global change in sea level (1.5mm to 2mm / year) and local change in land levels. The British Isles is slowly tilting with northern Britain rising and southern Britain subsiding. This tilting occurs because of isostatic uplift of the earth’s crust. Parts of the low-lying coast around Morecambe Bay are susceptible to flooding, especially when there is a high tide or storm surge. Hard coastal defences have been put in to protect both urban and agricultural land around the bay. Unfortunately, these have often directly destroyed habitats and features of importance and/or disrupted coastal sediment processes which has damaged natural systems.
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HABITATS
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hese include various types of mud and sand sediments that are Submerged by the tide for at least part of the year. Mudflats and sandflats can support diverse intertidal communities of invertebrates and algae and in places there are beds of the flowering plant, elgrass (seagrass). Animal communities living within the sediments over the central part of the Bay include a large number of worms such as lugworm and ragworm as well as bivalve molluscs, particularly the Baltic tellin and the edible cockle. Mussels, which do not burrow, are found assocuated with harder land types. There are also many shell fisheries for mussels and cockles found in Morecambe. Within the water itself, the common brown shrimp is most ferquent. However, with a decrease in wave exposure and greater water retaining capacity of the sediments the types of habitats increases and there can be a variety of living organisms living together. The intertidal areas of Morecambe Bay it’s submerged sandbanks provide nursery and feeding grounds for a number of fish such as flounder and plaice whilst several of the minor estuaries support populations of salmon and trout during their migrations. Bass are seasonally abundant in the area and there is a bass nursery close to Heysham. Also, small numbers of grey seal regularly use the area.
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ISSUES SURROUNDING THE BAY AREA
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orecambe Bay is an important route for cables and pipelines. Their installation and subsequent maintenance can cause damage to wildlife habitats directly and/or through disruption to natural coastal processes. Development of new road crossings and other developments such as barrages could also lead to extensive damage at the landfall sites and major long term or permanent damage and disruption to the environment and its features. Coastal areas such as these can also be subject to other industrial developments such as coastal defences and flood protection works. These can disrupt coastal processes both at their location and elsewhere along the coast and this can subsequently lead to the loss or damage of wildlife habitats. Another form of disturbance is dredging which is usually associated with maintaining navigation channels and docks. Dredged spoil is disposed of in licensed dumping sites in deeper water and much of this is likely to be carried back into the Bay.
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VEGETATION
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here is an area between the coast and Morecamb Bay which is home to many types of vegetation. Vegetated shingle is among these types, which is very rare and of considerable nature conservation importance. Another type of vegetation; saltmarsh, occurs where the sediment load of the water is high. This is very common and can withstand excess water and severe weather conditions. They are also essential in trapping and binding sediments along the shoreline. In addition to this, a number of places around Morecambe Bay woodland and scrub communities form transitional habitats with the sandflats, mudflats and saltmarshes. Woodland varies according to the rock type, but most of the areas of woodland are found on limestone. Areas of scrub in Morecambe Bay is mainly scattered along the landward side close to the saltmarshes and extends onto areas of semi-natural grassland.
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CONSERVATION
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he area of Morecombe Bay area is also home to a variety of protected animal and plant species due to the variety of conditions it offers. These include birds, sea creatures, and a variety of vegetation. There are also many oher species fully protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (As Amended) and/or which are rapidly declining in the UK. The types of birds can be found under a published document named ‘Red Data Birds’ which refers to birds that are considered to have important populations in the Natural Area in the UK.
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THE MORCOMBE BAY TRAGEDY
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disaster occured on the evening of February 5th 2004 as 23 people lost their lives picking cockles from Morecombe Bay. They were all of a Chinese background, brought to the UK illegally in order to work and make money for their families back home in China. A thorough investigation revealed they were out long after permitted hours and the tide circled their location before rising, leaving them stranded. 2 of the deceased were female and the rest male. There was also a single survivor who washed ashore. The rest drowned in the icy cold water. It has now been over a decade since the incedent and there have been a variety of memorials here in the UK as well as in China. One physical statue constructed at the site of the deaths is shown to the right. It depicts a man praying whilst overlooking the location where the deaths occured.
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AMPHIBIOUS HOUSE
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his is the design for an amphibious house along the banks of the Thames in Buckinghamshire. As there are ever more frequent floods within the UK, authorities are looking t including homes which float as waters rise. In 2012, Baca Architects were granted permission to build Britain’s first amphibious house along the banks of the Thames in Buckinghamshire. The house, which is a replacement for another property, rests on land, but in the event of the river bursting its banks, it is able to rise with the water to keep its inhabitants dry. For now, this house is only an idea and can be a good system to counter flooding.
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omes are frequently built on stilts in countries like Thailand, Burma, India and Bangladesh, which all have regions notoriously susceptible to catastrophic flooding. The assembly is sited within a wet dock comprising retaining walls and base slab. When flooding occurs the dock fills with water and the house rises accordingly. Every aspect is designed to stop any water penetrating inside so if a flood strikes the owners can stay put. A carefully laid out garden will act as a natural early warning flood system, with terraces set at different levels designed to flood incrementally and alert the occupants well before the water reaches a threatening level.
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LAST RESORT
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he ‘Last Resort’ is the name for this project. It has invented a new typology regarding usability, space and technology .The horizontal, undulated shape of the waterfront is inspiration for the design of the project. Furthermore, it serves as means for orientation for the residents. The landscape can be understood as an extension of the living room. Two surfaces (floor and ceiling) frame the experience “nature”; they form the upper and lower margin of the picture. Since the height and shape of the levels can be varied, the perspective and view of the landscape keep changing. The floor, for example, bends downwards at one point and disappears into the water. At another point, the roof curves down to the floor, thus creating a “kissing moment”. At some other spot, it unfurls in order to make space for the staircase. All this generates a play on forms that, together with the swell, the wind and the water reflection results in an intense nature experience. There are also roof-integrated solar panels which generate electricity for the two electric engines that propel the home. I am personally drawn towards the intricate use of the roof as a balcony space and also how the solar panels are integrated within the roof and not as a separate feature. Although our design is not meant to be situated at a harbour, I believe even at sea a building of this nature would seem vibrant and definitely stand out.
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FLOATING HOUSE
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olland based architectural designers Piet and Karin Boon have created a floating house for clients in the Netherlands as well as on the Caribbean island of Bonaire. The building is clad in vertical strips of red cedar, as a “wooden jewellery box” moored in a seductive waterland, surrounded by greenery and yachts. The building has a lower‑level hull that allows for bedrooms in the hollow basement, partly below the water line, while the living spaces and kitchen benefit from the light and vistas up above. An adjoining terrace has been created on land, and the family boat is moored alongside.
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COCKLE SHELLS
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precedent which isn’t a building yet I want to use as a focal point in my design is the cockle. I believe they are a good way to symbolise life and death. As you can see to the right, the only thing different between the life and death of a cockle is the splitting of the shell. I want to use this symbolism in my design in a way that can be related to the deaths of the 23 cockle pickers and the one who survived. I wish to use a similar but not the exact same shape for my design and develop it so it shares it’s characteristic of opening and closing to the cockle. In addition,I want to use not only a shape which symbolises the cockle but also materiality which compliments it.
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esearch has found that the use is concrete mixed with grounded cockle shells increases its strength and gives it other properties including higher water resistance. It also allows for tte surface of the concrete to attract other sea organisms due to its high calcium carbonate content and also its coarseness. Also, when 20% cockle shells are mixed with 80% concrete, it exhibits a high level of strength which surpasses that of normal concrete. This is because the bonding inproves inter particle friction which is turn enhances the compressive strength of the concrete. Similarly, if cockle shells are mixed with too much concrete, like on the ratio of 70/30, it would mean a higher surface area and insufficient cement paste for bonding. In the long run, I wish my building to use this material and in time, become it’s very own artificial reef.
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THE RIBCAGE
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unster Yarn Market (pictured to the right) has a similarity between it’s structure and that of a ribcage. The ceiling, made of wood was cut in a curved fashion and placed equally along a central wooden column. This created an equal ribcage looking structure. For my personal project, I may wish to implement a somewhat similar structure. This would tie in with my cockle idea as the ribcage is also a housing structure and like it houses the heart, the cockle shell houses its ‘heart’.
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TJIBAOU CULTURAL CENTRE
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he Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre is located in New Caledonia. It was opened in 1998 and designed by the Italian architect ‘Renzo Piano’. It has a curved axial layout which spans 250 metres long across the ridge of the peninsula. Although the huts look ancient, the interior space is rectangular. The vertical curved posts are designed so they look like they are woven together. The initial idea for the concept was to incorporate a link between the Kanak traditions and the surrounding landscape. The louvres are conctrolled by a computer in accordance with the speed of the wind. The curve generated by the design allows wind to pass around the structure. It can also be assisted by the louvres which allows it to pass through. This design reminds me of tensegrity and how it plays with repetitive elements to allow the building to be visually stimulating as well as aesthetically.
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FLOATING SCHOOL
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n the lagoon of Lagos, Nigeria, there are scarcely any buildings on land as the entire area is covered by water. This has led to the inhabitants living there to naturally adapt by designing and building their own floating homes. Although it isn’t uncommon around the world (take places such as Holland for example), the materiality used by the people of Lagos is very minimalistic and natural. This includes use of materials such as local bamboo and wooden offcuts from a nearby sawmill. Built by the architectural studio NLÉ, the design is considered to be semi-house and semi-boat. It is currently being used as a school and can accommodate up to 100 adults. This scheme is also the cornerstone for a vision of an entire community of floating homes built in a similar manner. I wish to take some elements of the design and implement it into my model, especially the float mechanism.
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FLOATING STRUCTURES
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mong many buildings and structures that float, there are some materials which possess the property naturally. Some of these are fiberglass and strong durable plastic, moulded correctly to give a shape which is buoyant. This can be seen in many of the boats and small vessels on the waters today. Another such substance is concrete, mixed with minimal materials and maximum air, giving it very lightweight buoyant properties. These are used abundantly in countries such as Holland. They are also used in many cases where structures need to be built above water, for example; oil refineries above water. In addition there are also other ways to keep buildings afloat. One of which is a device with a large amount of air with little surface area situated at its base. This causes the water to be displaced by the structure and create a buoyant platform.
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PRECEDENT DEVELOPMENT
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y initial stage of development started with the cockle shell. I looked at many ways of developing its features in order to look like a building I would use. I experimented with various different methods of incorporating parts of a cockle into my design from making a water turbine with ridges to resemble that of a cockle to making a pendulum action that would occur when the water reaches a certain point. In the end I came up with the diamond shape. This was because of two reasons, firstly, diamonds are a symbol pf purity and perfectiion, secondly, if i sat the diamond on its back, it would point upwards.
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FORM AND FUNCTIONALITY
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s my building developed, I looked at many methods of positioning the building, but as I mentioned earlier, I wanted one the edge of the diamond pointing upwards to link with my concept of transendence of the soul upwards. The image to the right shows half of the building submerged underground, this is due to the fact that cockles also tend to dig their body into the dirt, thus preventing them to be washed away. The area underneath can also be seen on the next page. I have made this into a floatation device and allowed room for the arms to open (as can be seen from the small diagrams). The functioning of these arms is described to the far right of the next page. The arms have a profile which fits into the indentation of the wheel. As they slide off the wheel, they lock into place and allow the building to lift upwards and vice versa on the way down.
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IN ITIAL DESIGN
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he initial developed design had two sides (or arms) which opened as the building rose. They were purely a symbol of the cockle shell and opened much like the cockle itself. I believe this linked in with my design intention and had a quality of symbolism about it. The base of the model would be made with a lightweight material in order to give the structure buoyancy and allow it to float. The mechansim in between the arms and floatation device had room for a mechansim to allow for the movement of the arms. Although this building is appealing symbolically or sculpturally, I believe it doesn’t represent much architectural significance and doesn’t put my point across as well as I would like. Thus, I decided to revisit my initial concept.
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DESIGN RESOLUTION
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REVISITING MY CONCEPT
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y revisiting my design, i also did some further research about opening and closing structures. I found the lotus flower to be a prime example of this, a beautiful flower in a murky swamp is an ideal reflection of my building and its potential surroundings. The lotus flower is also known as a sign of hope and rebirth in the Chinese tradition.To the left, you could see the development of how the lotus flower merged with my cockle shell idea. Both with the opening ability and rising. A chinese proverb translated to english about the lotus is: “The unopened bud of a lotus is like the unfolded soul that unravels and opens itself to the divine truth.� I particularly like this saying and have used it as a spirit of the form. The next page shows how the building would allow for the natural opening and closing mechansim. It would function with a weight positioned in a central hollow steel column which would fall as the water rose and cause the building to close. There would also be a floatation mechanism causing the building to move vertically as it did so.
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DEVELOPING THE DESIGN
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y developed design took the shape of four sides (or petals) which would serve as a platform when the tide is out, and when the tide comes in, they would close and form the exterior walls of the structure. Here, I have played around with the openings and how they would be positioned. Also, how the structure would be supported if my opening would be centrally insode it. The next page shows my finalised version of the cables in my petal and their connections. This design would allow for a centrally positioned door which could be entered when one zips open the lightweight PTFE coated woven fiberglass fabric material. Other than this, the primary structure for this would be aluminium due to its lightweight properties and its functionality and wide use in ships and boats. There are also some details I wish to implement in my design to make the mechansim more workable.
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COMPUTER MODEL DEVELOPMENT
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he initial design woth the leaves flat on the floor left some questions; where would the entrance be in particular. This was developed to allow the entrance to the sides of the model. What this would do is create an entrance from all four corners. The drawback was the fact that when closed, there would be too much room in between divisions, creating large spaces which would indefinitely need to be filled. The way i resolved this was making it so the entrances wouldn’t be from the four corners but from the four petals. I lifted them high enough so someone could pass underneath. The person would then unzip the fabric and walk up the stairs and into the structure. The height of the stairs was calculated based on the minimal height required to enter the space. By developing it even further, I realised each side did not need an entrance therefore the entrance would be located facing Morecambe and the other entrance facing the horizon, this could also be used as a viewing space whilst inside.
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PHYSICAL MODEL DEVELOPMENT
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TECHNOLOGY
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FINAL DESIGN
Key Weight Mechanism
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‘A Study of Time and Tide’ is a University project for Masters In Architecture Year 1. Due to the sudden tragedy in 2004 when 23 Chinese cockle pickers lost their lives, the objective of this task was to provide a memorial that can serve as a safe haven for people stranded in the Morecambe Bay area. This book consists of development procedures along with initial design ideas, precedence studies, site analysis and a comprehensive body of work leading to the final design resolution.