Remnants : Reflecting Wales 2011 by Matthew Jones

Remnants : Reflecting Wales 2011 Design Circleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Reflecting Wales competition and exhibition 2011, aimed to reveal the unknown spaces of Cardiff - spaces that fall into the gaps between planning policy and the practice of everyday life: The Remnants.

The intention “Gwnewch y pethau bychain” “Do the little things” Dewi Sant

The economic and social problems facing the South Wales region and associated communities have been well documented since the decline of its industry and more recently the closure of major employers in the region. Many public and local authority responses to these problems have been positive, but often focused towards the largescale revitalisation of public areas. Although this regeneration may have had a positive effect on trade and the public use of the area, it can also lead to the homogenisation of urban centres, obliterating the “pockets” of space that previously most successfully captured the essence of the region and the history of its development. Rather than cherishing the spaces and places that allow for conversation, accidental meeting, community events, play and delight, their importance is overlooked and neglected. There are signs that this is changing. Pop up events happen around the city, creating temporary places and destinations, and there is a growing interest in edgelands and suburbia as places worth studying, giving insights into the workings of our cities.

The Remnants: Reflecting Wales 2011 design competition asked Welsh born or Welsh resident architects, planners, artists, community groups and individuals to explore what we find around us in the city, in our own backyard, and to respond to the small scale and the local. Following the success of previous years’ events promoted by Design Circle, the aim of this year’s Reflecting Wales Competition and Exhibition was to uncover the remnant sites of Cardiff and explore how they could be regenerated through urban intervention. The competition asked entrants to nominate a remnant site in the city of Cardiff, explore what makes it special and to propose an idea for its improvement. Entrants were asked to explore the enjoyment that can be generated from the ignored spaces in the city, the potential to create delight, engage the community and promote alternative landmarks for the public to enjoy. The competition and events aimed to provoke discussion within the community, professions, council and investors about the value of our small-scale remnant spaces and their function in the local community. It was hoped to add Wales’ voice to the ongoing debate about the value of grass roots, community-based action, as an alternative to imposed mater plans.

View along one of Splottments 'streets' during harvest

nically t and mmunity

a wagon!

2 Prepare soil

3 cycle

Allotment Wagon

Bird Watchers Wagon

Local Schools Wagon

Former railway wagons are transformed into greenhouses with lightweight polycarbonate roofs and fronted with chalk notice boards to advertise excess produce for sale as part of the 'Splottments: Tastebook' network

The maturing parklands and wetlands would lead to increased ecological diversity on site initiating the creation of facilities such as bird watchers huts for nature enthusiasts

Educational facilities are created to allow younger generations to study and experience local ecology and horticulture. Low cost timber structures inserted into wagons form temporary classrooms

The judges’ comments The two winning entries address the whole community of Cardiff, are engaging, unexpected and could be started right away with modest investment. Both suggest activities that will appeal to a wide range of age groups and demographics. They also have the advantage of being able to start off small and furthermore the concepts are replicable elsewhere. Two schemes were judged to be joint winners of the competition, Splottments by Phil Henshaw and Leanne Russ and Uplift by Neil Farquhar. Splottments embraces the idea of incremental development and has potential as an orchestrated community wide DIY project. The aims of Uplift could be successfully met by means of a short term event, using hired “cherry pickers” to reveal the intricate, crafted detail of Cardiff’s architectural heritage and contribute to a public debate about quality thresholds for future development. By reinterpreting existing conditions, and by alerting us to their unseen but inherent qualities, these proposals already add value to our appreciation of the remnants they identify.

The third placed, highly commended entry was Between + Nowhere by Rhian Thomas and Rob Stevens. A further two schemes were shortlisted for prizes, Floating Gardens: Bute East Docks by Sam Clark and Andy Faulkner and Walled Garden by Phillipa Hall. The runners up similarly identify unique potentials within Cardiff, and present ideas that either require support from particular communities (Between + Nowhere and Walled Garden Cathays), or longer-term planning and development (Bute East Docks). Competition Judges: Andre Viljoen Bohn & Viljoen Architects Matthew Jones Design Research Unit Wales James Davies Planning Aid Wales

Remnant competition sites

Community projects

Planning permission ( not yet started) source: Cardiff CC Development Activity Map

Green spaces

The alternative city map

Railway land

Allotments

City Centre Strategy area

Developer Interest

Remnants cycle route

Recently competed

Forgotten waterways

Planning permission (under construction)

The map is not a comprehensive study but the beginning of a new way to look at the city. We hope to add to the map following the exhibition in order that it can provide an ongoing tool for identifying the leftover spaces, edgelands and suburbia as places worth studying, giving insights into the workings of our city.

Remnants competition entry sites

Community projects Green spaces

R14

Allotments Developer Interest R3

Recently competed

Planning permission (under construction) Planning permission ( not yet started) (source: Cardiff CC Development Activity Map)

Railway land City Centre Strategy area Remnants cycle route Forgotten waterways

The Rremnants alternative city map provides an overview of the city of Cardiff within the context of the exhibition, identifying the spaces that the brief set out to discover. In addition to showing the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;remnantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; sites. The map also identifies existing community-led projects across the capital, existing green spaces, completed city developments 2011 and ongoing city development.

C10

R17

C12

R11

R13 C2 R10

C4 R6

R11 R8 R15

C7 R4

R2 C1 R16 R9 C12 C14

R12 C5 C11

Productive Infill Productive infill takes an approach to leftover spaces which could be replicated and applied to similar sites across the city. They suggest that temporary ‘infill’ development can be used as a means of producing useful resources within the city centre: urban agriculture meets ‘waste recycling’ to provide not only new uses but useful products in the process. In particular Splottments embraces the idea of incremental development and has potential as an orchestrated community wide DIY project.

‘SPLOTTMENTS’ : SPLOTT TIDAL SIDINGS Phil Henshaw & Leanne Russ Joint Winner The remnant site identified is the disused and derelict western section of Splott’s Tidal Sidings; a half-mile expanse of overgrown post-industrial railway land currently being reclaimed by nature. ‘Splottments’ opens the site to the local community by offering up the remnant landscape of rusting wagons for cultivation, enterprise and intergenerational exchange. From a hand full of improvised gardens, it is envisaged that ’Splottments’ will grow and expand into a wetland park and network of allotments including educational facilities that focus on promoting green lifestyles.

‘splottments’ : splott tid the re ‘splottments’ : splott tid disuse Birds eye view looking north east

Splott Community

Birds eye view looking north east

Splott Community

Tremorfa Steelworks

Splott Community Splott Community

Tremorfa Steelworks

Moorland Park

Tremorfa Steelworks Tremorfa Steelworks

Moorland Park

Western Mail Offices

Severn Estuary Severn

Western Mail Offices

Estuary Diagram highlights industrial context and detachment

Diagram highlights industrial context and detachment

Site location plan

Site location plan View north from Ocean Way roundabout over remnant railway landscape View north from Ocean Way roundabout over remnant railway landscape

Nature reclaims

sectio the rem a half-m disused post-in section curren a half-m nature post-ind currently ‘splott nature. the loc up the ‘splottm rusting the loca upenterp the excha rusting From enterpris garden exchang ’splott From a expan gardens netwo ’splottm educa expand on pro network educatio on prom

‘splottments’ : splott tidal siding ‘splottments’ : splott ti

View along one of Splottme 'streets' during harv

Splottments expansion

‘splottments’ : splott tidal sidings

Splottments grows organically spurred on by the support and interest of the local community

View along one of Splottments 'streets' during harvest

Splottments expansion

Splottments grows organically spurred on by the support and interest of the local community

Choose a wagon!

Prepare soil

Harvest!

Sow seeds

the communal heart of following the 3rd harvest

Splottments harvest cycle

Aerial view of the communal heart of 'Splottments' following the 3rd harvest

Harvest!

Choose a wagon!

Allotment Prepare Wagon soil

Bird Watchers Wagon

Local Schools Wagon

Former railway wagons are transformed into The maturing parklands and wetlands Educational facilities are created to all Prepare Allotment Wagon Bird Watchers Wagon Local Schools Wagon greenhouses with lightweight polycarbonate would The lead to increased ecologicalEducational younger generations to study and experien Harvest! soil Former railway wagons are transformed into maturing parklands and wetlands facilities are created to allow Sow seeds roofs and fronted withgreenhouses chalk notice boards diversity on site initiating the local ecology and horticulture. Low co with lightweight polycarbonate would lead to increased ecological younger generations to study and experience roofs and fronted boards creation diversity on site initiating the birdlocal ecology and structures horticulture. Low cost to advertise excess produce for salewith as chalk partnotice Wagon of facilities such as timber inserted into wagons fo Allotment Bird Watchers Wagon Loca to advertise excess produce for sale as part creation of facilities such as bird timber structures inserted into wagons form Splottments harvestof cycle the 'Splottments: Tastebook' network watchers hutshuts forfornature enthusiaststemporarytemporary classrooms of the 'Splottments: Tastebook' network watchers nature enthusiasts classrooms Former railway wagons are transformed into The maturing parklands and wetlands Educa Sow seeds greenhouses with lightweight polycarbonate would lead to increased ecological young roofs and fronted with chalk notice boards diversity on site initiating the local to advertise excess produce for sale as part creation of facilities such as bird timbe Splottments harvest cycle of the 'Splottments: Tastebook' network watchers huts for nature enthusiasts tempo

WALLED GARDEN : CATHAYS Phillipa Hall Shortlisted A re-imagining of a traditional garden type. One of the few remaining warehouses left in a historically industrial area, this building is becoming a ruin, taken over by nature. With the roof removed, this ‘overtaking’ will be encouraged within the enclosure of the building’s walls, and the simple insertion of a first floor will create rooms for storage, learning and a shop. The garden will be run mainly by volunteers, with the participation of the local community and schools, and will be a place to learn about growing, to escape from the busy urban life, and to promote other small scale gardens and allotments around Cardiff.

SUSPENDED ANIMATION : GABALFA INTERCHANGE Simon Yuk Located on the edge of the city the Gabalfa interchange is an established infrastructural gateway into & out of Cardiff. The non-animated space below has no life during day or night and only serves as a public access route to the different areas. Suspended Animation seeks to change this by providing activity and greater ‘suspension’ to the access site through hanging nterventionssubway points below the fly-over that change over time, programmatically and formally. Subsequently, to take advantage of the vehicle emissions, E.COcatchersimage 02 A48 (Carbon Catchers) span the A48 image 01 capturing harmful gases and SITUATION converting it into energy to used onEXISTING 01. SUBWAY TO SITE & ADJACENT AREAS 02. CONCRETE SUPPORTS FOR FLY-OVER ABOVE site and the surrounding areas. 03. VEHICULAR RING ROAD SURROUNDING SPACE BELOW

SUSPENDED ANIMATION : GABALFA INT

Located city the an est gatewa The non has no and on access areas. seeks providin ‘suspen hanging fly-over program Subseq of the E.COcat span th gases energy surroun

01. EXISTING SPACE BELOW WITH NO ACTIVITY

E.COcatchers capture carbon emissions from the motorway and converts it into renewable energy

SUSPENDED ANIMATION : GABALFA INTERCHANGE

infrastructural ceiling

CARBON CATCHERS E.COcatchers capture carbon emissions from the motorway and converts it into renewable energy

infrastructural ceiling

expansion

+co₂ activity walls i.e rock climbing

PLUG n’ PLAY! - suspended rooms

+co₂ +co₂

+co₂

suspended rooms

TYPICAL SECTION THROUGH INTERCHANGE

SUSPENDED PROGRAMMATIC ROOMS Emission fumes are converted to provide electricity for the new interventions

BESPOKE SEATING Flexible public seating to sit, relax and enjoy the suspended animation

NDED E.COCATCHERS HANG OVER THE A48

SUSPENDED LIGHTING Adjustable suspended lighting over stage. Lights lowered for stage events

TYPICAL SECTION THROUGH INTERCHANG

‘Plug n’ Play’ suspended rooms can be dismantled, reprogrammed, or replaced over time. Rooms included: education space, workshops (for learning new skills within community), cinema, viewing platforms & many more!

SUSPENDED PROGRAMMATIC ROOMS INFRASTRUCTURAL CEILING

INFRASTRUCTURAL CEILING

SCENARIO 01: SUSPENDED CINEMA & OPEN STAGE/EVENTS SPACE PROMOTING CARDIFF ARTS

SCENARIO 01: SUSPENDED CINEMA & OPEN STAGE/EVENTS SPACE PROMOTING CARDIFF AR

The history of this site in central Cardiff speaks explicitly of energy production, storage and distribution. If coal is the life blood of Wales then the trains are surely the veins and arteries. There are traces of the old dependence on fossil fuels written into the fabric of the site. Where once was the cities gasometer a concert hall now sits, the headquarters of energy companies reside next to the all-important train lines elevated for pragmatic reasons but with metaphorical connotations.

The scheme is designed to be entirely self-sufficient with minimal input resulting in maximum output. The nature of the process sees all water reintroduced into the growing cycle and all waste biomass being used as either an energy source or sold on for a number of other applications. The site itself has potential for expansion should the scheme integrate well into the cities fabric. Space has been left for additional growing space, storage and distribution. There could also be potential for adding in an educational facility allowing people to learn firsthand about the production of sustainable solutions in modern life.

The proposed intervention readdresses the issue of energy in a social and political climate that is begging for greenerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; solutions to energy. The implementation of the algae farm sees the process carried out in its entirety on site. Cultivation, harvesting, production and distribution all occur on the footprint of the two urban fragments. The incredibly high yield generated form an algae crop (30 more than next best biofuel) makes it ideal for implementation on such a small site. Requiring only a saline solution, sunlight and CO2 it can easily be appropriated to thrive in and urban context. This process encapsulates the very nature of sustainable production which can instantly impact the city and act as a model for future developments.

ALGAE BIOFUEL STATION : BUT

The history of this sit energy production, st blood of Wales then arteries. There are tr fuels written into the cities gasometer a c of energy companies lines elevated for pra connotations.

The proposed interve in a social and politic solutions to energy. sees the process Cultivation, harvesting on the footprint of th high yield generated best biofuel) makes small site. Requirin CO2 it can easily be context. This proce sustainable productio and act as a model fo

The scheme is desig minimal input resultin the process sees al cycle and all waste b source or sold on for

The site itself has scheme integrate we left for additional gro There could also be facility allowing pe production of sustain

Kyoto Protocal: United Nations framework for climate change

1935 Chemurgy conference USA - seeks to explore farm produce as motor fuel

Alcohol mixed with gasoline producing stable motor fuel Queen Alexander Dock opens

First pattent submitted for the industrial production of biofuel

First 100% B20 biofuel car

Renewable Fuel Association formed in the USA

Cardiff Poupluation 1,900

1900

1800

Bute Street Algae farm/petrol station opens in Cardiff, Wales European Commision directive to increase biofuel usage

Gas Works Established in the city

West Bute Dock opens

Population 160,000 Rudolph Diesel exhibits first biofuel car

107 million tons of coal exported. "The use of vegetable oils for engine fuel may seem insignificant today, but such oils may become in the course of time, as important as petrolium." Rudolph Diesel, 1912

2000

ALGAE BIOFUEL STATION : BUTE STREET Simon James

CO2

Growing Pod

Culltivation Cycle

Algae Collection Vault

Oil/Biomass Separation Vault

Bute Street Underpass

Railway Tracks

Biofuel Distribution Pipes

Station Shop

Biofuel Pump

Viewing Platform/Maintenance Stair

Biofuel Silo

= Supporting Stucture / Nutrient Distribution

ALGAE BIOFUEL STATION : BU 2011

1. 2.

2015

2020

+ 1. Biofuel Silo 2. Fuel Station 3. Production Vau 4. Factory/Office 5. Cultivation Cyc 6. Education Cen 7. Cultivation Cyc 8. Cultivation Cyc

Residential remnants These entries identify the potential that the under-used, leftover spaces in our suburbs have to offer. Whilst â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Wastelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; provides a commentary on our existing suburban housing stock, New Endings and Between & Nowhere present ideas with unique potential within Cardiff, each would require support from particular communities.

BETWEEN + NOWHERE : THE CARDIFF BACK LANES Rhian Thomas & Rob Stevens Highly Commended In cities, there are pathway spaces that can be dark, dank, uninhabited and threatening. Cardiff’s back lanes are such an example, and they are currently being gated at great expense* to prohibit access all together. Historically, the Cardiff back lane was designed as a functional device enabling access for servants as well as passage for the necessary traffic of the rag and bone man, coalman, baker or refuse collector. These spaces are now redundant, but must not be ignored. We must design spatial experiences that enable people to feel safe. In focussing on their potential future function and integration into an urban strategy, these lost spaces can become public spaces, free from anti-social behaviour.

The accumulation of rainwater and the difficulties of drainage are the hallmarks of Cardiff’s streets: the proposal for the back lanes is not to gentrify** but to create a constructed wetland SUDS***. This has the potential to provide grey and storm water filtration and recycling, prevent run off from buildings and roads polluting rivers, reduce flood risk and provide a vital biodiverse habitat and urban green space. This re-encounter with the existing infrastructure of the back lanes and the culture of water would encourage social engagement and community enterprise. By inspiring people to organise, regenerate and sustain their own ‘back lane’ environment, through initiatives such as cultivating allotments, growing biofuel at a local level, creating street (lane) play parks, or just a chance meeting on a walk or cycle ride through the lane, a sense of belonging in a city where we may co-habit with people we know little about is created.

a bio diverse wildlife habitiat is created within the city

ng epi

a horizontal gravel and reedbed filtration system could

construc

human

com

creates

BETWEEN+NO

the plight of

_wil low tree s:

source. The spacing between determines the development of the plants; the closer they are, the more vertical their growth.

thousands of gallons of rainwater, waste water and grey water which helps to prevent flash flooding

l_ iofue ed b

_urb an

mile radius of its own hive. With each bee colony in early summer comprised of one queen, one thousand drones and fifty thousand workers, the expansive underused spaces of Cardiff become indulgent flower gardens. [ if each Cardiff resident was responsible for their own hives (100 each) there is potential for ÂŁ80,000 annual income*]

uc prod ally

d wetland_

space. In heavy rainfall water pouring off roofs and roads would be intercepted by the vegetated drainage channels, therefore preventing pollution from entering our river systems

nge gardens

OWHERE

fast growing willow can be

the honey bee... the rich newly created habitat forms a landscape eligible

the Cardiff back lanes

help

remove

pollutants

NEW ENDINGS Collaborative Design Studio New Endings is an investigation into ‘dead end’ street spaces found in central Cardiff and in the Grangetown area where a high proportion are found. The project is a way of looking for opportunities into small urban spaces which can instigate improvement and care. The work is a live project currently progressing towards development of one of the sites. The work argues for a local, community engaged consultation in developing creative ideas for use and interventions. The approach is to be design led to consider ideas which can give joy and pleasure to everyday life. Beginning with research and mapping, an initial consultation took place in the form of a street party in one of the ‘dead end’ sites. This brought about awareness and possibilities for residents to consider. Our goal is to improved one of the spaces which will then hopefully bring forth further projects on other sites

Pet Garden and Café From the research conducted on the 30 sites, we have taken site number 24 and speculated with a proposal of a café and garden for pets, including an aviary. From our consultation and research we have found a real lack of cafes in Grangetown. Site no. 24 offers this opportunity as it sits adjacent to Grange Gardens and the bowling Green. To build upon the park, we propose a café which can also have habitat for pets. We envisage people could bring their pets into the larger habitats as a way of ‘show and tell’. It could also be a place for short term boarding. There is a local tradition of pigeon fancying so this could act as a community aviary. Not only would this encourage people to share their love of animals but also bring together children with the elderly.

THE WASTELAND : CARDIFF Ed Green Our REMNANTS- the “ignored spaces in the city” - are not all abandoned church spires and water towers, transient verges pinned between highways, or romantic vestiges of our industrial past. Most are simply left-over space, places that no one has bothered to design or put to beneficial use. For the last fifty years, we have surrounded our town and city centres with a choking patchwork of suburban estates; detached and semi-detached houses flung with a scattergun lack of care for orientation or sense of place, and with no regard for quality of space or haracter. These homes are built without thought for the external spaces that surround and define them. These ignored spaces - between, behind and in front of our uninspiring homes - are not places at all. All they provide is somewhere for crap to gather, rust, and fester in shadow. Worse still, they reduce density and spread the blight of suburbia yet further, chewing up more land and spitting out more tarmac in the process. If our land has real value, it should not be squandered with such wasteful disregard. South Wales has a rich tradition of housing that is economic in form, that responds to its context, makes

best use of natural resources... and et one home alone doesn’t make a street. As a cohesive whole, our terraces work together, to build communities with structure and spirit. The time has come to adapt or What dross are the demolish the suburban thatroots that clutch, isolates our urban centres from the Out of this stony rubbish? surrounding landscape, and build on these well established traditions. The places where we live should make best use of valuable land; they should be carefully located and sensitively crafted. They must create supportive neighbourhoods where driving is not a necessity and the environment is sovereign. They should also be interspersed with greenery – with places to grow crops, collect water, and to bring nature back into the city.

what branches grow t. s. eliot, 1922

the waste land : cardiff

mulated over hundreds of years. If current rates replaced. Refurbishment and renovation have the n a way that new build alone cannot.

dwellings are closed to the north and open up to the south.

nected way should be repaired and adapted to abric and air tightness, installation of communityworkersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; terraces (built at 40-60 homes per ..

controlled stack ventilation pulls fresh air through the dwellings, and energy loss is minimised via heat recovery.

the thermal mass of the existing fabric moderates temperature swings between day and night, storing incident solar gains.

should be replaced with a combination of green nding our town and city centres could be replaced retains water and encapsulates carbon, and with a

cess is gained via a onean-priority access road. ble, the private green ardens are linked to the park.

5 Photovoltaic canopy screens car parking, refuse collection and local recycling points. canopy generates energy to offset the necessary use of cars for transport.

sunspaces maximise these solar gains, and distribute natural light throughout the dwellings, reducing artificial lighting loads.

direct solar roof panels provide hot water, and do not require perfect conditions to function efficiently.

Photovoltaics provide day to day electrical small power requirements, and shelter the outdoors play space.

a ground source heat pump (red) would provide the small additional heating load required by these dwellings via underfloor heating, and would enable a carbon neutral target to be achieved.

stack effect and prevailing winds power passive extract via a heat exchanger at 80% efficiency. this avoids loss of energy through ventilation, and converts solar gains into useful energy / warm air.

to the north, airtight fabric constructed in the factory to high standards, with openings of limited size.

the thermal mass of the prefabricated stairs moderates any temperature swings, particularly between day and night time.

1 3

-only acess to one ock, with generous paces around the mmunal / retail base.

2 Potential for retail at the end of the block with an additional aspect.

where possible, capital costs can be offset against material improvements to building fabric â&#x20AC;&#x201C; direct solar panels form the roof of the new dormer.

a ground heat exchanger further tempers the prewarmed environment with geothermal energy. the communal chP system provides local backup heating, using waste generated in the surrounding area.

the roof-mounted dsw system provides hot water. a wind turbine generates domestic level electricity.

the double or triple height core reduces the impact of overheating, and filters sunlight to maintain an internal environment that is comfortable all year round, supplemented by controllable internal shading.

a vertical service core runs through the stairs and connects to each unit, providing local, controllable ventilation and underfloor heating via the heat exchanger. this ensures that the building functions as a holistic environmental system.

3 terraces extended to three or four storeys, plus other modifications. 4 Partial or full work from home units may occupy some or all of the row.

ation, ranging from single person apartments adapting and growing with changing needs. dual gardens can be conglomerated to wrap with nature. upport of families who live, learn, shop and work which new neighbourhoods can flourish.

I would sum up my fear about the future in one word: boring. And thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s my one fear: ... the future is just going to be a vast, conforming suburb of the soul. J. G. Ballard

Creating events A key objective of the ‘remnants’ brief was that proposals could provide opportunity for event and interaction between different communities within the city. Some are aimed at a very specific community, particular to that area of the city whilst others aim to provide a more public space that can be enjoyed by the wider community of and visitors to Cardiff. The aims of Uplift could be successfully met by means of a short term event, using hired “cherry pickers “ to reveal the intricate, crafted detail of Cardiff’s architectural heritage and contribute to a public debate about quality thresholds for future development.

UPLIFT : UPPER STOREYS OF ST MARYS STREET Neil Farquhar Winner “St Mary St, the most impressive street in the city” The variety of styles and historic richness contained within the facades of St Mary Street are truly worthy of a European Capital city. Yet most visitors’ eyes rarely stray above the wares of the charity shops, bookkeepers and fast food outlets, perhaps an oblique glance to the illuminations at Christmas time; a bleary eye straying heavenward after the rugby, even the opportunity to get a closer view from the top deck of the bus has gone. The upper storeys of St Marys Street are the most prodigious of the ignored spaces within the city. Uplift seeks to bring an understanding and awareness to Cardiff’s historic and geographic context, whilst also giving focus to one of the capital’s

best treasures: the buildings of St Marys Street. Uplift is a moveable scissors lift with lightweight monocoque viewing capsule capable of rotating 360 degrees – a distinctively modern landmark within a historic landscape. Uplift enables far reaching views beyond the Castle to the Black Mountains to the North and to the ocklands and rejuvenated Bay to the south; or close up views of the exuberant architectural detailing; or to merely provide a different perspective for people watching, whether the daytime workers or the nightime party goers. Uplift is proposed as a free attraction relying on sponsorship for funding. Lisbon has the Elevador de Santa Justa, Edinburgh has the Scott Monument, the Welsh Capital has no similar public vantage point: Uplift seeks to redress this.

MOOR : RIVER TAFF Hyde+Hyde Architect Cardiff is proud of its maritime heritage – and for good reason. It’s common knowledge that the coal rolled down from the Valleys and that both the River Taff and its parallel rail link were a crucial link pin for its path to Butetown and onward to all 4 corners of the globe, making Cardiff the largest port in the world at the turn of the 20th century. As the Taff flows into Cardiff beneath Western avenue its banks become increasingly active and verdant. Bisecting Pontcanna and Cooper’s Fields, taking in the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, an expanse of beautiful parkland, a 2000 year old castle and a magnificent stadium on its way down to the Bay. Then, waving goodbye to the Wales

Millennium Centre and saying hwyl to the Senedd…before exiting stage right through the Cardiff Barrage. But let’s track back a kilometre or two.. Whilst we’ve gratefully embraced our newly created bay, the River Taff itself has been largely overlooked despite running through the centre of the Welsh capital. We have, as Cardiffians, effectively ‘turned our backs’ on the River. It’s true that the Water Bus scheme has attempted in part to address the extraordinary issue but an irregular timetable serviced largely by ‘handme-down’ vessels does the city a disservice – besides the scheme as it stands is generally regarded as a gimmick to lure tourists, and is neither seen as a viable or credible alternative to private transport.

HISTORY HUB : CASPIAN WAY Rio Architects Once crucial to the industry and economy of South Wales and a leading factor in the growth of the city as it is today, Cardiff’s canal network has vanished beneath layers of continuous re-development. History Hubs provide markers throughout the city landscape; markers highlighting the routes and nodes of the lost transport network beneath the modern day city fabric. The “Meet” Hub at Caspian Way provides a space for the people of the Bay; workers, visitors and residents alike. A space for working, chatting or just to grab lunch, the hub brings a population to a forgotten space within the contemporary context.

hISTORY hUB : CAS

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hub use

hub skin

hub structure

dock crane

hISTORY

FLOATING GARDENS : BUTE EAST DOCK Sam Clark & Andy Faulkner Disconnected from the sea, the Bute East Dock remains a near stagnant water body, undervalued and under used. Once part of the world’s largest coal port, bustling with boats, cranes and trains, few visible remnants of its history remain above the waterline: a lone crane and a redundant barge.

Each floating garden is equal to one 25sqm allotment ‘perch’ contained within a fibre glass catamaran vessel. Agrid of pontoons provides mooring for 423 perches (sufficient for 200 families). Service columns provide filtered dock water for watering plants, solar-powered night-time lighting, and underwater agitators, connected by wind turbines that help to keep the dock water healthy and flowing.

Used only by fishermen, walkers and occasional dragon boat racers, we are warned to “Keep away from the water’s edge - contains high levels of toxic algae”.

yn nofio Gerddi [floatinG Gardens] : Bute ea

The 1987 redevelopment sought to improve the quality of the quay side, and access to it; now it is time to reclaim the water. The Floating Gardens project provides Cardiff city dwellers with a place where they can grow their own kitchen produce, as well as enjoy a reclaimed waterscape. The masterplan supports leisure and entertainment uses such as swimming, fishing, growing, pedalling, dragon boat racing and other public events. The floating gardens are inspired by Chinampa, an ancient Mesoamerican agriculture method, which used small islands of fertile arable land to grow crops on the shallow lake beds in the Valley of Mexico.

disconnecte the Bute e a near stag undervalued once part o coal port, b cranes and remnants o above the crane and a

used only by occasional drag warned to “kee edge - contains the 1987 redeve the quality of the it; now it is time key

1 mid cross se

2 ornamental c

3 remnant qua 2

4 panoramic v

5 dock locatio

yn nofio Gerddi [floatinG Gardens] : Bute 6 floating gardens a. fibreglass vessel b. walkway, tool storage beneath c. galvanized steel cage frame d. geotextile membrane e. 250mm depth topsoil f. recycled plastic decking g. service columns

floating g an anc method, arable la lake bed each floa allotmen glass ca provides for 200 f filtered d solar-po underwa turbines healthy a

e d f c

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ii. giant water lilies (Victoria amazonica species)

DESIGN HUB : CARDIFF BAY Geraint Hayes There is a rich blend of small creative businesses in and around the heart of Cardiff Bay. The James Street site is ideally located amongst this creative network. CONTEXT_ CREATIVE BASED ACTIVITIES Based on the same development model as Paint Works Bristol, the proposal provides a dedicated space for these businesses to feed into. The Design Hub offers 11 1 a flexible space where events, micro festivals, rformances and exhibitions integrate with the local community at a 2 human scale. 3

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Forgotten Remnants Thought provoking proposals that embrace the traces of the city that once most successfully captured the essence of the region and the history of its development. Starting small these proposals would create â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;everyday eventsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, a shift in your perspective or an artistic vision of a seemingly familiar site.

LA GRANDE JATTE DE CAERDYDD Huw Brys & Dai llama This proposal focuses on the edge of the left bank of the River Taff Fitzhamon Embankment, where the distance from garden wall to waters edge varies from 20m - 40m. The river edge currently consists of a steeply sloping flood defence thus divorcing people from the River - and presenting visual squalor. Most European Cities celebrate the presence of their waterways - both as

visual and recreational amenities. The proposed Grand Jatte would be developed in incremental strips consisting of continuous upper and lower promenades interspersed with platforms of hard and soft landscape for a range of recreational activities A homage to Camillo Sitte’s ‘City Planning According to Artistic Principles’ (1889) in which we are recommended to ‘go to school with Nature and the old Masters also in matters of Town Planning’. With particular reference to the closed architectonic perspective and with sincere apologies to George Seurat.

Remnant This proposal focuses on the edge of the left bank of the River Taff - Fitzhamon Embankment, where the distance from garden wall to waters edge varies from 20m - 40m. The river edge currently consists of a steeply sloping flood defence thus divorceing people from the River - and presenting visual squalor.. Most European Cities celebrate the presence of their waterways - both as visual and recreational amenities . The proposed Grand Jatte would be developed in incremantal strips - consisting of continuous upper and lower promenades interspersed with platforms of hard and soft landscape for a range of recreational activities

Part typical plan

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Part typical plan

Typical section

Part typical plan

La Grande Jatte de Caerdydd

A homage to Camillo Sitte’s ‘City Planning According to Artistic Principles’ (1889) in which we are recommended to ‘go to school with Nature and the old Masters also in matters of Town Planning’. With particular reference to the closed architectonic perspective - and with sincere apologies to George Seurat.

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1. Cardiff Castle

MODERN MEMORIES OF THE GLAMORGANSHIRE CANAL Michael Plageman & Nicola James At the beginning of the 19th century the Glamorganshire Canal was central to Cardiff life. The canal dissected the growing urban centre and a diversity of activities developed on its waters.

Site Site

The remnants of this once powerful artery remain in the street layouts, bridges and isolated relics that scatter the modern city.

1945 The proposed intervention will

delineate the former path of the canal in bonded glass. Lit from below, its route will link the remaining disparate remnants of the canal, telling the history of Cardiff and its industrial waterway.

MODERN ME

2. Mill Lane

ERN MEMORIES OF THE GLAMORGANSHIRE CANAL PROJECT NAME : LOCATION

1. Cardiff Castle

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3. Cardiff Castle

Site plan, 1:2500, north indicated on plan Site boundary indicated in red as shown

4. St Davidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Arcade

5. Mill Lane

RELAYING THE TRACK : CARDIFF BAY STATION Jason Shelton Cardiff Bay Station is a Grade II* listed Brunel building left behind from an age of coal export from the South Wales Valleys to the world beyond. The building sits at the end of a connection axis between The Bay and the city centre. A connection with a missing, yet crucial final link. This project explores the idea of remnants being associated with curiosity, opening up the building encouraging a more natural flow and re-instating a linear connection of historic significance. The proposal suggests a linear link between the station and ‘core’ of Cardiff Bay, taking the form of a playful extension of the platform, garnished with activity. Scattered haphazardously along this link, a number

of construction workshops and resource spaces, aimed at promoting the idea of self build, reference the ever changing landscape once witnessed with the random arrangement of coal trucks along the link. This response reflects the historical significance of an innovative idea leaving ‘for the rest of the UK, through what is now Roald Dahl Plas. The old station building has been opened up to the platform, allowing a Welsh cultural market to interact seamlessly with the walkway. Opposite an enclosed musical and performance garden is revealed.

VISTA : PENYLAN, ROATH Jonathan Campbell Cardiff’s industrial heritage does not just exist amongst the lights of Cardiff Bay or within the city centre’s useums and arcades, it also runs through the suburbs that sprang up as a result of the cities industrial boom. The Roath Branch of the Taff Vale Railway, laid in 1887 to transport coal to Roath Dock and the Newport Road power station, ran through the heart of Roath; a physical connection between suburb and industry. The route of the Roath Branch line was walked from the edge of the allotments along Eastern Avenue through to where the Harlequins Park meets Newport Road. The experience was documented through sketches and notes and any physical remnants of the Roath Branch were photographed. Through doing this it became clear that, like much of Cardiff’s industrial heritage, the Roath Branch has been filled in, built on and forgotten. However some remnants still stand, often in plain site but unrecognised having been removed from their original context. As such, ‘Vista’ is founded on a simple idea; that for remnants to be regenerated they need to be understood in their original context. The chosen site is Pen-y-Lan Road, where it once crossed over the Roath Branch line, where the sides of the original road bridge still remain. By taking an historic image that would

otherwise be rarely seen, and using it to re-create a view lost for half a century, the bridge is able to reestablish itself in a way that celebrates its part in Cardiff’s industrial past. These vistas, constructed simply and cheaply from Perspex and lightweight steel frame could spring up throughout the city as temporary or permanent installations,along the routes of the old railways and canals that were once the arteries of the city. This guerrilla approach would rouse the curiosity of the ublic, creating alternative landmarks that would promote greater interest in the heritage of the cities’ suburbs.

PICTON SQUARE : CANTON CARDIFF Rhys Waring A derelict car park to be transformed into a green open space with seating areas, a central water feature and a cafe. The space will be used by local residents and provides a pleasant walkway connecting Canton and Riverside. It provides a space for shoppers coming from other parts of Cardiff to stop and relax whilst overlooked by the surrounding houses to provide a sense of security. The central water feature has a highly reflective finish and so is very eyecatching, this theme continues throughout the area with pillars. The feature will run on solar panels on the roof of the cafe building which also contains flats on the second floor.

PICTON SQUARE : CANTO

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PICTON SQUARE : CANTON, CARDIFF

Come to your senses Mapping unused spaces of Cardiff: What makes an unused or empty space? How do people feel about these spaces â&#x20AC;&#x201C; should they stay as they are or should they change? Come to your senses is an ongoing collaborative project between Laura Sorvala and Em Wilkinson, who brought their participatory map installation to the Reflecting Wales exhibition. The installation enabled a way for people to express their feelings about the urban environment and share their ideas for improvements.

Turning up, taking part and getting things done Autumn is upon us, the days are shortening and the frenzy of activity emanating from Cardiff Design Festival 2011 has calmed. This year the Senedd was bathed in the warmth of a blazing sun on an unseasonably balmy evening, when the festival opened on 30 September, launching over 70 events in the programme. In the midst of the design festival a different approach to our buildings and places was being explored in Remnants, an exhibition inviting practices to identify and propose fresh uses for leftover, forgotten or neglected spaces. The exhibition was accompanied by a cycle ride to each of the sites, prizes were awarded to winning entries and a planning debate was hosted bringing together RTPI Young Planners, RSAW, Design Circle, Design Commission for Wales Advocates in Practice, and a host of other interested contributors. The project was also linked with Come to your Senses, a public engagement project led by Laura Sorvala and Em Wilkinson that invited people to contribute to an examination of the physical and cultural barriers in the city, use of green space and where stronger links or key areas may be enhanced, better connected, made safer and more pleasant. It is both easy and lazy to consider these creative approaches to the challenges of the built environment

as being somehow on the fringes, or as utopian dreams with no place in the real world of development and urbanism. It’s easy to write them off as having been done before, in many festivals in many places – there is perhaps little that is new under the sun but then such issues are perennially relevant and continually require fresh minds to shed light upon them. It is much more useful to recognise their value as tangible elements of research and critique that can inform the way we plan and make decisions about urban spaces, upon which there is increasing pressure. More and more of us live and will come to live in urban areas, requiring more living space, homes, amenities goods and services. Patterns of work and economies are in the process not only of recession or stagnation, but of a fundamental shift in the balance of economic power and capacity. We should be drawing more eagerly on the best of the creative acumen available and bringing it to bear on the difficult decisions we face. More than one delegate at the Remnants planning debate highlighted the gap that exists between the formal and regulatory processes of planning and architecture and the rich material unearthed through the insightful critique of these probing explorations. Many successful European cities to which we may point as exemplars in design, cultural richness and vibrancy

can be shown to have harnessed their creative thinkers in the task – their artists, designers and architects. Freiburg, Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Amsterdam and many others have prioritised good urban design and architecture as economic drivers and have worked closely with creative thinkers, bringing their talents to bear on the shaping of their future cities. Collaboration was a key theme that emerged in this year’s design festival and there is a welcome, fresh buzz about the possibilities and potential for shaping the capital. Engaging these fresh and creative minds in such a partnership would be advantageous to the growing capital, the hinterland to which it is inextricably linked and nation it serves. The energy and insight evident in this year’s festival and the possibilities of the ongoing engagement sparked by Remnants and its partner projects, is hugely encouraging. There is much to capture with several proposals being both possible and practical. What can sometimes be seen as a perfunctory process could be transformed into a creative and fruitful one. The comments of the judges for the Remnants project reflected that “The winning entries address the whole community, are engaging, unexpected and could be started right away with modest

investment. They appeal to a wide range of age groups and have the advantage of being able to start small. Furthermore the concepts are replicable elsewhere.” The young designers, artists and planners bringing these projects forward will continue their work. They will keep turning up, taking part and therefore getting things done. They have a great deal to offer decisions makers and to contribute, and they represent a light worth shining on a crucial debate. It’s high time they got a hearing. © Carole-Anne Davies, Chief Executive Design Commission for Wales Excerpts from an article published in Cynllunio, 27th October 2011

Competition organisers Matthew Jones, Design Research Unit Wales Matthew is a qualified architect working in Design Research Unit Wales, an award winning design research practice based in the Welsh School of Architecture. The unit combines design with research and teaching in a collective and collaborative endeavor covering core topics of sustainability, landscape and material innovation. DRU-w have twice been finalists in Building Designâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Young Architect of the Year Award (2007 and 2010). Matthew is undertaking research toward a PhD by Design exploring incremental urbanism as an approach to the small town. A key case study for this research has been the development of a community-led plan for the North Wales market town of Ruthin.

Victoria Coombs, Loyn & Co Architects Victoria is an architect working at Loyn & Co Architects, Penarth. The practice philosophy places great emphasis on working as a team, in a studio environment. The team share ideas and collectively review design development throughout each stage of a projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s evolution. Loyn & Co is dedicated to achieving high quality design solutions relevant to our time that realise client needs and respond to a particular site. Victoria has endeavoured to gain an approach that reestablishes a placeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existing benefits without imposing unnecessarily upon it, with particular attention to the benefit of the surrounding community.