Nocturnal Garden II
Revival of the Night:
Subterranean Mushroom Habitat & Dark Park Bartlett MLA Studio 8 Conny Yuen Tutors: Kirsty Badenoch & Tom Budd
Project Summary
Revival of the Night Critical Thinking
The city is always dazzling and glazing with the neon light . Remediating the terrain and farming the nature, this project proposes a scheme of underground exploration for the lives getting back to the origin, the emptied nature in the dark. The landscape behind the the light. Abandoned underground has been an important historic part of London infrastructure since the last decade. Even though many of them are unwanted, they can still be charming by reinvigorating the mysterious hilly terrain and growing energetic vegetation. What if we dig deep to the underground and relieve the earth surface back to the planet? Can we escape from the light? The project divides the land context into two, the terrain surface and the subterranean. It is about the nature to speak itself by minimizing the human intervention in the underground and abandoned station. Renovating the disused underground system into a night-time wildlife havens with a local network, a sanctuary is created for the abandoned natural refugees suffering from the lack of darkness. It domesticates the underground mushroom farming and excavates the underground for the spatial experience of escaping from the glazing light. It is the day for reviving the nocturnal ecologies in London.
Synopsis
Inevitably, neon light and vehicles are a part of our busy city. It is always struggling about experiencing an absolute dark. Bringing back the shade and darkness to the city, under the ground of London city centre, this project aims at reinvigorating the subterranean as a new sanctuary for the nocturnal wildlife habitat with different form of mushroom growing habitats. Darkness is not only black, but through smell and touching.
3
5
Fig01. Infrastructure network of London
Fig02. Cross-elevation of London city centre with River Thames
Topography & Building types
Population Density
Fig03.Urban context of London city (Online resources from MAPPING LONDON and Citiesatnight (2015).
Disused stations & City Contour
7 Fig04. Light Pollution Coverage & Subterranean Layers Distribution
MAP of LONDON CITY with DARK & UNDERGROUND 1:25000 0
250
500
750
1000m
Classification of Disused Stations Ground/ Surface Sub-surface: 10m or more below the ground Deep Level: B2 or more
Disused stations
Landuse
Light Pollution
2km 1/GROUND/SURFACE Cover Pathway| Boring Tunnel| Cut-and-cover 0 to -15m depth 2/SUB-SURFACE Shafts| Excavation 0 to -30m depth 3/Deep Level Buried bed| Immersed Tube Tunnels -25 or more <55m
London Underground Research 1/ Ground Surface| Bore tunnel
2/ Cut-and-Cover Excavation
3/ Deeply immersed tunnel
1. Ground / Surface with Tunnels: Highgate Station
Vision: Exterior/ ruins/ overgrown fields
2. Subsurface: Aldgate East
Vision: tunnels/ shade/ old inner structures
3. Deep level: Highbury & Ilingston underground Station
Vision: tunnels/ darkness
100m
9
London has a gentle low landform with a higher altitude at the North. This is one of the reason why most of the underground stations are built at the centres while the overground and trains are built at the north. Generally, there are 3 types of underground in London according to their content and spatial volume. It will be one of the vital key for designing a connection from the ground to the subterranean level.
0m
Cut-and-cover underground -5-6m Sewers -4m Greenwich foot tunnel -15m Whitehall tunnels -6m
Thames Tunnel -23m
Woolwich foot tunnel -19.5m Mail Rail -25m
Deepest level tube -24m
Crossrail -25m
Water Ring Main - 40-60m
London Power Tunnels - 35-60m
Shard Piles -55m
Thames Tideway Tunnel - 30-60m
Lee Tunnel - 70-80m
Deepest point at Bull & Bush @Hampstead -69m
Food & Landscape in Community Rewilding Land & Urban Farm
Green Factory for safety
Farm Transformation
Transportation Biofuel Factory
Rewilding from Farm
1.Cultivated Algae 2.Urban Farm
Market & Retailing FAMILAND
New Community
Living
Residential & Existing Community
Maunfacture & Mechandise
Replant & UndergroundFarm
Underground & Rewilding Landscape Rewilding Landscape
Passive Rewilding
Ecosystem Recovery Minimizing human intervention Land Remediation Original animals and habitat creation Healing Wasteland
Desired Outcome Diversity
Self-maintaining
Native Dominated
Large Area Intensity of Human Intervention
This concept aims at bring out a consistent linkage between the land remediation and the subterranean agriculture with human activities. Dividing the programmes into 2 parts, the rewilded land returned back to the animals will be healing. It will be providing Bio-fuel by both the landscape and the animals to support the underground facilities.
11
13
Site & Locality T h e H i g h g at e St at i o n is opened in 1867. It is a hilly terrain with rich landscape and urban context as a new start of infrastructure at that period of time. The original train platform exploded on the terrain has been disused since 1962. But still the tube station is still operation with the subterranean platforms and facilities.
Existing Land & Programmes
Ramp & Landform
The esisting Highgate station is maintained for operating tube transportation under the cross-instersection surface. There is a ramp linked the busy community to the main entrance of the station at the lower basin level. On the ground level of the station, the existing train station is abandoned but locked. The cottage house was in other usage while the building is still being used as one of the access to the existing tube station.
Community & Road intersection
Underground Station & Access
15
Underground Access & Residential areas
Plan of Dark Parks: Demo. in Highgate Station The Highgate Station is opened in 1867. It is a hilly terrain with rich landscape and urban context as a new start of infrastructure at that period of time. The original train platform exploded on the terrain has been disused since 1962. But still the tube station is still operation with the subterranean platforms and facilities. Master Plan: Network & Parkland walk routines 1:5000 0
50
100
150
200
400m
Western route passing Highgate wood playground From Archway road to Highgate wood Passing Queen’s wood Parkland walk trail
Highgate wood
Queen’s wood
Highgate Station
Parkland walk
17
Vehicles Circulation
Master Plan: Network & Parkland walk routines
Hydro Routine
Soundscape of Bats
Landuse & Topography
Light & Coverage
Highgate Station: Geology, Landform & Uniquness Highgate Station is located at the centre of the district as the lowest point of the terrain. It creates a semi-basin and urban lowland in the community which acts as a natural barrier for the abandoned greenland. For the structure of the station, it is divided into 3 parts including the abandoned land with cottage on the ground,
2 pairs of tunnels connected to the east and west, and the tube station under the ground which is still being operated nowadays. The in-and-out connection between the tunnels and the abandoned land can be a potential spatial quality for creating public farming with the local communal engagement.
Section SW crossing
Section NE crossing
+101.7
105.5m
105.5m
+101.7
+95
95.5
+93.4
95.5
85.5
85.5
+85.5
SE Longitudinal section
1:250 0
2.5
5
7.5
10m
1:250 0
105.5m
2.5
5
7.5
10m
+101.7
+100.5 +98.3
1:250
95.5
0
85.5
+101.7
2.5
5
7.5
10m
19 Geological content of London city ( Diagram based on ref from Jonathan D.Paul, 2016). Spring line +90.0m Water bearing bagshot sand Impermeable Clay Gravel Lenses & Terrain River Thames Water bearing Chalk Impermeable Bedrock
Structure of the existing Highgate station & Highgate tunnels
Nothern London
Southern London
Views of Terrain from different angles
From SE towards NW
From SE towards NW
From SW towards NE
21
Design Solution: Mushroom Habitats & Underground
From the macro view , it is a subterranean network to create the night-time environment extended from the existing Highgate station with both the ground level and underground subway.
Air shaft & tunnels
To start with, the mushroom growing is the main programmes which aims at a wild and natural morphology with the least human intervention. Thus this will build up a natural dark-scape which is alike to a CAVE in the busy city. Undoubtedly, it is inevitable to be aware of the local animals including bats and the pigeons. They create a dark moist habitat with a complimentary eco-live cycle.
Hedera helix (English Ivy)
Rubus idaeus (Red Rasberry)
Photinia (Red Robin)
Green Avenue on the ground
Green corridor
Camphor tree
White Oyster
Zingiberales
English Ivy
Golden/ King Oyster
Zingiberales Cannaceae
Red Rasberry
Pohu Oyster
Ananas comosus
Columba Livia (Rock Dove)
Cinnamomum camphora (Camphor tree)
Mushroom habitat
Myotis nattereri (Natterers bat)
Plecotus auritus (Brown long-eared bat)
Myotis daubentonii (Daubenton's bat)
23
Soil comsposting
Spawns Pre-fab
Spreading & Casing
Env cond. control
XS scale: Bats' flying path & pollination
Flying and gliding with high manoeuvrability
abitat competitors Local h
Bats Pollination
Carbon sources Inedible biomass
Bats can pollinate over 500 species of plants and the process of pollination of plants by bats is called chiropterophily.
Fermentation Lignocellulose break down
path Pi ge on s’ fl ying
o fo
d
eral attractio
Organic acidAqua crystal Underground
n pro vidi ng fer tilizers
Pollination by the larger bats.
Colonization on logs Healthy trees provides the best log for mushroom colonization . Any trees with decayed wood or signs of infection have an increased risk of competition due to pre-existing fungi that might already exist in the logs.
Seeds scattering from plants/ bat’s body.
Seeds dropping down to the ground. Seeds back to the planters or fertilzed the land.
Pollination by the smaller bats.
Smaller Bats
Phyllostomid Daubenton's ...
Larger Bats
Pteropus Acerodon jubatus ..
Seeds back to the planters or fertilzed the land. The vegetation/fruits are damaged.
Logs used to grow mushrooms can vary in size. However, the larger a log is, the longer it will take for mycelium to colonize the entire length and begin producing mushrooms.
in
ha
bit
atn t
PigeonsFermentation & mushroom Mycelium exists in soil, it starts to dry out and stops producing mushrooms. A next incarnation in its existence starts to manifests itself. Spaces are created within its walls. And pigeons share with their guano. Pigeons’ excrement is a rich fertiliser in dense population areas which provide nutrient for platns . Each pigeon dropping adds value to the mycelium structure for when the next phase of its lifecycle arrives.
A system of reservoir are built in the underground network in order to ensure the source of water and irrigation for the mushroom growing. It complies with the airshaft and also as a part of air ventilation cycle.
colonization
lle r
Bilat
g in id
ov Sugar/Glucose pr
XL scale: Bats-and-seeds connection & Ecological perception Seeds dropping to the ground.
Crystalization of mushroom
ro
Bats pollinate the flowers with long tongues.
Plants with pale nocturnal flowers are attractive to the bats for working on pollination. These flowers are often large and bell shaped, and some bats have evolved specifically to reach the nectar at the bottom of them. The tube-lipped nectar bat of Ecuador and the banana bat that lives only on the Pacific coast of Mexico both have extraordinarily long tongues for this exact reason. The tube-lipped nectar bat’s tongue is more than one and a half times the length of its body!
nt
Being attracted by the plant’s radio
id i hum
ty
co
Being attracted by the plant’s radio
Flying and gliding with high manoeuvrability
Bats pollinate the flowers tongues.
25
Local Bats & Animals Apart from general urban context, it is special to find the Highgate Tunnels as a sanctuary of the existing bats which are protected by the local communities. It can be a potential part of the project for developing a underground dark park which is partially connected with the bats sanctuary with restricted access. Thus, the underground park also serves as an public-educational site with conservation initiatives and sensory experience.
s with long
127m
Bats flying path: Tunnel VS Corridor
3.9m 3m
3.9m
2m 1m 0m
DW
Map of bats activities in Highgate Tunnels
103.0m
99.5m
102.0m 98.9m
Trough
102.0m
TCB
103.4m
102.1m
TCB
81.0m LB
105.0m
105.0m 106.6m
Ps
El Sub Sta
100.9m 85.4m
93
.4m
87.3m
105.5m Su
Tank
bw
ay
Car Park Su
bw
ay
111.1m
101.7m
GP
100.5m GP
Allotment Gardens TCB 99.1m
DW
98.3m
118.2m
94.4m
m
0.8
10
LB 95.0m
106.7m
use
rk Ho
ge
ssa
Pa
Pa
TCB
El Sub Sta
27
Overviews & Spatial Arrangement This is a proposal of an underground park series consisting of different dark activities and planting with the mushroom habitat. The abandoned grassland will be partially renovated into a community landmark with limited access. The circulation starts from the tube access which is connected to the ground and existing stations as the green corridors, which will be presented as a moist tropical environment and buffer from
Programmes of the underground planting cycle
a r t i f i c i a l s p a c e s t o t h e w il d n at u ra l underground. At the same time, airshafts take an important role as the vertical connection and the main access at different hot spots of Highgate. After the transition from both the airshafts and green corridors, it comes to the mushroom garden which will be at the underground of the parkland walkways and 2 pairs of highgate tunnels.
29
Disused Train Station on Ground Surface
Renovated Cottage house
Existing Underground Tube Station
Mushroom Habitat fungi growing Greenland as public space
Renovated airshaft as site monument Dark Park
Axonometric view of the underground network
Zoning of the Nocturnal garden Airshafts & Elevators Mushroom garden Green Corridors Existing Highgate tunnels (Bats' habitat) Existing tube station
This is a proposal of an underground park series consisting of different dark activities and planting with the mushroom habitat. The abandoned grassland will be partially renovated into a community landmark with limited access. The circulation starts from the tube access which is connected to the ground and existing stations as the green corridors, which will be presented as a moist tropical env iro nment and buffer from artificial spaces to the wild natural underground. At the same time, airshafts take an important role as the vertical connection and the main access at different hot spots of Highgate. After the transition fro m b o t h t h e a i rs h a ft s a n d green corridors, it comes to the mushroom garden which will be at the underground of the parkland walkways and 2 pairs of highgate tunnels.
Master building with air shaft of existing tube station
Remaining platform of the disused train station High gate tunnels towards the East
+105.5
Steep slope with ramp
Highgate highstreet +100.9 +98.4
underground platforms
31 Residential area: Priory Gardens
Northern access to tube station
+87.3
+85.4
Zoning of the Nocturnal garden Airshafts & Elevators Mushroom garden Green Corridors Existing tube station
A o
Ground & Airshafts This project will propose both the renovation of existing air shafts and the built-up of new air shafts for the landscape creation. The vertical connection will be important because of the existing Highgate tunnels which act as a bats' sanctuary. It is about the eco-system balance within the hostile relationship between the mushrooms and the bats. Therefore, it is essential to create effective vertical connection as buffer zones with air shafts.
Highgate highstreet/ Ar
For the existing one in the master building of Highgate station, it will be further developed down to the subterranean part and extend to the silty clay layer of Highgate ground. At the same time, around 3 airshafts will be created at the hotspot in the district with high circulation flow. And they are also connected to the access to the green area in the Highgate woods and Finsbury Park. As a result, it starts creating an underground network which c o n n e c t s t h e g re e n s p a c e s o n the ground surface as a whole in Highgate.
Dark zone
33
Air shaft in the master building of existing tube station
rchway Rd New air shaft
Western Highgate tunnels with bats
Mushroom factory
Master building with the existing air shaft of the tube station Remaining platform of the disused train station Proposed Airshaft in the Green Avenue Twilight zone
Indirect lighting zone
High gate tunnels towards the East
1/ Fruit layers 2/ Mushroom & Fungi 3/ Host for fungi colonization 4/ Lichen 5/ Forest floor & Moss
35 Zingiberales
Agave palmeri (Agave)
Zingiberales Cannaceae Poales: Bromeliaceae
Zingiberales Heliconiaceae
White Oyster
Golden/ King Oyster
Pohu Oyster
Italian/Phoenix Oyster
Grey Dove Oyster
Blue dolphinOyster
Polar White Oyster
Kira Oyster
Corn stovers
Inedible plant material
Hay
Wood shaving
Handwriting lichen
Ramalina farinacea
Xanthoria parietina
Silky forklet moss
Common tamarisk moss Common haircap
Rhytidiodelphus squarrosus
Polytrichum commune
Locations of air shafts & surrounding landform 1/main building
2/main building & grassland
High gate tunnels towards the west
3/Priory garden
Air shaft in existing master building
4/ Parkland walk E.entrance
High gate tunnels towards the East
1/ Staircase Shaft
2/ Light-weight Shaft
3/Protect Shaft
Air-ventilation process warm air pulled in to the system Head house
Heat pump for boosting temp.
CHP plants for creating water and heat
Fans for air ventilation
Underground Tunnel
+100.5
+101.7
unde
37
Ground & Airshafts
Air shafts or chucks are the essential part of the underground stations which acts as the temperature and air controllers for the underground. For those abandoned stations, those disused facilities and structure can be potential of being reused as air ventilator or a vertical animal corridor for bringing back the animals. Based on the three levels of underground, the revival of night happens in different form of darkness void. Apart from the tunnel farm for the abandoned station on the ground level.
Highgate highstreet
erground platforms
Master building with air shaft of existing tube station
+102
Tunnel Excavation for mushroom habitat
+105.5
Phasing & Construction Apart from the air shafts renovation, the extra tunnels excavation will be carried out in order to extend the underground network oriented from Highgate Station. Refer to the fig40, typical tunnels will be excavated according to the depth of the ground and the silty clay material of Highgate's soil-and-ground content.At later stage for the tunnel excavation, the p re -fa b r i c at i o n of s p aw n p re p a rat i o n a n d d e li v e r y should be in parallel progress due to its 3-months duration.
Circular tunnel Primary brick lining
Backfill with mortal rubber
Box-type tunnel
Horseshoe tunnel Fire clay
Timber Header
Double track tunnel limits
Double track rail beds
Vert. wall, w/ arch roof Waterproof panel
Secondary lining inner profile Tunnel central line
Concrete interior rail
Concrete inverted arch
Immersed tunnel;tube Reinforcement
39
Tunnel Excavation & Ground Structure
Site Survey: environmental and habitat judgement
Drillinng/ TBM arrival
Loading
Explosion with access blockage
Air ventilation after explosion/ TBM
Dislodge for the tunnel site clearance
Scaling of the interior surface
Rock Bolting for strenthening the structure
Mycelium Growing & Habitats
Fruiting Schedule Species
Features
White Oyster Adaption of shade
7-30°C
Golden/ King Oyster Adaption of shade
18-30°C
Apart from the inhabitant, this underground network is developed with the concerns of the geological content in Highgate with the uniqueness in the Northern-west. It is an urban lowland with gentle slope. This helps bring the Highgate Station area into 3 storeys, including the highstreet level, disused train station, car park and the underground station. And this project intends to extend the underground network with the least disturbance of the existing site. The dark park with mushroom growing will be proposed at the deepest level of the network while the mushroom factory will be settled in the higher level. Thus, the nocturnal habitat will be created with the least disturbance from human factors for the deeper subterranean.
Pohu Oyster
Mar
Apr
May
June
July
Aug
Sep
Growing speed Appearance edible Environmental compatability
Temp./heat Transports storage
Growing speed Appearance edible Environmental compatability
Temp./heat Transports storage
Growing speed
Adaption of shade
Appearance edible
12-30°C
Italian/Phoenix Oyster Adaption of shade
10-21°C
Grey Dove Oyster Adaption of shade
7-21°C
Blue dolphinOyster Adaption of shade
4-15°C
Polar White Oyster Adaption of shade
1-15°C
Kira Oyster
Environmental compatability
Temp./heat Transports storage
Growing speed Appearance edible Environmental compatability
Temp./heat Transports storage
Growing speed Appearance edible Environmental compatability
Temp./heat Transports storage
Growing speed Appearance edible Environmental compatability
Temp./heat Transports storage
Growing speed Appearance edible Environmental compatability
Temp./heat Transports storage
Growing speed
Adaption of shade
Appearance edible
1-15°C
Environmental compatability
Temp./heat Transports storage
Mushroom products Pigeon’s drip off as fertilizer
Myco-mesh groups Buffer/ prevention
Natural buffer from the access
Myco-Mesh group:
Water features
Buffer for Pest/ hostile prevention Stream as humidity controller & irrigation
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
41
Air ventilation connected to the air shaft
5mm irrigation pipes linked to pumping unit
Control room
Mushroom growing in trays with merchanised system
When we walk down to the ground, It is about peeping from the cave.
through the tunnel
We se
Soil and trays composition filling,
deeper and deeper Site set-up and conditions control
It is a mushroom farm.
We finally feel the origin of the nature,
A mushroom planet
A
an emptied darkness.
43
et up different environmental conditions
Spawns sowing and controlling
A space for feeling the darkness at different level.
45
Project Evolution Creating an unique wonderland for mushro om growing with a less hostile eco-live relationship, it encourages the mushrooms groups grow and spread much better due to the reduced competition with the other species. But still, an annual pause in winter is needed in order to maintain the balance the overall habitat in Highgate with the nearby bats despite the buffer zones and vertical boundaries.
LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION
PLANTING SCHEMES
Tunnel excavation Underground network & existing site connection Grassland renovation
2-3 yrs for tunnel excavation preparation affairs Landscape 1:Tunnel excavation TBM delivered Existing tunnel conservation Strcture & inhabitant survey
ARCHITECTURAL STRUCTURES
overgrown greenland renovation underground mushroom habitat moisture dark park with tropical shrubs
Air shafts construction Existing master building Underground reservoir
1 yr: Operation started Pre-opening TBM completed Annual regular agenda
RoutineMaintenance
Public engagement for maintenacne
Landscape 2:Grassland / Sealed space renovation
survey & conservation proposal boundaries & access site clearance for overgrown
Buffer plan for highgate tunnels
Pre-wetland for the subterranean forest floor & shrub groups environment cond. control
Landscape3: Green corridor construction regular maintenance
Intention of pre-wetland in tunnel
Mushroom spawn prep. setting pre-fab Tray & mycelium process
Cycle regular agenda
Landscape 4 Mushroom farm growing
mushroom growing cycle (starts from spring) Material recycle collection
survey & proposal connection & access underground construction
Air shaft & underground reservoir construction regular maintenance
air ventilation and hydro linkage
1/ Architectural construction
2/Soil-and-ground layering
3/ Spawns & sowing
4/ Mushroom collection
Quantity of Mushroom production (2500m² in total for 5 mushroom habitat of 500 m²) Resting period for recovery 18kg/year 30kg/year
Dark Park (Wild habitat) Tray growing (with straw/strain)
Inoculation for myco-mesh
0.3-0.5kg/month 72kg/year 84kg/year
1.2-1.4kg/month 360kg/year 420kg/year 6-7kg/month
Tray growing (w/ coffee ground)
Mushroom habitat & annual plan
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
July
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Habitat creation Appearance Annual growing Species range Wood log colonization Agave palmeri
be mature in 7years
hravested in summer the best Ananas comosus
Zingiber officinale
Moss & Forest Floor
be mature in 2 years be mature in at least 2 years
flowering in summer flowering in summer
fruiting in summer
47
Sustainable Strategy
From the perspective of sustainability, this project aims at would like to bring back the natural nocturnal wildlife back turning into a long term self-sufficient community built-up. to the invaded city with overilluminace. Even though it is not productive enough when comparing with the other format of Starting from the collection and reuse of the food waste urban farm, it starts bringing people away from the artificial (mushroom and coffee ground etc) and keep producing light and experience and dark nature which can still produce mushrooms under the ground with no sunlight, this project food with certain self-sufficiency. ACCESS & NETWORK
PROGRAMMES
ECOLOGY
ARCHITECTURAL STRUCTURE
Site Content: Access & Circulation
Scheduled public edu: Conservation tours Mushroom growing & mycelium in soil
Underground: Mushroom growing habitat
Site Content: Underground Network
Controlled mushroom growing habitat
Buffer zones & boundaries for bats' habitat Vertical circulation: Airshafts
Renovated Green Avenue
DarkPark: Secret smellscape & corner
Underground water routine
Streams for irrigation & humidity
49
The human power resources is one of the key to make this project sustainable enough despite the concept of reducing human intervention. Different classes and groups of professional and volunteers will be helpful for the project operation and site conditions management. All of these will balance the conditions and goods of the mushroom growing habitat. Construction I: Survey & Spatial planning
Setting up the conditions for mushroom growing habitat (straw tray mode / natural mode)
Construction II: Air shafts built-up & Tunnel excavation
Habitat Creation I: Mushrooms growing & Env. control
Settling the pre-fabricated spawns and start growing
Habitat Creation II: Mushrooms growing & Env. control
Collect the mushrooms and use a part for spawn production.
Progress with regular irrigation and humid shady environment in 3-4 weeks.
Repeat the cycle Highgate tunnel
Air shafts
Tube station
Green corridor
Mushroom habitat
Special thanks to Kirsty & Tom Bartlett MLA Studio 8