THE FILTRATER
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Portfolio of the atelier work from the Master of Landscape Architecture program 2016 - 2017
Leeyuan Ko Supervised by Ian Fisher and Edward Fox
It's not infrastructure, It is HYDROSDAPE
Floodplain
Filtration ponds
Hydroscape
01. The Invisible River 01.1. The river irwell catchment area 01.2. Manifesto: Infrascape 01.3. Scope of strategy 02. Dedign Proposal 02.2. Dedign Process 03. Construction
Infrastructure has occupied the original landscape and become inaccessible space for all species including human. Therefore, design infrastructure as the landscape has become essential. By applying the concept of 'Infrascape', a disused sewage work site has transferred into a water amusement park which capable of improving habitat area, recreational facilities, mobility, water purity and outdoor educational environment.
01. The Invisible River This chapter explored the environment facts in the river Irwell catchment area to test the idea of Infrascape. A manifesto based on the infrascape concept was carried outas an initial strategy for the whole catchment area.
01.1. The river irwell catchment area There are two obvious features regarding hydrology, geology and climatology in the Irwell catchment area. The difference is indicated by topography and urban development. The physical features in the northern area tend to appear more originally, on the other hand, the existence of urban area changes the physical features in the southern area. The topography feature in the river Irwell catchment area combines hill and plain. Hill area in the north is usually rural area, the origin of the rivers are in this area. The hills also help to block the wind, since the wind usually comes from the ocean and contain rich humidity, it helps to maintain river water levels. The topography feature in the lower catchment area is mostly alluvial plain. Rivers become wider, and the land is mostly covered with the urban area.
Upper area shows comparetively more original physical feature
Human activities change the original landscape significantly, the non-human occupied land stays very minimal amount. 36% of the catchment area is covered with an urban area, most of the cities are located on the alluvial plain. Physical features regarding hydrology, geology and climatology are amended by this reason. Despite the topographic features influence the weather, human activities change weather condition much more significantly. Visuals on the right-hand side show the difference between Rawtenstall and Manchester, this demonstrates the difference between urban area and area contains much more original climatology features. River system has been altered significantly since the 1840s in Manchester. Some of the original river banks have been changed into canal or part of the river become invisible in the city since it becomes culvert. Despite the precipitation amount in the upper area maintains the water level constantly, the reason of flooding is mainly because of the hydrological infrastructure in the city.
Physical features in the lower area are influenced by both topogragy and urban area.
Green belt Urban area Woodland Water body Horticulture
Origins of the river
Climate feature
01.2. Manifesto: Infrascape 1.Improve urban resilience through natural systems. 2.Implementing a totally designed infrastructural solution. 3.Increase ecological value of infrastructural projects. 4.Provide green alternatives for conventional transport. 5.Creating multifunctional infrastructural spaces. 6.Create productive landscapes (urban agriculture). 7.Boost efficiency with accessible infrastructure. 8.Insure return on investment.
01.3. Scope of strategy This chapter combines the result of the group manifesto and the research of the river Irwell catchment area, transforming those into a developing strategy for a particular area of river Irwell to increase the recreational function and the habitat. Personal Manifesto: 1.Infrastructure design should consider environmental, ecological and social issues rather just focus on efficiency. 2.The planner should understand the constraints and opportunities of each kind of infrastructure. 3.Infrastructure design should bring benefits of ecosystem and environment by using an ecological approach. 4.Infrastructure design should assess the accessibility of human and other species. 5.Some infrastructure design should consider the requirements of society, such as recreational and educational functions. 6.Using different vegetation strategy with different functions to interact with different infrastructure, to create series of 'infra scape' to fulfil the requirements from environmental, ecological and social issues. 7.Each kind of infra scape should interact with each other to form a high ecological value Metropolitan system, the eco-metropolis. 8.Eco-metropolis area should aim to the goal of combining numbers of smaller self-sustained eco-city as time evolved.
INFRASTRUCTURE
ORIGINAL LANDSCAPE
ISSUE Infrastructure destroy the original landscape and become inaccessible space for all species including human.
SOCIAL
INFRASTRUCTURE
RECONNECT ECOSYSTEM
OVERCOMING SEVERANCE
ECO SYSTEM & HUMAN ACCESSIBILITY
INFRASCAPE Landscape Architecture ECOLOGICAL
INFRASCAPE HUMAN HEALTH
MENTAL HEALTH
PHYSICAL HEALTH
ORIGINAL LANDSCAPE
ENVIRONMENTAL
CONCEPT
GOAL
Design infrastructure as landscape while thinking about environmental, ecological and social issues.
Overcoming severance and increace human health by using the concept of infrascape.
Constraints and opportunities of rive irwell catchment area to develop infrascape
Opportunities 1.Rich water system 2.Low population density 3.Suitable weather for high biodiversity
Constraints 1. Environmental issues
Air quality control area Flood risk area
Limited infrastructure to overcome flood and water pollution contributed by flood
1. Existing flood risk area
2. Current sewage treatment issue while facing fllood
Normal condition
Limited flood plain in countryside brings minimal flood control ability, lack of recreational area and low biodiversity.
Flood condition
Greenbelt
Flood risk area Greenbelt Major Sewage facility
e
Riv
ell
w r Ir
Sewage facility
Discharge location
Situation is worse in the city centre
Sewage discharge location
Applying ecological approach and assess the accessibility of human and other species River irwell is closely related with urban area and greenbelts and it contains most serious flood risk area. There are numbers of biological Importance sites along side river irwell which provides great potential to apply ecological approach to hydroinfrastructure. River starts from a comparatively poor agricultural grade area, it is suitable for country side recreational activities since there's less ecological value to damage. The urban area is more suitable for social reacreation activities. After pass through Bury the river comes to a large area of biological importance site, this is suitable for develop ecological habitat and educational activities. Area near Philips Park has largest biological importance site, additionally, it is located on grade 3 agricultural land and between two larger cities. This area should be planned as a multi-functional greenbelt which has the ability of productive landscape, flood control, educational activities, waste water treatment and restrict area to develop habitat. The river corridor has been expanded to have greater flood water capacity and wider area to increace ecological habitat. Grade 1 located in urban area, it is allowed to be accessed mostly for urban, social ctivities, but will have flood control vegetation strategy. Grade 2 located in existing greenbelt. It will have the ability to control flood and clean waste water with certain vegetation strategy. Recreation activities will be limited but still exist. Grade 3 will become a area aims to develop important ecological habitat, it has stronger flood plain and sewage treatment abilitythan grade 2. Only educational activities is allowed in this area.
Activity Program Habitat(resricted) Countryside recreation Ecology Education Social Rural B.I.
Urban Rural
Ecology Education
Productive land Urban
Urban
B.I.
Habitat Agriculture
Countryside recreational park
Widen Floodplain / Riverbank Park Sewage input
Floodplain / Riverbank Park Sewage treatment
a
Cle
ater
w ned
Reduced flood risk area
Water treatment
Floodplain / Riverbank Park Sewage input
Sewage treatment
Cleaned
water
Flood risk area Greenbelt Site
Site Site of biological importance
Site of hydroscape
Apply ecological approach
Grade 3 Grade 4 Urban area Site of biological importance(B.I.)
Accessibility by landuse
02. Dedign Proposal The infra scape strategy is further developed and applied to a selected site in Manchester. Starting with the research of the site, the related strategy to the site was developed as well as the design proposal and the initial vegetation strategy based on the features of the site.
WOODLAND
SEWAGE WORK
WATER FEATURES
POWER STATION
INFRASTRUCTURE
SEWAGE WORK(DIS)
ROAD
CLIFTON COUNTRY PARK
RAILWAY
COMMUNITY
PARK
SITE
02.1. The site The site is located in Bolton, Manchester, next to the Clifton Country Park. There are several communities in the north, a sewage treatment work on the east and the river Irwell on the west. This is a brownfield site, the north part of the site includes a community forest and a disused sewage work in the south.
FLOOD RISK AREA
WATER QUALITY
SSSI & LNR
LOW RISK AREA
RIVER WATER
SSSI
HIGH RISK AREA
SEWAGE WATER
LOCAL NATURAL RESERVE
SOIL QUALITY
Existing environmental features CLASS 4 URBAN AREA
There is a water quality issue in this area because of the sewage work, more seriously, once the flood comes, the water quality issue would become greater. The site is surrounded by a vast area of SSSI and LNA sites, but those areas stop expanding because of the infrastructure. Finally, there is some farmland in this area. However, the soil does not support growing corps in this area.
20 mins walk
40 mins walk
CLIFTON COUNTRY PARK
Ch Ch (Dis)
Sch
PLAY GROUND*3
Ch Ch Sch
(Dis)
WALKABLE ROUTE
Ch Ch Sch LOW RISK FLOOD AREA HIGH RISK FLOOD AREA
Clifton country park is the most important facility for the nearby community, however, the route to the park is rather poor. Most of the important social infrastructure such as church and primary shool are located at opposite side of the river and most of the green space were designed for children rather than adults. Secondly, there is only one route which connects those facilities and the community, once the flood comes, the route would be no longer useful.
Woodland
4.
Grassland
3.
Farmland Waterbody Entrence
2.
1. Visitor centre 2. Play ground
1.
3. Lake 4.Fletcher's Canal Towpath
CLIFTON COUNTRY PARK
POOR SOIL QUALITY CLASS 4 URBAN AREA
FARMLAND BARRIER FARMLAND SSSI LOCAL NATURAL RESERVE
SOIL EROSION LOW RISK AREA HIGH RISK AREA
The Clifton country park has important ecological value, it has been classified as both Site of Special Scientific Interest and local nature reserves. The park includes a variety of habitat typologies such as farm, lake and woodland, However, the soil quality is not suitable for farming and the farmland which located across the river stop the woodland from expanding. Finally, the existing flood issue could destroy the lake ecosystem which is currently a home for numbers of bird and fish species.
02.2. Dedign Process
The flood risk area Areas below 45m above sea level have been identified as a high risk flood areas, while areas below 50m have been estimated as having a low risk of flooding. Major flooding as occurs once in 100 to 1000 years would seriously influence the sewage system, the community and the lake ecosystem.
Change the Course of River The course of the River Irwell will be changed to a more direct route to create a stronger protection for the lake ecosystem in Clifton Country Park.
Developoing floodplain Different degrees of floodplains will be introduced to the site, based on the original topography and the level of flood risk.
Raise up the additional protection The northern part of the site is raised to lead the water into the river, in order to prevent it entering the sewage system. The edge of the site will be raised to create better capacity for flooding.
Flood control result
Filtration ponds The filtration pond system re-filtrates the water that has already been treated once in the sewage work. There are three stages in the filtration pond system. The ratio of the capacity between each pond is: stage 1 : stage 2 : stage 3 = 1:8:5. The system would be able to process 1,500m3/ day, which is the amount produced by 10,000 people per day in a small town.
Additional benefits The solids extracted from the sewage work could be used as a fertilizer to improve the soil quality of farmland. The filtration ponds could be developed into aquatic farmland, producing edible fish and vegetables for visitors.
The route system Two disused bridges will be rebuilt to connect the community with its social infrastructure, which are located on the opposite side of the river.Two new bridges will be built toward the Clifton Country Park, creating a new entrance. A much wider and safe primary route will connect the community and the Clifton country park. A secondary route will provide a riverside walkway and bicycle route to increase recreational use. A service road will provide vehicle access to the aquatic farmland and parking.
Dense woodland The densest woodland area will have the most major restoration function, as well as be a limited access area that blocks the view of the sewage work, service road and first filtration pond on the site.
Open woodland Open woodland will be located where visitors pass most frequently. The open spaces in the woodland are designed to increase the recreational use of the site, such as for dog walking and camping.
Grassland and meadow A large area of grassland is located between the school and the residential area, forming an important part of the community park that enables residents to engage in all kinds of recreational use. Meadow will link the open woodland and dense woodland, creating a different kind of habitat and forming an open, safe environment for students.
The forest school With a number of different types of landscape near the school, the school will have the potential to implement a forest school program. The two areas located opposite the school can become farmland for primary school students. Students can plant whatever they want when they learned from the woodland. As a result, the new developed park will increase the function of the education system, transforming it from a simple teaching environment into one suitable for learning and enacting.
Increase mobility and land area - stage one Several bridges will overcome the barriers caused by the ponds. At the same time, a number of little islands will be developed to increase recreational function, such as by acting as docks or fishing islands. The concept of DNA is applied to design the islands and bridges as a unified system.
Increase mobility and land area - stage two As a result, applying route across each pond helps develop two types of island as well, fishing island and dock island.
COMMUNITY PARK: Dock School farm Grassland Meadow Forest school
SERVICE CENTRE: FILTRATION SYSTEM: Filtration pond 1 Canal / Fish pond Filtration pond 2 Aqualtic farm
Visit centre Demonstration pond Parking Swimming pool Camp site
WETLAND PARK: Fishing island Dock island Wet woodland
School B A' B'
A
Section A-A' Scale : 1/500@A0
Section B-B' Scale : 1/500@A0
Section C-C' Scale : 1/500@A0
Section D-D'
C'
Scale : 1/500@A0
D'
C
D
03. Construction
A Bench-deck-island
Engineered wood panel Engineered wood standing
This object is made from a series of changing section lines. There are five types of contour line section to forming it. Each type is a combination of different relaxing sitting position; there is seven different sitting position of them.
Type1
Type2
Type3
Type4
Type5
WPC Decking
1:100 Drainage slope
Bench detail 1 S: 1/5@A3
Bench detail 2 S: 1/5@A3
Planting justification - Woodland functions
Type A: Dense woodland The arrangement of the dense woodland will repeatedly be following as this grid planting plan. The total range of this grid system is 40 by 40 metres. Each grid indicates 1.5m. The arrangement on the north side will start with a thickness range of shrub as understory layer to prevent people from entering the woodland. Following that is a layer of mid-height vegetation such as Acer campestre (Field maple), Betula pendula (Birch) and Sorbus aucuparia (Rowan) to block the vision. Then, it's a relatively loose arranged Betula pendula (Birch) as nursery plant and vision blocker. The main species in this woodland that forms the emergent layer are Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine) and Larix decidua (Larch), the amount of Larix decidua (Larch) is higher than the other one. They are all planted in groups with numbers of them been planted together. The areas where these two species located is defined by birch; birch surrounds them to help them grow. Emergent layer: BP: Betula pendula (Birch) PS: Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine) LD: Larix decidua (Larch) Canopy layer: FM: Acer campestre (Field maple) SA: Sorbus aucuparia (Rowan) Understory AC: Amelanchier canadensis (Shadblow serviceberry) CA: Corylus avellana (Hazel) CM: Crataegus monogyna (Hawthorn) IA: Ilex aquifolium (Holly)
Type A: Management suggestion
Type B: Woodland edge The north side of this grid system is connected to Type A to create a gradually densely arranged barrier to prevent access. Eight 6 by 6 open spaces are introduced in the edge of the woodland. They are surrounded by Betula pendula (Birch), Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine), Larix decidua (Larch) to maintain the same visual theme of the woodland. A combination of herbaceous plants and shrubs is used to separate the main pathway and the camping sites.
Emergent layer: BP: Betula pendula (Birch) PS: Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine) LD: Larix decidua (Larch) Canopy layer: FM: Acer campestre (Field maple) SA: Sorbus aucuparia (Rowan) Understory AC: Amelanchier canadensis (Shadblow serviceberry) CA: Corylus avellana (Hazel) CM: Crataegus monogyna (Hawthorn) IA: Ilex aquifolium (Holly)
Type B: Management suggestion
Type C: Open woodland This area is used as a recreational walkway along side the water feature. Therefore, the arrangement of the woodland would be more open to creating better visual experience. The north part of the open woodland is connected to a filtration pond, so the access to the pond from the woodland walk is allowed. But as there is a big hight difference between the south edge of the site and the river, a gradually dense barrier is created to prevent access. The north part of the woodland walk is filled with willow, alder and birch, each of them is planted in a small group. The open space will be covered by herbaceous plants to enhance the visual experience.
Emergent layer: BP: Betula pubescens (Downy birch) AG: Alnus glutinosa (Alder) SC: Salix caprea (Goat willow) Understory SH: Salix hastata (Halberd willow) SE: Salix exigua (coyote willow)
Type C: Management suggestion
Lighting effect concept
Lightings The design concept of the lighting aims to fit the visual feature of the woodland. Therefore, the shape of the light seeks to look like a single trunk, so visually, it would provide the woodland background. Also, the lighting effect is created to look like the shadow of the leaves, so even if the sun has gone down, the pathway would still have the visual feeling of being in a woodland.
Ground covering materials specification Key Name
Iron plate
River washed cobbles
Puddle clay
WPC
Permeable Resin Bound
Soil
Spec.
As existing
25-150mm Mix
-
2*10.5*240mm (H*W*L)
3mm
Sandy loam
Area(m2)
50
953
3112
1316
1920
8905
-
-
-
Narrow spaced grooves
Smooth
-
Color Finish Appearance
Justification
Scale : 1/200@A1
A simple Water washed appearance and smooth surface a material which providing a natural Water proof layer is easy to maintain appearance and for the filtration Anti-slip walking to suit the country touch to the bottom Existing object used pond surface with a park scenario. The layer of the pond, as diving platform recyclable material permeability slows to indicate the 200mm and wood like look the pond from natural scene. thickness(min) overloading. 100mm thickness(min)
For levelling and infilling use
18mm thickness(min)
*The materials are chosen base on its sustainability, durability and whether it suits the country park's natural scenes.
Special thanks to my tutors...
Ian Fisher and Edward Fox
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