The Gas Works - Canvey

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richard james maccowan ma urban design 2010/12

biomimicry+ urban design can the principles of biomimicry be used for the creation of an urban design framework for canvey island?

acknowledgements I wish to thank all those who helped with their time and effort to enable me to put this project together. From my tutors, Chris Royffe and Lindsay Smales, to my long suffering wife, Kate, thank you for keeping me on track throughout the design stages of the report. I would also like to thank Steve Rogers at Castle Point Borough Council for taking the time to look over the community consultation prior to ‘going live’. Margo Farnsworth provided me with a great deal of insight into the workings of biomimicry, Thank You! Finally, to my regular proof-readers, Jan and Stan, thank you for taking time out to read this report.

Richard James MacCowan Leeds Metropolitan University 2012

i

executive summary

ii Can the principles of biomimicry be used for the creation of an urban design framework for Canvey Island?

Using nature as inspiration involves ‘mimicking the functional basis of biological forms, processes and systems to produce sustainable solutions’ (Pawlyn, 2011). Biomimicry differs from biophilia in that it is not about the bond between nature and humans, but about learning from nature (Jana, 2011).

The study explores the reasoning behind using biomimicry as a design-tool, in terms of urban design and masterplanning for a development site on Canvey Island.

The main theme is that biomimicry can be used to develop an urban design framework using nature’s inspiration combined with other models of urbanism. Desk-based and field research is utilised to enable identification of the design challenges. The field research is a mix of site analysis and consultation with the local community to gauge the needs and aspirations for the potential development. Auxiliary information collected was used to define weaknesses in the best practice case studies, along with an understanding of sustainable architectural design.

The implications for the study is that it identifies how nature can be used as a guide for shaping the built environment.

Working in tandem with sustainable urban design it provides a useful tool in the arsenal of the landscape and urban designer. With no framework currently in place for the site, this document has the potential to be adopted by Castle Point Borough Council as a Supplementary Planning Document.

Keywords: biomimicry; urban design; sustainability.

contents

acknowledgements executive summary

i ii

001/ introduction

1

the aims + objectives forming the basis of the design project 002/ underlying principles of biomimcry

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juxtaposition of biomimicry against other urbanism models 003/ case studies

20

best practice studies ranging from regeneration sites to coastal settlements 004/ context appraisal

42

background of canvey island, including history, planning and climate studies 005/ site analysis

65

urban design detailed study of the site 006/ biological systems analysis

87

development of natural models to solve the design challenges 007/ urban design framework

97

overall vision for the design project 008/ indicative design options

139

detailed design alternatives for a number of sites 009/ main findings + conclusions

163

epilogue of the design project based on biomimicry principles 010/ references appendices a. community consultation b. personal reflection c.

CD (digital copies of report, montages, plans, photobook)

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001/ introduction

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001/ introduction “Biomimicry - from bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning to imitate.”

Benyus (1997)

1.1 Context “Biomimicry is the science and art of emulating nature’s best biological ideas to solve human problems” (Biomimicry Institute, 2007). Mimicking the natural processes in nature is nothing new. Carbon-sequestering cement inspired by coral reefs and energy efficient wind turbines inspired by schooling fish, are two innovative examples of current biomimicry practice (ibid).

This research and design project will attempt to develop an urban design framework for a 113 hectares (280 acres) site located on the south west of Canvey Island using biomimicry as a design tool. An urban design framework as stated

by Cowan (2002: pg 12), “is a document describing and illustrating how planning and design policies and principles should be implemented in an area where there is a need to control, guide and promote change.”

Canvey Island is approximately 30 miles east of London in the Thames Estuary (figure 1.1) The site is on the south coast of the island with links to the River Thames, Charfleets Industrial Estate and Canvey Town Centre (figure 1.2) The basis of the framework will be developed using biomimicry to incorporate systems (both man-made and ecological) along with the required infrastructure to produce a sustainable vision for the study site.

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001/ introduction

“Given the fact the we are now an urban populous”, as states Forum for the Future (2011), with an exponential growth rate of our over-crowded cities, there is a need to develop a framework that is sustainable and will minimise the effects on the local ecosystems whilst providing a development that will remain efficient. In addition, due to the lack of available land and increased land values, there is a need to develop innovative ways to tackle these issues. Biomimicry offers one such tool in an attempt to solve these problems.

Chelmsford

London

This design project is concerned with the area known as the ‘South West Canvey Long Term Regeneration Area’ as identified in the current Local Plan, dated 1998. A number of design studies have already been produced for Canvey Island (see section 4: Canvey Island), but this site has not been subject to proposals due to the uncertainty of the relocation of the gas refineries. This framework will therefore link into the long term regeneration goals for Canvey Island set down by the local authority, Castle Point Borough Council.

Canvey Island has a rich natural landscape that provides a unique ecosystem to flora and fauna in this area of Essex (Bug Life, 2010). As such it is important to consider this as a key factor in any proposals, along with providing additional public green space, formerly identified in the Castle Point Borough Council PPG17 Open Space Appraisal (Castle Point BC, 2006), now covered by the National Planning Policy Framework, Point 73 (Department for Communities and Local

Southend-on-Sea

Canvey Island

Potential Isle of Grain Airport

An example of innovative land use is by Floating Concepts (figure 1.3) who are “developing water space [that] takes an underutilised and often under valued asset in the community from which it generates a viable and sustainable economic use” (Floating Concepts, 2011). Water is referred to as ‘brownfield’ space.

1.2 Aims + Objectives

Basildon

Maidstone

Figure 1.1 - (above) Canvey Island in relation to the South East of England

A130 - to Chelmsford

Hadleigh

B1014 - to Hadleigh

north

South Benfleet Leigh on Sea London-Southend trainline

South Benfleet

Canvey Island Town Centre

Charfleets Industrial Estate

Thames Haven Development Site

River Thames

Figure 1.2 - The development site on Canvey Island with major transport connections

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Government, 2012), to complement space already provided elsewhere on the island.

Sustainability is at the forefront of design and as such this project will attempt to integrate a sustainability strategy using biomimicry principle’s to produce an urban design framework.

Figure 1.3 - Floating Concepts vision for Glasgow, working with BACA and ZM Architects (Floating Concepts, 2011)

The main aim of this is to provide a design solution for the ‘South West Canvey Long Term Regeneration Area’ using biomimicry as a tool to provide guidance and design ideas as a basis for implementing a sustainable strategy. The steps to achieving this are as follows: 1. Gain an understanding of biomimicry principles and strategies in relation to urban design.

2. Compare ‘green’ urbanism principles and biomimicry.

3. Develop an understanding of the needs of the local area. to ensure that the future proposal is in keeping with the character of the area.

4. Propose a development framework for the entire site.

5. Produce a master plan concept for part of the site using biomimicry principles.

1.3 Research Questions This project will test a variety of natural design processes whilst developing a framework for the regeneration area to tackle the issues of land costs, availability and climate change. The questions posed are as follows: • Why use biomimicry when other types of sustainable design methods are available?

• What are the major challenges to the urban setting?

• Using the principles of biomimicry, what organisms and/ or natural ecosystem(s) would best-fit the challenges?

• Can these be applied to the Canvey Island site?

• What level of sustainable initiatives are appropriate?

• What are the benefits to Canvey Island in respect of economic, environmental, ecological and social aspects of using biomimicry for the urban design framework?

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1.4 Research Methodology The basis of this design project will be a combination of desktop research, conceptual design, scenario testing and field research.

1.41 Desktop Having developed an understanding of previous design work and research it will be necessary to carry out research and analysis into a number of case studies to identify best practice principles.

In addition, this will be aided by developing an exhaustive study into biomimicry in an urban design context. This will be established by using the Design Spiral and Life’s Principles developed by Biomimicry 3.8, which will be expanded upon in Section 2. By producing a framework of how urban design challenges can met and tackled using biomimicry, this will aid both the analysis of the site and provide the guiding principles for the subsequent urban design framework.

1.42 Conceptual design A two-fold exercise consisting of: 1. Developing conceptual ideas identified from desktop research.

2. Creating various concepts based on nature’s best practice.

1.43 Scenario testing The main focus of this design project will be based on the South West area of the island (figure 1.2) extending into the Thames Estuary. However, one of the questions that arises is whether the design is relevant to Canvey Island given the geography of the island? By understanding case studies of land reclamation, ecological design and sustainability this hopefully will provide solutions to facilitate the subsequent designs.

001/ introduction

1.44 Field research For this project a sampling exercise of the local community will be carried out to gauge the needs and aspirations for the area. This will aid the production of the Urban Design Framework for the regeneration of Canvey Island and its position within the Thames Gateway Green Grid Strategy (DCLG, 2008). In addition to community engagement, it will be important to gather information from the disciplines of ecology, biology, sustainable architecture and engineering.

1.5 Relevance + Importance of the Project This project focuses on developing a model of how biomimicry can be used in an urban design setting.

Biomimicry is an emerging field in the design world, and as such it is yet to be fully embraced. It has been more commonly used in architecture where smaller designs have mimicked from nature.

In terms of the urban design framework, there is a need to produce a long term strategy for this area of Canvey Island The majority of the site is industrial use, raised a number of safety concerns and is unpopular with the residents of the island, as states P. Offord in the Echo News (2011).

Regeneration of the site therefore should not meet with local objection.

1.6 Outline of the Report Structure This report begins by examining the theory underlying the principles of biomimicry. It critiques other models of ‘green’ urbanism in comparison to biomimicry (Section 2) and develops a framework of biomimicry in terms of sustainability issues relevant to urban design. It analyses a number of key case studies (Section 3) and defines best practice and weaknesses of each.

There is a full context appraisal (Section 4) of the development site leading to a site analysis (Section 5).

Design challenges are then developed to find inspiration from nature (Section 6). An urban design framework is developed addressing the design challenges (Section 7) suggesting a number of detailed design options (Section 8).

The report concludes by providing an overview of the project, its main findings, limitations and potential next steps for the project (Section 9).

“Biomimicry maintains that the greatest and most efficient responses to environmental conditions are those that come through imitation of nature, where systems have evolved and refined themselves over millenia.”

Droege (2009)

The framework and indicative design has the potential to be accepted into the Castlepoint Local Authority planning guidance, as a Supplementary Planning Document.

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002/ the underlying principles of biomimicry

002/ the underlying principles of biomimicry

002/ the underlying principles of biomimicry 2.1 introduction This section introduces biomimicry and how it can be used in an urban design context. What does it mean? Where does it come from? How is it useful in the 21st century?

2.2 definitions Biomimicry is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary (2011), as ‘‘the design and production of materials, structures, and systems that are modelled on biological entities and processes.’’ It derives from the Greek ‘bios’ and ‘mimesis’ meaning for life and imitate.

“Biomimicry - the design and production of materials, structures, and systems that are modelled on biological entities and processes.”

Oxford English Dictionary (2011)

Vincent (2003, pg. 22) defines biomimicry as, ‘the abstraction of good design from nature’ while Jane Benyus (1997) argues it is ‘the conscious emulation of nature’s genius’. On the other hand, Pawlyn (2011a) defines this discipline in ‘Biomimicry in Architecture’ as ‘mimicking the functional basis of biological forms, processes and systems to produce sustainable solutions.’

Micheal Pawlyn (2011b) proposes that “by mimicking ecosystems in terms of resources by creating closed-loop systems using waste as a commodity we could look at developing models for the whole metabolism of a city.”

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“Successful organisms are those that have lived within eco- systems without consuming their ecological capital.”

Head (2008)

Pawlyn continues, “if we could learn to make things and do things the way nature does, we could achieve factor 10, factor 100, even factor 1,000 savings in resource and energy use....it is about synergies, abundance and the environment”.

This is similar to the goal of sustainable development set out in the Brundtland Report (1987), ‘[to] meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’.

By clarifying biomimicry we need to understand how it differs from similar concepts. As already stated, biomimicry is ‘the conscious emulation of nature’s genius’ (Benysus, 1997). Whereas, Bio-utilisation is the direct use of nature for beneficial purposes (2011a, pg. 2)).

Biophilia on the other hand as Pawlyn (ibid) states, is the “hypothesis that there is an instinctive bond between human beings and other living organisms”.

2.3 background The term biomimicry was brought to prominence by Jane Benyus in her work, “Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature’ (first published in 1997). Homo sapiens have been using forms of biomimicry through evolution. Early human settlements are said to have been based on egg shells. No doubt those with an interest in the designs of Leonardo da Vinci will have noticed that he was a pioneer of extracting designs influenced by nature (Pawlyn, 2011a).

Figure 2.1 - Examples of biomimicry (from left, clockwise) Burdock spur (velcro), Daimler AG bionic car (box fish), Shark skin (ship hulls and swimsuits), Eastgate Center building (termite mound) (Source: all images Ask Nature, 2011)

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In more recent years biomimicry has been used in the creation of ‘Velcro’, the Daimler AG biomimetic concept car, as well as ship hulls and swimsuits based on the structure of shark skin (figure 2.1). The Arup-desigened office complex in Harare, Zimbabwe, utilises the air-conditioning properties of termite mounds in the design of the building. However, within the built environment there has been limited use of this advancing field.

Section 4 highlights a number of case studies of urban design projects critiqued against biomimicry. At present, urban projects that use nature as their inspiration are in the minority. Nevertheless, HOK, Arup, and AECOM use the principles of biomimicry in some form to aid their design work.

Since the work of Benyus was first published in 1997, the Biomimicry Guild and Biomimicry Institute (both co-founded

by Benyus and now rebranded as Biomimicry 3.8) have developed a number of graphical techniques to use nature as model, measure and mentor. These will be explained in the subsequent pages.

Biomimicry is not without its own challenges. Chris Garvin, (Jana, 2011) a design champion of biomimicry, understands that we have a long way to go to be able to truly replicate the complexities of nature. Garvin argues that we are currently only touching the surface of biomimicry and have yet to truly replicate the complexities of nature. He summarises that the challenges faced by biomimicry are policy, politics, infrastructure and funding issues. Although this specifically relates to Garvin’s work in New York, it is relevant across the globe.

Cuff and Sherman (2011) agree that ‘green’ design is nearly suffocated by the “twin forces of moralism and commercialism”. They state that because biomimicry exploits only the semiotic dimension (the study of signs and processes) of culture-as-nature, biomimicry resists deeper questions and misses the more profound implications for urbanism.

2.3.1 Design Spiral The Design Spirals (figure 2.2) have been developed by Biomimicry 3.8 (2009) as a way to draw inspiration from nature by introducing biologists into the design stage.

By working with biologists, designers will be able to use knowledge of nature and develop designs.

002/ the underlying principles of biomimicry

Design Spirals

| spirals

Figure 2.3 Life’ Principles sustainability wheel (Biomimicry 3.8, 2011)

1. DISCOVER Natural Models

2. ABSTRACT Design Principles

3. BRAINSTORM Potential Applications

BIOLOGY TO DESIGN

4. EMULATE Nature’s Strategies

5. EVALUATE Against Life’s Principles

1. IDENTIFY Function

2. DEFINE Context

2. BIOLOGIZE

GE CHALLEN GY O TO BIOL

Challenge

3. DISCOVER Natural Models

4. ABSTRACT Design Principles

5. EMULATE Nature’s Strategies

6. EVALUATE Against Life’s Principles

Figure 2.2 - Design Spirals (Biomimicry 3.8, 2009)

The BIOLOGY TO DESIGN (figure 2.2 - top) spiral is useful for examining nature’s solution to overcoming problems and seeing if they can apply to human challenges.

However, the second spiral, CHALLENGE TO BIOLOGY (figure 2.2 - bottom), is more applicable to urban design.

This involves identifying the major design challenges and then seeking organisms/biological systems that can meet these challenges.

This spiral has 7 stages, which are as follows:

BIOMIMICRY RESOURCE HANDBOOK

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Identify - the function or challenge Define - context Biologise - developing potential applications Discover - natural models Abstract - design principles Emulate - nature’s strategies Evaluate - comparison to life’s principles (figure 2.3)

2.4 Life’s Principles Following on from the design spirals, the Life’s Principles Sustainability Wheel (figure 2.3) has been created to represent the all-embracing patterns found in nature and to integrate and optimise these strategies to create conditions conducive to life.

They set out six principles: evolve to survive - be resource (energy and material) efficient - adapt to changing conditions - integrate development with growth - be locally attuned

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and responsive - use life-friendly chemistry. These guiding Life’s Principles have been developed into 20 corollaries (or sub-sets) which need to be understood before progressing further. Zanowick, a certified Biomimicry Professional summarises these in ‘Biomimicry: Nature’s Time-Tested Framework for Sustainability’ (2011), and are as follows: 2.4.1 Evolve to survive Definition: Continually incorporate and embody information to ensure enduring performance.

A biological example of this is how virus strains adapt to synthetic chemicals. A human example, democracies develop over time with changes in laws and cultural shifts.

2.4.2 Be resource (material and energy) efficient Definition: Skillfully and conservatively take advantage of resources and opportunities.

A biological example of this is how birds have evolved hollow bones to minimise weight. A good human example is carrying out re-active maintenance to building stock to ensure energy efficiency.

2.4.3 Adapt to changing conditions Definition: Appropriately respond to dynamic context.

A biological example of this is how arctic foxes change their fur colour from white in winter, to brown in summer. A human example is how the movie rental industry has adapted from VCR, through DVD’s and Blu-ray’s and into internet streaming. Those that didn’t adapt went out of business.

2.4.4 Intergate development with growth Definition: Invest optimally in strategies that promote both development and growth.

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A biological example of this is how embryos divide and grow into different types of cells. A human example is when urban development is carried out with expansion of built form and infrastructure. Lack of amenities occurs when the infrastructure has not been included with the development growth. The lack of water in the South East of England is a prime example.

2.4.5 Be locally attuned and responsive Definition: Fit into and integrate with the surrounding environment.

A biological example of this is how dune beetles collect water in an arid climate. They survive by collecting fog in the early morning that forms as water particles on their abdomen and is drawn down to its mouth. A human example; properties built to Passivhaus, standards make use of the local climate to minimise the use of energy.

2.4.6 Use life-friendly chemistry Definition: Use chemistry that supports life’s processes.

A biological example of this is how butterflies wings refract light to produce colour. A human example; Teijin Fibers (Japan) have developed materials that use this principle in creating layers of material that refract light without using harmful chemicals.

The goal of these six Life’s Principles is to create products, processes, and policies inspired by nature to create a new way of living (Biomimicry 3.8, 2011) Further reading of the work by Zanowick (2011) introduces the corollaries of the six principles. It is not necessary to develop these further at this stage, but the next section will look at these and a number of them can be relevant to urban design

2.5 Biomimicry + Urban Design The Design Spiral and Life’s Principles wheel can be used to provide a range of solutions from product design through to business marketing. However, the design wheel needs to be adjusted to fit within an urban design context. Not all of the principles are relevant to urban design, with some of the areas crossing between principles.

Life’s Principles could be used to aid the planning and design of the framework for Canvey Island. However, the principles can be better used in this instance by looking not only at the six principles, but also the 20 corollaries. This is how IBM Smart Cities Initiative (Walker, 2010) use the wheel to develop ideas for smarter, healthier cities.

By identifying corollaries that are important to urban design we can develop a guide that can be used as indicators for the design of Canvey Island, and in addition, can be used to test case studies against Life’s Principles.

It is important to understand that using Life’s Principles is not only useful for producing a checklist to maximise the amount of corollaries used, but also for creating sustainable ecosystems that work in tandem with the principles. Nature is similar in this respect and this will help to produce a biomimetic design rather than just bio-inspired.

Figure 2.4 develops the life’s principles for an urban design context by delving into the corollaries and finding examples of urbanism that relate to those found in nature.

At this point the list of eleven principles and corollaries are to be used as a guide. By using the method developed by Biomimicry 3.8 throughout the identification of case studies, site and biological systems analysis, the eleven corollaries will be developed before finding examples from nature to help aid the subsequent designs.

002/ the underlying principles of biomimicry EVOLVE TO SURVIVE REPLICATE STRATEGIES THAT WORK

USE MULTI-FUNCTIONAL DESIGN Nature’s model - Cattails serve as food sources, habitat and filters in marshes.

Urban Design example - Develop spaces and buildings that are used for a variety of uses.

Nature’s model - Grasslands plants experimented with different strategies adopting those work passing these on to subsequent generations Urban Design example - Use best practice models from elsewhere.

!

BE RESOURCE (MATERIAL + ENERGY) EFFICIENT

LIFE’S PRINCIPLES = HEALTHY ECOSYSTEM = SUSTAINABLE URBAN DESIGN

RECYCLE ALL MATERIALS

INTEGRATE THE UNEXPECTED

Nature’s model - plants cycle water, light and CO2 to grow and propagate Urban Design example - develop recycling initiatives throughout a development

Nature’s model - Elephant skin evolved by genetic mutation. The wrinkly skin provides the elephant with a greater surface area to allow greater heat loss in a warm climate.

Urban Design example - Studies on traffic management found that vehicle movement improved at junctions where traffic lights were accidently turned off.

FIT FORM TO FUNCTION Nature’s model - flowers are developed to be visually appealing to attract insects for crosspollination Urban Design example - design social housing neighbourhoods that are fit for purpose

USE LIFE-FRIENDLY CHEMISTRY DO CHEMISTRY IN WATER Nature’s model - Grasslands clean water as it is filtered through the soil with plants and the soil removing harmful chemicals Urban Design example - Develop strategies for brownfield remediation based on natural processes BE LOCALLY ATTUNED AND RESPONSIVE USE READILY AVAILABLE MATERIALS AND ENERGY Nature’s model - natural ecosystems use the materials and energy that is in close proximity Urban Design example - use construction techniques from the local area and use energy capture from the local environment.

Figure 2.4 - Life’s Principles Sustainability Wheel (Biomimicry 3.8, 2011) developed for use within an urban design context.

ADAPT TO CHANGING CONDITIONS MAINTAIN INTEGRITY THROUGH SELF-RENEWAL INTEGRATE DEVELOPMENT WITH GROWTH SELF-ORGANISE Nature’s model - Plants organise themselves to optimise their spread and capture of light, water and CO2 Urban Design example - Creating a green infrastructure network with ecosystem services COMBINE MODULAR AND NESTED COMPONENTS Nature’s model - Coral Reefs are ecosystems with small-scale animals living on the larger reef structure Urban Design example - combine buildings and green space components to create typologies that support each other.

Nature’s model - nature is able to persist by plants constantly adding energy and matter to heal and improve the system Urban Design example - Sticking to the principles set out in the masterplan through changes in economy or authority pressure INCORPORATE DIVERSITY Nature’s model - natural ecosystems such as grasslands contain a variety of plant and animal life Urban Design example - develop mixeduse neighbourhoods with uses within close proximity

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A - The Theory

B - The Reality

2.5.1 Sustainability Indicators The 11 principles abstracted from Life’s Principles can now be organised into each strand of sustainability, that are Economic, Environmental and Social Indicators. Given that biomimicry is influenced by nature, it will be pertinent to include Ecological factors into the equation. This can be seen in figure 2.5 which develops the three-pronged sustainability model to include ecology. As Head (2008) states, “ we are now entering the Ecological Age”.

Social

Social Enviromental Economic

Enviromental

Economic

One example of an ecosystem service, is providing the correct pollinating flora in the urban environment to allow for minimal travel for urban bees. This would provide aesthetic benefits, with food production of honey enabling community groups to provide their own food.

C - The Change Needed

Ecological

Enviromental

Figure 2.5 - The Three Pillars of Sustainable Development, (a) the thoery, (b) the reality (c) the change needed to better balance the model, including Ecology (adapted from The Conservation Union report 2006)

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Ecological sustainability is how biological systems remain productive and diverse over time. This can be maintained by introducing green infrastructure with elements that support ecosystem services.

These indicators can be used from micro to macro level in an urban design context. By combing the 11 principles of sustainability it is possible to create a set of urban design principles based on life’s principles that will be used for the urban design framework on Canvey Island. This can be seen in Figure 2.6, a design matrix for sustainability.

Social

Economic

The subsequent sections will draw on this section.

002/ the underlying principles of biomimicry STRATEGY REPLICATE STRATEGIES THAT WORK

INTEGRATE THE UNEXPECTED

USE MULTI-FUNCTIONAL DESIGN

RECYCLE ALL MATERIALS

!

ECONOMIC

ENVIRONMENTAL

ECOLOGICAL

SOCIAL

Adopting best practice designs increases likelihood of investment

Adopting relevant best practice has the potential to reduce carbon emissions

Linking developments into the local green infrastructure network

Provide community and cultural facilities or amenities

Development of sustainable technologies could reduce costs as efficiency increases

Vacant sites could be used for temporary spaces

Green infrastructure could increase by using temporary spaces as parks

Community well-being could increase through the formation of social networks

Potential increase in land values through adaptable buildings and land

Reduction in energy consumption through co-operative relationships

Creation of a range of green space typologies

Creation of space that is useable throughout the day and through the seasons

Create value from recycling and the Reduction in environmental impact creation of energy

Reduction in wastage Increase in social wellness

FIT FORM TO FUNCTION

Attraction to occupiers and investors

MAINTAIN INTEGRITY THROUGH SELF-RENEWAL

Development can integrate latest cost-saving initiatives

INCORPORATE DIVERSITY

Potential increase in property values through diverse range of occupiers

SELF-ORGANISE

Higher land values from being close to Green Infrastructure

COMBINE MODULAR AND NESTED COMPONENTS

Repeating common element into successful designs

DO CHEMISTRY IN WATER

Reduction in land reclamation costs

USE READILY AVAILABLE MATERIALS AND ENERGY

Reduction in energy costs by designing buildings to be more energy efficient

Figure 2.6 - Performance indicators for biomimicry

Reduction in vehicle journeys

Variety of open spaces

Minimising energy waste through Green spaces regenerate themselves self-healing infrastructure networks with local plant species Increasing modes of public transport lessen the need for car use

Creation of a mix of green space typologies

Increase in ecosystem services

Reduction of the impact on the environment

Reduction in potential damage to the environment

Repeating common elements into successful designs

Social networks adapt to changing trends Creation of a mix of community facilities Linked community groups working together to support the neighbourhood Repeating common element into successful community facilities

Minimising the effects of development Minimise the effect of redevelopment on the local flora and fauna on the local community

Lessen the impact on the local wildlife

Increase in wellbeing through cost savings for the residents

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“Architecture’s green movement seeks to integrate environmental sciences and landscape into its portfolio, with strategies that emanate from eco-tech, biomimicry, and regionalism.�

Cuff and Sherman (2011)

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2.5 Comparative analysis The design matrix that has been developed using the principles of biomimicry is not the only model that identifies with nature and sustainability. Therefore, this section will look at the background of three models of green urbanism, The Garden City Movement, Landscape Urbanism and Ecological Urbanism and compare these against Biomimicry.

002/ the underlying principles of biomimicry 2.6 Garden City Movement Date of conception: 1898 Origins:

Sir Ebenezer Howard followed by Lewis Mumford

Basis:

Developed from the initial concepts by Sir Ebenezer Howard (1850 - 1928), the garden city was a modern utopia of 32,000 inhabitants on a 6000 acre site based on a concentric pattern with open spaces, parkland and six 120ft wide boulevards.

The concept was for a self-sufficient city and another garden city that would be constructed nearby of a similar size. The garden cities would be clustered around a central city of a population of 50,000 connected by road and rail (Larice and MacDonald, 2006) The Garden cities were the original manifestation of sustainable developments. The key principles as stated by the Town and Country Planning Association (undated) include: • Community ownership of land and long term stewardship of assets • High quality imaginative design including homes with gardens • Mixed tenure homes which are affordable for ordinary people • A strong local jobs market with a variety of employment opportunities within the garden city and manageable commuting distance from homes • Generous green space linked to the wider countryside. Over 60% of Hampstead Garden Suburb is green space, including a mix of public and private networks of well managed, high quality gardens and open spaces.

• Access to strong local cultural, recreational and shopping facilities • Integrated and accessible transport systems • Local food sourcing, including allotments.

Key developments: Letchworth Garden City, Welwyn Garden City (figure 2.7), Hampstead Garden Suburb, The New Towns Act.

Best Practice:

• • • • •

Compact area of circa 2,428 hectares Defined area laid down in the initial plans Self-sufficiency through food and energy production Development value of land be invested back into the community (Darley, 2012) Integrated land-use, transport, green space and infrastructure planning (Larice and MacDonald, 2006)

Design Weaknesses:

• • • •

Small-scale of circa 32,000 people too small compared to modern city sizes.

Fixed boundary that has no room for expansion due to green-belt land Current practice could move away from localism (wilding, 2012) Welwyn in 2012 is now classed as a ”self-contained welfare state” (Darley, 2012)

Figure 2.7 - The Parkway Fountain, Welwyn Garden City (2011)

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//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 2.7 Landscape Urbanism Date of conception: 1980’s Origins:

Charles Waldheim, James Corner, Chris Reed, and Mohsen Mostafavi

Basis:

A theory of urbanism arguing that landscape, rather than architecture, is more capable of organising the city and enhancing the urban experience writes James Corner in Terra Fluxus (2006). It describes “the ability to produce urban effects traditionally achieved through the construction of buildings simply through the organization of horizontal surfaces” (Waldheim, 2006).

As Corner mentions: “the union of landscape with urbanism promises new relational and systematic workings across territories of vast scale and scope, situating the parts in relation to the whole, but at the same time the separateness of landscape and urbanism acknowledges a level of material physicality, of intimacy and difference, that is always nested deep within the larger matrix or field.”

Five principles that James Corner (2006) developed to explain landscape urbanism are as follows: • •

• •

Horizontality - alignment in landscaping instead of architecture (vertical) Infrastructures - relying more on organic use of infrastructure than traditional ‘grey’ infrastructure Forms of Process - structures should come from more than just their physical shape and form Techniques - adapting techniques to the environment working in Ecology - respect the ecology of the surrounding area

Key Developments:

•

The Highline (figure 2.8), Freshkills Landfill Parkland

Best Practice:

• •

Landscape led design Increase in ecology and biodiversity throughout via introduction of green and biodiversity corridors Placing landscape alongside the city in contemporary urbanism

•

Figure 2.8 - Radial Bench, High Line Park, between west 28th and 29th streets (2011)

•

Design Weaknesses:

• • •

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A tendency to mistake “the wrapping” for the mechanism in the urban context.

We tend to think too much about how a place looks and feels, and far too little about what actually drives the systems within it (Steffen, 2011).

Utilises unnatural landscapes, unsustainable and overbuilt mass, and illustrated with slick, unpractical imagery and is heavily influenced by Architects (Solieri and other, 2012) New Urbansim and Ecological Urbanism formed in response to over-use of landscape in urbanism theory and design

002/ the underlying principles of biomimicry 2.8 Ecological Urbanism Date of conception: 2007 Origins:

Mohsen Mostafavi / Harvard Graduate School of Design

Basis:

Represents the challenge of establishing a new order in architecture in which there is harmony between people, the buildings they inhabit, the cities they construct and the natural environment in which they live (Ingber, 2011). It does this by learning from living systems, similar to biomimicry.

Ecological Urbanism considers the city with multiple instruments and with a world view that is fluid in scale and disciplinary focus. Design provides the synthetic key to connect ecology with an urbanism that is not in contradiction with its environment. The promise is nothing short of a new ethics and aesthetics of the urban. (Harvard GSD, 2010) Ten principles laid down by the Ecological Urbanism unit at the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) are as follows: • • • • • • • • • •

Anticipate - making plans to prepare for the future Collaborate - working together on projects Sense - using the four senses (sight, sound, smell, touch) to inform design Curate - organise the form of urbanism Produce - adopt functions for the production of energy, food and waste Interact - create places and spaces that allow to connect with nature Mobilise - adopt a holistic approach to movement networks Measure - define the limits for urban form Adapt - effectively design for changes in climate change Incubate - provide suitable research-led design

Key Developments: A theory of urbanism with no designs directly influenced by this although Landschaftspark in Duisburg-Nord (figure 2.9) fits into the ten principles.

Best Practice:

• • • •

Design Weaknesses:

• •

Figure 2.9 - Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord (2008)

Linking together the built environment with the natural environment Strong academic and design background with many leading designers joining this field Smart design incorporated using the latest technologies A holistic approach ensuring space for infrastructure.

The humanising of nature by over abundance (Spirn, 2011) Potential of hyper-naturalising urbanism to create parklands with built form secondary (Steffens, 2011)

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Thames Estuary Masterplan: Farrells 2009 2.9 Comparison What is clear from each of the models of urbanism is that open spaces and the natural environment are important factors to consider within the design of sustainable plans.

2.9.1 Green Infrastructure Although not referred to as green infrastructure by Howard, Garden City’s have large amounts of open space.

These were designed for the health and wellbeing of the inhabitants, but also acted as biodiversity corridors throughout the planned towns.

Ecological and Landscape Urbanism, both look at integrating landscape and are conscious about allowing for biodiversity. They are also involved in ecosystem services and how this can be carefully designed into any scheme.

One such scheme is The Spatial Parklands Framework for the Thames Estuary developed by Terry Farrell (figure 2.10).

This is a scheme to introduce a continuous green network along the Thames Estuary.

Figure 2.10 - The Spatial Parklands Framework for the Thames Estuary with Canvey Island highlighted. This is part of the long term strategy to reintroduce biodiversity corridors throughout the region. (Department for Communities and Local Government, 2008)

Since biomimicry is not a facet of urbanism, it needs to borrow from nature to create places. In natural environments, species self-organise and create biodiversity through species mix (Pawyln, 2011a).

2.9.2 Learning from nature Ecological urbanism is very similar to biomimicry when it comes to learning from nature. Landscape urbanism and garden cities are about incorporating nature into the designs.

The difference is that biomimicry learns not just nature’s form, but also its processes. Making biomimicry unique compared to the other three models.

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Blue landscape

Green landscape

Brown landscape

002/ the underlying principles of biomimicry

“The Parklands vision: Regenerate and develop urban and rural open spaces which are connected together to create an accessible and coherent landscape.”

DCLG (2008)

2.10 conclusions The classic model for providing ‘green’ urban design are the garden cities. Sir Norman Foster calls for the re-imagining of this type of town planning including a forward thinking approach to the integration of the natural environment (2011), similarities it shares with ecological urbanism and landscape urbanism. Where biomimicry differs is that it not only deals with integrating nature, but calls for learning from it to understand the needs of the environment in order to consciously emulate and solve problems in an adaptive, non-toxic, cyclical way that produces conditions conducive to life.

This section develops the background and definitions of biomimicry and how it differs from other modern development tools from Garden Cities through to Ecological Urbanism.

Biomimicry in an urban design context can be described as ‘the conscious mimicking of nature’s functions, processes and systems to produce development meeting the needs of current and future generations.’ This is a combination of the definition of biomimicry and sustainable development.

The next section will provide a number of case studies with a matrix developed for Canvey Island being used to determine the levels of biomimicry for each design.

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003/ case studies

003/ case studies

003/ case studies 3.1 Introduction This section includes a number of case studies and examples of good practice in biomimicry, water-centric developments, brownfield sites, and sustainability which demonstrate how quality design can be achieved.

“Urban design principles apply to all scale and types of development, putting people first�

Urban Design Compendium 2

by Studio REAL (2007)

These will then be compared against the urban design principles developed in Section 2 (figure 3.1) to identify common themes of sustainability incorporated into the designs.

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Design similarities to biomimicry

“In ecosystems, the waste from one organism becomes the nutrient for something else in that system.”

Palywn (2011b)

EXAMPLES

REPLICATE STRATEGIES THAT WORK

E.g. work with specific Design Principles

INTEGRATE THE UNEXPECTED

3.2 Biomimicry Urban Design Principles Within Section 2, a design matrix was created from the Life’s Principles. This matrix will be used to aid the design framework for the site on Canvey Island. In addition, it will be used to analyse case studies within this section to identify common themes that may have been incorporated, but not necessarily labelled as biomimicry at the time of the design.

Figure 3.1 provides an example of the capillary strategies taken from the Lifes Principle’s Sustainability Wheel. Each of the case studies will be benchmarked against these strategies to identfiy any common themes. A summary will be provided of the similarities at the end of the section.

Figure 3.1 - Biomimicry urban design principles

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STRATEGIES

!

E.g. work with changes in technology as the design process develops

USE MULTI-FUNCTIONAL DESIGN

E.g. mixed-use development

RECYCLE ALL MATERIALS

E.g. large scale recycling initiatives

FIT FORM TO FUNCTION

E.g. design that is visually appealing to also does a job

MAINTAIN INTEGRITY THROUGH SELF-RENEWAL

E.g. continual re-use of land

INCOPORATE DIVERSITY

E.g. mixed-use and mixed tenure options

SELF-ORGANISE

E.g. green and grey space

COMBINE MODULAR AND NESTED COMPONENTS

E.g. organise space according to need

DO CHEMISTRY IN WATER

E.g. use water to clean and do not pollute

USE READILY AVAILABLE MATERIALS AND ENERGY

E.g. use materials from the local area

003/ case studies

Letchworth Garden City

Almere

Malmo

Ijburg

Masdar City

Hamburg

Lavasa Hill Station

London

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3.3 Letchworth Garden City Location Hertfordhsire, England Completed Early 1910’s Client First Garden City Ltd Design Team Barry Parker and Raymond Unwin - master planners Planning Authority North Hertfordshire County Council Description Letchworth Garden City (figure 3.2a) was founded in 1903,

by First Garden City Ltd, as the world’s first Garden City.

Purchasing circa 1600 hectares (almost 4000 acres) of agricultural land in the three adjacent villages of Letchworth, Willian and Norton it was created as an experiment in social reform as much as town planning.

Following the ideals of Ebenezer Howard, it set a unique example of planned development and innovative housing design. Today, it is a residential, commercial (figure 3.2b) and industrial town drawing visitors from all parts of the world, with a population of around 33,690 (North Hertfordshire District Council, undated).

Ebenezer Howard’s book “Tomorrow: a Peaceful Path to Real Reform”, published in 1898, put forward a vision of

24

towns that would take the best of the Victorian city - good employment prospects, relative wealth for its inhabitants and good communications - and merge it with the healthiness of the countryside. As Howard stated, “... a third alternative, in which all the advantages of the most energetic and active town life, with all the beauty and delight of the country, may be secured in perfect combination. Human society and the beauty of nature are meant to be enjoyed together” (Mumford, 1965).

The site has good transport links (figure 3.2c): it is within close proximity to the A1 motorway and with direct rail access to London Kings Cross Urban Design Best Practice Principles • Compact city development • Walkability • Green space (figure 3.2d & e) • Self-sufficiency • Low-intensity built form • Led the way for the New Towns Act and principles of the Garden City Movement adopted internationally Urban Design Weaknesses • Small town size • Overly planned • Too road intensive • Lack of variety in the green spaces reduces bidiversity

Design fact: Community management was a key driver

Design similarities to biomimicry STRATEGIES

EXAMPLES

REPLICATE STRATEGIES THAT WORK

INTEGRATE THE UNEXPECTED

!

Modern eco-towns are based on Howard’s principles

USE MULTI-FUNCTIONAL DESIGN

RECYCLE ALL MATERIALS

FIT FORM TO FUNCTION

self-sufficiency through food and energy production

MAINTAIN INTEGRITY THROUGH SELF-RENEWAL

INCOPORATE DIVERSITY

Mixed-use development

SELF-ORGANISE

Integration of transport, land-use and spatial planning

COMBINE MODULAR AND NESTED COMPONENTS

The creation of social clubs and activities

DO CHEMISTRY IN WATER

USE READILY AVAILABLE MATERIALS AND ENERGY

003/ case studies Figure 3.2d- Boulevard in Letchworth (Lerone, 2005)

Figure 3.2e - Winter in Letchworth (Lerone, 2007) Figure 3.2b - Brita Kongreso + Kennedy Gardens (North Hertfordshire Council 2007)

Figure 3.2a - Plan of present development in Letchworth Garden City in 1929 (North Hertfordshire Council, 2011)

Figure 3.2c - First roundabout in the UK (Kenny, 2008)

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3.4 Almere Location Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, The Netherlands Completed Continuous building since 1976, currently under construction Client Municipality of Almere Design Team Various Planning Authority Amsterdam Metropolitan Area Description Almere is Holland’s newest city, established in 1976 on land reclaimed from the sea. Current plans for its population to grow from 190,000 to 350,000 by 2030 are based on the seven Almere Principles developed by William McDonough & Partners who following the philosophy of Cradle-to-Cradle (2008) which are as follows stated Feddes (2008): 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Connect Place and Context Combine City and Nature Empower People to Make the City Cultivate Diversity Design Healthy Systems Continue Innovation Anticipate Change

They build on the city’s history of innovative environmental and technical projects, which the council describes as ‘catalysts for others to follow’ (Almere, 2011). In 2002-3, the city built its own broadband infrastructure, rented out to

26

commercial internet providers. In 2007, it completed in-fill development of a high-density mixed-use city centre. Almere Solar Island provides 10% of the heating requirements of the Noorderplassen West district (the rest comes from residual heat from a co-generation plant). 500 houses in the Columbuskwartier district are either fitted with photovoltaic systems or have been built using the ‘Passive House’ concept.

Almere Council announced plans in 2011 to build a new carbon neutral district, Nobelhorst, over the next decade, in partnership with Ymere Housing Association (Almere, 2011). This will include 4,300 new homes (30% affordable or for social rent), 10 acres of office space, and an ecological education centre (Joss and others, 2011). On-site renewable energy sources will include windmills and photovoltaic cells.

Urban Design Best Practice Principles • Forward-thinking design principles based on Cradle-toCradle thinking • Ecological framework • Integrated sustainability vision • Mix of housing types and ownership • Sustainable transport solutions • Sense of place created in the landscape setting Urban Design Weaknesses • Self-build development sites are creating disjointed neighbourhoods • Many of the buildings lack in character, no ‘sense of place • Prominence in privately-owned development land (Urhahn, 2011)

Design fact: self-builders have been able to allow their imagination free rein Design similarities to biomimicry STRATEGIES

EXAMPLES

REPLICATE STRATEGIES THAT WORK

Land reclamation

INTEGRATE THE UNEXPECTED

USE MULTI-FUNCTIONAL DESIGN

!

building over 60 years to integrate changes in land use patterns

Building plots are adaptable to suit demand

RECYCLE ALL MATERIALS

FIT FORM TO FUNCTION

exemplar design fits into the neighbourhood plans

MAINTAIN INTEGRITY THROUGH SELF-RENEWAL

The 7 Almere Principles have been stuck to for the last 30 years

INCOPORATE DIVERSITY

Mixed-use development

SELF-ORGANISE

creation of an ecological framework

COMBINE MODULAR AND NESTED COMPONENTS

A mix of self-build communties and types of rental possibilities

DO CHEMISTRY IN WATER

Innovative use of soil remediation

USE READILY AVAILABLE MATERIALS AND ENERGY

Creation of green grid to provide energy and food the town

003/ case studies Figure 3.3a - Ecological spatial masterplan of Almere (City of Almere, 2011)

Figure 3.3b - High rise development and public spaces (City of Almere, 2011)

Figure 3.3c- Balconies allow outside spaces in apartments (City of Almere, 2011)

Figure 3.3c- Promotion of the use of cycle networks (City of Almere, 2011)

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3.5 BoO1, Vastra Hamnen, Malmo Location Vastra Hamnen, Malmo, Sweden Completed Phase One Completed (2001) Client City of Malmo Design Team Masterplan created by Professor Klas Tham Planning Authority City of Malmo Description BoO1 - Malmo’s ‘City of Tomorrow’, a housing Expo which acted as a catalyst for regeneration of brownfield sites created by loss of industry in the 1980s (Ritchie and Thomas, 2009). The plan: modernist architecture adheres to a sophisticated masterplan, traditional urbanism with emphasis on sustainability and investment in the public realm. The Expo created a legacy of 350+ new homes, commercial and community facilities, a new urban quarter, and new public spaces for the enjoyment of all - the first phase of wider development in the city’s Western Harbour area (ibid).

The high quality design was achieved through the ‘quality programme’, a steering instrument for planning and building (Persson, 2005). Its design outcomes include a street grid distorted to gain shelter from wind. Five-storey blocks front the sea, further protecting inner buildings while reinforcing the character of the sea-front promenade. Varied forms of on-plot vegetation such as green walls and roofs reduce

28

surface water and create identifiable locations within the development. An advanced sustainable urban drainage system creates an ecological, recreational and visual resource. Together these emphasise the varying hierarchical character of streets and public open spaces in Bo01.

A 100% local renewable energy approach adopted in the development has been successful. Orientation of building facades and roof forms maximise solar gain. In addition, solar thermal panels, wind turbines and photo-voltaics help minimise energy use while maintaining the overall integrity of the architectural and urban form. Bo01 residents are encouraged to regularly monitor their energy consumption using information technology installed in their homes.

‘There were no sanctions or incentives for producing good technical solutions… the signing of the agreement was a moral commitment on the part of developers’ Tor Fossum, city of Malmö, environmental department, environmental strategy unit on the implementation of the Quality Programme.

Urban Design Best Practice Principles • Different building typologies and rental conditions • Pedestrian friendly • Green infrastructure • Recycling and energy production • Water sensitive urban design Urban Design Weaknesses • Hard edges on the waterfront • Focus on the built form creating minimal south-facing development • Bankruptcy of the development resulting in taxpayers covering the end costs of development • Difficulty in balancing sustainability (Ritchie and Thomas, 2009), the focus is on economic and social standards (see Section 2, Figure 2.5)

Design fact: outcomes include a street grid distorted to gain shelter from wind Design similarities to biomimicry STRATEGIES

EXAMPLES

REPLICATE STRATEGIES THAT WORK

Principles of Sustainable Urbanism

INTEGRATE THE UNEXPECTED

!

USE MULTI-FUNCTIONAL DESIGN

Building plots are adaptable to suit demand

RECYCLE ALL MATERIALS

Creation of eco-cycle waste collector systems

FIT FORM TO FUNCTION

exemplar design fits into the neighbourhood plans

MAINTAIN INTEGRITY THROUGH SELF-RENEWAL

INCOPORATE DIVERSITY

Mixed-use development

SELF-ORGANISE

Organised plots to provide shelter from the elements

COMBINE MODULAR AND NESTED COMPONENTS

Creation of green space networks

DO CHEMISTRY IN WATER

USE READILY AVAILABLE MATERIALS AND ENERGY

100% renewable energy prgramme

003/ case studies Figure 3.4a- Master plan of the V채stra Hamnen development , BoO1 in red (City of Malmo, 2008)

Figure 3.4b - Ecocycle waste collector (City of Malmo, 2008)

Figure 3.4c- Variety of building design (City of Malmo, 2008)

Figure 3.4e- Variety of opens spaces (City of Malmo 2009)

Figure 3.4f - Storm water management (City of Malmo, 2008)

Figure 3.4d- Highrise buildings at the waterfront shelter those behind from the wind (Design Council CABE, 2008)

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3.6 Ijburg, Haveniland and Reiteilandende West

$2 billion radical experiment works, it could forever change how coastal cities build in the future.

Location Ijmeer Sea, Zeeburg, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

The street system runs from shore to shore, “to create a sense of the island’s size (Clause and others, 2001). All movements are concentrated in the street profiles: walking, cycling, playing, driving and parking. With the island 1 metre above mean sea level, the street will be at a height of 1.75 metres and dykes at 2.4 metres.

Completed Ongoing Client Projectbureau Ijburg Design Team General Town Plan by Frits Plambook and Jaap van den Bout Planning Authority City of Amsterdam Description The plan: build the first-ever floating city - a $2 billion new residential district called Ijburg, in the heart of Amsterdam (figure 3.5a): a combination of eight man-made islands, which several thousand people already call home (Claus en Kaan Architecten, 2001). It is based on a ‘non-hierarchical grid pattern’, as states Claus en Kaan Architecten (2001), similar to that of San Fransisco and Edinburgh New Town.

Campbell (2011) in Massive Small, calls this simple urban design plan-making at its best!

When complete, 8 islands and more than 150 floating structures will add over 1000 acres of real estate to the capital, housing 45,000 people in 18,000 new homes. Other floating neighborhoods are already being considered. If this

30

Most of the blocks are being fleshed out by a team of architects, with one architect in each team acting as coordinating architect. A supervisory and quality control team, headed by the former government architect Kees Rijnboutt, has overseen the work of the coordinating architects (Projectbureau Ijburg, undated).

Urban Design Best Practice Principles • Sustainability Principles developed by William McDonough & Partners (similar to Almere - see Section 3.4) • Land reclamation • Designed with cyclists and pedestrians in mind • Mixed-use developments Urban Design Weaknesses • Integration problems with residents of social and private housing • The need for strict development control to ensure ‘Sense of Place’ • Delay in building and design of projects leaves vacant building plots throughout the island

Design fact: the street is the ‘agent of urbanity’ and density an indispensable ingredient Design similarities to biomimicry STRATEGIES

EXAMPLES

REPLICATE STRATEGIES THAT WORK

Dutc land reclamation

INTEGRATE THE UNEXPECTED

USE MULTI-FUNCTIONAL DESIGN

! buildings plots are released in phases

RECYCLE ALL MATERIALS

FIT FORM TO FUNCTION

Drainage systems are in place to store excess rainwater

MAINTAIN INTEGRITY THROUGH SELF-RENEWAL

INCOPORATE DIVERSITY

Mixed-use development

SELF-ORGANISE

integrated spatial planning

COMBINE MODULAR AND NESTED COMPONENTS

DO CHEMISTRY IN WATER

USE READILY AVAILABLE MATERIALS AND ENERGY

re-use of landfill for land reclamation

003/ case studies Figure 3.5a - Ijburg location in relation to Amsterdam and Almere (William McDonough & Partners, 2001)

Figure 3.5c - Diverse housing in Ijburg (Hamperium.com, 2008)

Figure 3.5d - Mixed buiding form and cycling prevalent Block 128 Ijburg (Archdaily, 2011)

Figure 3.5b - Development of Ijburg masterplan (Claus en Kaan Architecten, 2001)

Figure 3.5e - Proposal for water dwellings (Archdaily, 2009)

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3.7 Masdar City Location Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

first buildings were due for completion in 2011 (Foster + Partners, 2006).

Completed Ongoing, 1st phase completed in 2010

In 2010, the first building phase was completed at a cost of approximately £875m, including six main buildings, over 100 apartments and the Masdar Institute of Technology. Due to the global recession, the overall completion date has been put back from 2016 to 2021-25. Furthermore, some of the environmental sustainability features have been scaled back: for example, plans for a hydrogen power plant and a solar manufacturing plant have stalled. The goal of having 100% renewable energy generated on site has been abandoned; Masdar is now expected to become a ‘carbon neutral’ rather than, as originally envisioned, a ‘zero carbon’ city.

Nevertheless, the Masdar 10MW photo-voltaic plant is now connected to the Abu Dhabi national grid. By 2015, some 7,000 people are expected to live in, and 12,000 people to commute to, the city.

Client Abu Dhabi Government-owned Mubadala Development Company Design Team Foster & Partners Planning Authority Abu Dhabi Government Description Launched in 2006, Masdar proclaimed itself the world’s first fully ‘zero-carbon’ and ‘zero-waste’ city in the making (Masdar City, 2008). Situated on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi with governmental support, the project is an attempt to transform the Emirate into a global leader in sustainable energy technologies. The city’s masterplan mixes principles of traditional Arab architecture (providing natural ventilation and minimising heat impact) with modern high-technology innovation. Proposed features include a solar-powered ‘personal rapid transport’ system; energy generated by photo-voltaic technology; water recycling through irrigation recovery; and waste incineration to generate power and heat. The new city aims to become an international hub for renewable energy research and development, led by the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (in cooperation with MIT, Cambridge USA). Work started in 2008, and the

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Urban Design Best Practice Principles • Sustainable Urban Design • Car-free places • Creation of places and spaces • Design inspired by traditional arabic architecture Urban Design Weaknesses • Reclaiming the desert at high cost • Developer focus on economic sustainability (Hodson and Marvin, 2010) • Lack of focus on social integration

Design fact: 100% of the timber is sustainably sourced

Design similarities to biomimicry STRATEGIES

EXAMPLES

REPLICATE STRATEGIES THAT WORK

Principles of Middle Eastern Architecture and Urbanism

INTEGRATE THE UNEXPECTED

USE MULTI-FUNCTIONAL DESIGN

!

Building plots are adaptable to suit demand

RECYCLE ALL MATERIALS

FIT FORM TO FUNCTION

Built form provides shade and ventilation without need for cooling systems

MAINTAIN INTEGRITY THROUGH SELF-RENEWAL

INCOPORATE DIVERSITY

Mixed-use development

SELF-ORGANISE

Integration of transport, land-use and spatial planning

COMBINE MODULAR AND NESTED COMPONENTS

City will be networked via integrated transport solutions

DO CHEMISTRY IN WATER

USE READILY AVAILABLE MATERIALS AND ENERGY

Creation of a solar farm and seawater desalination plant

003/ case studies

Figure 3.6b - Mass transit vehicles (Masdar City, 2011)

Figure 3.6c - Design in context mirroring Arabic form (Masdar City, 2011

Figure 3.6a - Render of completed Masdar City (Masdar City, 2011)

Figure 3.6d - Private courtyards(Masdar City, 2011)

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3.8 HafenCity Location Hamburg, Germany Completed Ongoing Client HafenCity Hamburg GmbH Design Team Kees Christiaanse / ASTOC Planning Authority City of Hamburg Description HafenCity is taking shape on 157 hectares of former port and industrial sites in a central location. In contaminated areas such as the site of the old gasworks (now southern Überseequartier) the soil was removed in an elaborate process, considerably enhancing the ecological value of this old industrial area and also significantly reducing the area of surface sealing of soil.

available for publicly accessible open spaces, including the 3.1km riverfront on the River Elbe. Thus HafenCity creates high density of uses with a high proportion of public spaces and low proportion of necessary access roads.

Urban Design Best Practice Principles • Compact city development • Walkability through the development • Mixed-use buildings promote activities throughout the day • A range of public spaces linked by cycle and pedestrian routes • Priority for pedestrians and not motor vehicles • High-intensity built form • Re-use of brownfield land • Connectivity Urban Design Weaknesses • Proposals could be deemed as ‘social segregation’ • Architectural styles do not fit with the surrounding areas of Hamburg • Pressure to generate land sales to fund city-financed container terminal of Altenwerder

Design fact: characterized by a finegrained horizontal and vertical mix of a variety of urban uses Design similarities to biomimicry STRATEGIES

EXAMPLES

REPLICATE STRATEGIES THAT WORK

Postindustrial of a former post similar to the London Docklands

INTEGRATE THE UNEXPECTED

USE MULTI-FUNCTIONAL DESIGN

Road areas take up only 25 percent of land area (compared with 40 percent in Hamburg City), while 37 percent is

34

Refinement of the masterplan in stages to reflect changes in market forces

Building plots are adaptable to suit demand

RECYCLE ALL MATERIALS

FIT FORM TO FUNCTION

MAINTAIN INTEGRITY THROUGH SELF-RENEWAL

INCOPORATE DIVERSITY

Intensive use has been made of the ground as a resource through high building density: floor space indexes (FSI) range from 3.7 to 5.6 according to neighbourhood. Per hectare in HafenCity, there will be 94 residents and 355 people working locally.

!

Mixed-use development

SELF-ORGANISE

COMBINE MODULAR AND NESTED COMPONENTS

DO CHEMISTRY IN WATER

USE READILY AVAILABLE MATERIALS AND ENERGY

The creation of a network of open spaces and cycle networks

003/ case studies

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Fortschreibung (Stand 03.03.11), Lageplan M 1:2000

Figure 3.7g - mixture of uses (Hafencity.com, 2011)

Figure 3.7e - Accessible urban areas (Hafencity.com, 2011)

Figure 3.7h variety of urban form (Hafencity. com, 2010)

Figure 3.7f Promotion of cycling (Hafencity.com, 2011)

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3.9 Lavasa Hill Station Location Mose Valley, Pune, The Western Ghats, India Completed Ongoing Client Lavasa Corporation Ltd. Design Team HOK, Design Group Planning Authority unknown Description Lavasa is coined as a ‘lifestyle development and India’s first post-independence “hill station,” or second-home community’ (Lavasa, 2009). Its aim is to be a world-class urban and economic center. This will be a combination of supporting human habitation while preserving and improving natural ecosystems. The intent is to provide a sustainable community, both in its relationship to the environment and in how people live, learn, work and play (Lavasa, 2009). It aims to combine long-standing patterns of historic Indian development with vernacular building forms. The plan based on the principles of New Urbanism, preserves open spaces while establishing a dozen compact, walkable villages along the waterfront.

As the site’s original ecosystem was a moist deciduous forest, the designers HOK and Buro Happold looked at using elements of the forestscape to maintain soil quality, store water through the dry season, and provide a canopy to control evaporation. They designed a building foundation

36

system to store water, as the trees once did. And for the future city’s rooftops, the team is borrowing from the unusual morphology of the native banyan fig leaf: its so-called “driptip,” a pointed spear at the leaf’s end that doubles as water run-off and cleans its own surface in the process. (HOK, undated). Using the leaf as a model, HOK is developing a tiled shingle system that will shed water in the same way.

During the rainy season, however, there is the problem of where to send overflows. HOK mimicked the local harvester ants, that divert water away from their nests with multi-path, low-grade channels. The site’s master plan will adopt this strategy to channel water through the city.

Urban Design Best Practice Principles • Compact city development • Mixed-use • Public space • Low-intensity built form • Green Infrastructure for walking and cycling Urban Design Weaknesses • Environmental damage through damage to hillsides during the construction phases • Built for the middle-classes • Lack of design in context with built form more in keeping with Tuscany than India.

• Overly designed

Design fact: Nurturing fauna by preserving habitat and increasing biodiversity Design similarities to biomimicry STRATEGIES

EXAMPLES

REPLICATE STRATEGIES THAT WORK

Principles of Sustainable Urbanism

INTEGRATE THE UNEXPECTED

!

Expanded education facilities due to market forces

USE MULTI-FUNCTIONAL DESIGN

Building plots are adaptable to suit demand

RECYCLE ALL MATERIALS

Water is recycled throughout the city

FIT FORM TO FUNCTION

Drainage systems are in place to store excess rainwater

MAINTAIN INTEGRITY THROUGH SELF-RENEWAL

INCOPORATE DIVERSITY

Mixed-use development

SELF-ORGANISE

Integration of transport, land-use and spatial planning

COMBINE MODULAR AND NESTED COMPONENTS

The creation of a network of social clubs and activities

DO CHEMISTRY IN WATER

USE READILY AVAILABLE MATERIALS AND ENERGY

003/ case studies Figure 3.8a - Aerial sketch of Lavasa (HOK, 2007)

Figure 3.8c - Mugaon village within Lavasa. Water-centric development (Lavasa, 2009)

Figure 3.8b - Lavasa hillside that has been reseeded to prevent landslides and minimise water runoff (Lavasa, 2009)

Figure 3.8d - Nightime view of Mugaon village (Lavasa, 2009)

Figure 3.8e - Mixed-use buildings in Lavasa (Lavasa, 2009)

37

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3.10 London 2012 Olympic Park Location Stratford, London Completed Completing Summer 2012 Client LOCOQ, London Borough of Stratford Design Team EDAW, AECOM, LDA Design (parkland) Planning Authority London Borough of Stratford Description The Olympic Park will create a green backdrop for the Games and a new green space after 2012 for people and wildlife living in and around the area to enjoy.

The southern part of the Park will focus on retaining the festival atmosphere of the Games, with riverside gardens, markets, events, cafes and bars. The northern area will use the latest green techniques to manage flood and rain water, while providing quieter public space and habitats for hundreds of existing and rare species, from kingfishers to otters.

Some 250 acres of new parklands has been created from former industrial land by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), providing a colourful atmosphere for the London 2012 Games and beyond.

38

The Olympic Parklands contain 4,000 semi-mature trees, over 300,000 wetland plants and more than ten football fields worth of nectar-rich annual and perennial meadows designed and sown to flower during the London 2012 Games.

A riverside London 2012 Garden stretches for half a mile between the Aquatics Centre and Olympic Stadium, featuring 120,000 plants from 250 different species across the world, arranged by temperate regions. The parklands area will also become a haven for wildlife and plants, with new habitats created for species including otter, kingfisher, grey heron and water vole. The trees have been carefully selected to ensure they are ‘future proof’ against climate change. They are mostly native species, such as ash, alder, willow, birch, hazel, cherry, poplar, London plane and lime.

It will also be a highly accessible Park. The gradients of the paths will be accessible to everyone and views will be maintained of the new venues and landmarks in the surrounding area. ‘Henman Hills’ will be created so visitors to the Park during the Games will be able to watch live action on large screens.

Urban Design Best Practice Principles • Focus on walking and cycling • Green infrastructure • Brownfield land reclamation • Mixture of uses Urban Design Weaknesses • Main entrance is via the Westfield Shopping Centre • Residential accommodation is poor quality • Over-use of public finance

Design fact: 22 miles of cycleways and footpaths

Design similarities to biomimicry STRATEGIES

EXAMPLES

REPLICATE STRATEGIES THAT WORK

Brownfield land reclamation

INTEGRATE THE UNEXPECTED

!

Designs changes from initial bid to initial plans

USE MULTI-FUNCTIONAL DESIGN

Land is adaptable as part of the Olympic Legacy programme

RECYCLE ALL MATERIALS

Water is recycled throughout the project

FIT FORM TO FUNCTION

Natural landscapes are incorporated throughout

MAINTAIN INTEGRITY THROUGH SELF-RENEWAL

INCOPORATE DIVERSITY

Mixed-use development

SELF-ORGANISE

Integration of land-use and spatial planning

COMBINE MODULAR AND NESTED COMPONENTS

Green networks

DO CHEMISTRY IN WATER

USE READILY AVAILABLE MATERIALS AND ENERGY

003/ case studies Figure 3.9b - Aerial view of the site in progress (Roadcyclinguk.com, 2011)

Figure 3.9a - Plan of the athletes village (Bdonline.co.uk, 2012)

Figure 3.9c - Render of completed Olympic Park (Roadcyclinguk.com, 2011)

Figure 3.9e - Aerial view of the temporary basketball arena and atheletes village (Bdonline.co.uk, 2012)

Figure 3.9d - Courtyard of the Athletes Village (Bdonline.co.uk, 2012)

39

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// STRATEGY

Letchworth Garden City

Almere

BoO1, Malmo

Ijburg

Masdar City

Hafencity

Lavasa Hill Station

London Olympic Park

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DO CHEMISTRY IN WATER

40

USE READILY AVAILABLE MATERIALS AND ENERGY

a a a

a a a a a a

a

a Figure 3.10 - Checklist of case studies against biomimicry

003/ case studies

3.11 Conclusions This section includes a number of case studies and examples of good practice in biomimicry, water-centric developments, brownfield sites, and sustainability which demonstrate how quality urban design can be achieved.

What is clear from the examination of the case studies is that green infrastructure is high on the agenda, relating back to Letchworth and the Garden City Movement. The downside of the majority of these case studies is they are being perceived as lacking in the creation of adequate social conditions, designed for the middle-classes whilst ignoring the needs of social housing.

By examining each of the case studies against the capillaries of biomimicry developed in Section 2, it is clear that although each of developments achieve some degree of sustainability based on nature, not one, even Lavasa Hill Station, can be deemed to fit entirely within the biomimicry sustainability principles. This backs up the argument stated previously that commercial and economic values stand in the way of fully integrating sustainability ideology into practice (Jana, 2011: Cuff and Sherman, 2011).

The next section will look at Canvey Island and the impact of historic events, planning and climate change on the island.

This will be presented via a Context Appraisal.

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004/ context appraisal

004/ context appraisal

004/ context appraisal 4.1 Introduction This section will produce a context appraisal of Canvey Island and provide justification for the development of the site to the south west of the island. This is based on the requirements for an appraisal of the site and surrounding areas based on the information laid out in the Essex Design Guide (2005) and Urban Place Supplement (2007), both documents adopted by Castle Point Borough Council as Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD).

“The devastating floods of 1953 saw 58 people on the Island lose their lives. The whole Island was evacuated.”

Canvey Island Town Council (2010)

An SPD according to the National Planning Policy Framework (2012) are, “Documents which add further detail to the policies in the Local Plan. They can be used to provide further guidance for development on specific sites, or on particular issues, such as design. Supplementary planning documents are capable of being a material consideration in planning decisions but are not part of the development plan.”

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Context Appraisal Process Step 1: Spatial Context

Summary of the Requirements of the [Essex Design] Guide • •

• • •

• • •

•

A site appraisal is required for all development sites.

Any residential development larger than 500 dwellings must incorporate some mixed-use development of an employment and/or retail nature.

Sustainability issues must be addressed for development sites.

The layout structure on development sites must be both permeable and legible.

There is emphasis given to the need for continuity of built frontage and the setting forward of buildings to enclose space in the case of densities over 20 dwellings per hectare (8 dwellings per acre) Schemes must be designed with crime prevention in mind.

Access for the disabled must be provided in certain situations.

Any residential development containing a road over 100 metres in length must be designed to reduce traffic speeds to 20 mph (30 kph) by means of physical speed restraints Where future residents are prepared to enter into an agreement not to own cars, it is possible to lay out residential development as a Car Free Zone.

Figure 4.1 - Requirements of the Essex Design Guide (Essex Design Initiative, 2005)

Determine where the proposed site development falls within the spatial context of the town. These will be one of the following: • Site within 800m of the centre point of a large urban centre • Site within 400m of the centre point of a small urban centre or neighbourhood centre • Sustainable urban extension • Large infill site • Small infill site • Other site locations Step 2: Built-form Context Undertake a physical and desktop survey of the ‘unit of sustainability’ that the site falls within. As a minimum, the survey should report on: • Broad historical morphology • Street pattern and spaces • Building heights, styles and distinctive features • Materials (building and surface finishes) • Landmarks (of varying significance) • Trees and landscape • Historic assets and designations Step 3: Functional Context • Identify opportunities for diversification, location and arrangement of different uses and assets within the area. This should include examination of opportunities for integration of biodiversity enhancements and accessible multi-functional green space.

• Undertake a comprehensive audit of urban diversity which can be used to help identify gaps in provision.

Step 4: Operational Context • Investigate the management and stewardship of the locality. The manner in which areas are maintained and managed has a direct bearing upon their success.

Step 5: Community Context • Identify the needs and aspirations of the local community.

• Consider the drivers for investment. This should be a comprehensive assessment of potential and uses and not limited to commercial opportunities alone.

Figure 4.2 - Requirment of a Context Appraisal from the Urban Supplement (Essex Design Initiative, 2007)

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4.2 Context Appraisal It is a requirement for sites over 0.1 hectare that a site appraisal and context analysis are carried out as a requirement for planning permission purposes. The development site is 113 hectares (280 acres) and therefore a context appraisal is required. The requirements of the Essex Design Guide are set out in figure 4.1, with the process for Context Appraisal set out in figure 4.2.

4.3 Spatial Context Canvey Island is located in South East England (figure 4.3) on the south coast of Essex (figure 4.4) situated in the Thames Estuary, part of the Thames Gateway strategy for long term growth and green infrastructure (Department for Communities and Local Government, 2008). It is approximately 30 miles to the east of London and 5 miles west of Southend-on-Sea, the major seaside tourist destination in the area.

The island is in close proximity to road links to the north, east and west, with the nearest station in South Benfleet, located on mainland Essex (figure 4.5). This station provides links to the Southend Airport, a newly redeveloped transport hub, and high-speed access to London in the west.

Access to the island is by two bridges, the A130 (Canvey Way) and B1014 (Canvey Road).

In terms of the spatial context of the development site, it is shown in Figure 4.5 that the site is within 800 metres of Canvey town centre. It is classified as a ‘Large Sustainable Development’ by the Urban Place Supplement (Essex Design Initiative, 2007) given the location, the current use (brownfield) and the size of the development site.

004/ context appraisal

Figure 4.3 - National Location map

Figure 4.4 (below) Regional location of Canvey Island

les mi 30

Chelmsford

800m

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Charfleets Industrial Estate

les mi 20

400m

1

s ile 0m

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iles m

London

Basildon Canvey Island

Southend-on-Sea

The Lobster Smack

The Labworth Cafe

Potential Isle of Grain Airport

Key roads Major Secondary Tertiary

Maidstone

Figure 4.5 (above) - Development site on Canvey Island (Base map source: Digimap, 2011)

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//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 4.2 Built-form Context 4.2.1 Broad Historical Morphology Canvey Island is located in the Thames Estuary. The island was originally created by silt deposits, larger in scale than those that can be seen in Canvey Creek (figure 4.6). It has been occupied since the Iron Age, although initially as offshore grazing land (Canvey Town Council, 2011). From the Roman to Medieval periods it was used for salt-harvesting, fishing and the growing of cereal crops.

Given that the island is below sea level (2-4 metres), the population of the island has been small. In the early 1600’s, 200 Dutch settlers, escaping persecution of the Duke of Alba, settled on the island. Two of their original cottages have been preserved (figure 4.7). The Dutch influence on the island continued with the construction of water channels and maintenance of the sea walls by the Dutch. This was done in return for land on the island.

Figure 4.6 - Silt deposits in Canvey Creek (2009) silt deposits Thames Estuary

Development Site Kent

Not until the 20th century did the population of Canvey Island begin to increase. This was in part due to Londoners looking for a means to escape the heat of London in the summer and the opening of the first permanent road bridge in 1931. Since the early 1900’s the population of the island has increased by 99.2% (figure 4.8) to the current population of 37,479 (Office for National Statistics, 2008).

The site in the 1870’s (4.9) shows minimal development with the land used for farming, and water channels developed by the dutch settlers running throughout. Further channels were introduced up to the 1930’s (figure 4.10) with a number of smaller farming settlements created.

Not until the 1970’s (figure 4.11) did the site develop its current use, to the east, as a site for the gas refineries. The flood wall was raised after the 1953 floods and Thorney Bay Caravan Park was extended as the island attracted more Londoners to the island. The site at present has lost many of the natural watercourses, with many of these culverted, or removed. Figure 4.12 shows the current building grain with open spaces for the caravan park and hard-standing in the centre of the site used for vehicle storage.

46

Population (1972) Second bridge built to Benfleet

40000

(1931) First bridge built to Benfleet

30000

99.2%

20000

10000

0

Figure 4.7 - Original dutch cottage built in 1621

1900

1920

1940

Figure 4.8 - Population increase since 1900’s

1970

2010

004/ context appraisal

Figure 4.9 : 1870’s. - minimal development with dykes following natural drainage systems

Figure 4.10: 1930’s - increase in built form, similar water drainage pattern from 1870’s

Figure 4.11: 1970’s - significant development with gas refineries and secondary buildings. The majority of dykes have been culverted or redirected.

Figure 4.12: 2011 - increase in gas refinery usage, with further construction of residential areas outside the site to the east. Further culverting of water course.

47

Thorney Bay Caravan Park

Water treatment plant

Concord Rangers F.C.

Calor Gas Refinery

HBC Vehicle Services

Oikas Gas Refinery

Coastguard housing

Lobster Smack Public House

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4.2.2 Site Description The site area is approximately 113 hectares (280 acres). It is bounded to the east by green space and sea wall (Figure 4.13). To the western edge is Thorney Bay Caravan Park (figure 4.14), a water treatment plant and Concord Rangers FC stadium. The site at this point is flat and slopes up to the flood wall on the eastern and southern boundary. Access to the caravan park at this point is restricted to residents and holidaymakers. The flood wall (figure 4.15) and green spine running along the southern edge is accessible to all. The area is predominately grassed with unmarked tarmacadum roadways providing access to the caravan plots. Basic facilities at the caravan park include shower units, laundrette and an open air swimming pool. Access to the football stadium and treatment plant is via Thames Road, a single lane highway leading off Thorney Bay Road.

The centre of the site is occupied by the Calor Gas Refinery.

This site is flat, like the remainder of the site, sloping up to the flood wall to the south. The site is comprised of a range of commercial, industrial and gas storage buildings in need of repair. The north of the site is bounded by a line of trees and water channels. Access to the site is via Thames Road with the site perimeter bounded by chain-link fencing. To the south, pontoons reach out into the Thames to allow for the transportation of gas to the storage tanks.

East of the Calor site is a secure vehicle storage site bounded by Calor to the east, Oikos Gas Refinery to the

48

North

0

200

400

600

800

1km 0.5 miles

Figure 4.13 - Aerial view of site identifying occupiers. Base Map from Google Maps (2011)

004/ context appraisal

Figure 4.14 - View into Thorney Bay Caravan Park with Calor storage tanks in the background

Figure 4.15 - View south from sea wall with Kent in the background

south and west, and a treeline, water course and the green belt to the north. The site is mainly hard-standing concrete and tarmacadum. A number of portakabins and industrial units are in place throughout. Access to the site is off Haven Road.

The Oikos site (figure 4.16) occupies the largest area of the development site. Like the Calor site it is a mixture of commercial, industrial and gas storage tanks. This site has two pontoons reaching out into the Thames. Access to the site is via Haven Road.

Figure 4.16 - View into Oikas Gas Refinery from Haven Road

Figure 4.17 - Grade II* listed Lobster Smack Public House

To the most eastern edge of the site is the Lobster Smack public house (figure 4.17, a Grade II* listed building, and a small-scale residential development consisting of static caravans and two storey detached and terraced housing.

Running along the southern edge of the site and providing a hard edge is the sea wall (figure 4.14). This rises 7m and creates a visual block of the sea. Access to the sea is via a number of platforms located along the wall. The sea wall facing the sea provides views of the Thames across to Kent in the south.

49

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1.

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6.

0

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600

800

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Figure 4.18 - Site plan showing street pattern, water bodies and site areas.

0.5 miles

4.2.2 Street pattern and spaces The site can be divided into six areas by both man-made, in the case of the flood wall, and natural divides (figure 4.18).

Area 1 covers the majority of the Oikos site and is bounded by the green belt to the north, a water channel to the east, the flood wall to the south and Haven Road to the west.

Direct access to the site is via a number of points along Haven Road, the only access to this area.

Road to the west, although there is no direct access.

Road along the western edge.

The third area, like 1 and 2, is bordered by a water course to the northern edge. Along with trees and the green belt.

The eastern edge is bounded by Haven Road, with the southern side bounded by the flood wall. The eastern edge is bounded by a water course and an access road. Access to this area is via Thames Road to the north eastern corner.

The penultimate area, 5, encompasses Thorney Bay Caravan Park and is bounded by a water course, with the eastern edge by green space. The southern edge is bounded by the flood wall, with the western edge by a tree line. Access to the area is via a private road leading off Thorney Bay Road.

The second area is bounded by the green belt and a water course to the north. To the east is another water channel.

The south is bounded by the flood wall, with the western edge another water channel. Access to this site is via Haven

Area 4 is a small site, bounded by the edge of the football stadium to the north, with the eastern edge bordered by a tree line. The south is bordered by the flood wall, with the west by Thames Road. Access to the area is via Thames

50

Visual permeability is good throughout the site, due to the flat topography behind the sea wall. The wall does block views of the River Thames from within the site with views out to the river only possible from the southern side of the wall.

004/ context appraisal

Key: Building Heights Water 1 storey 2 storey 3 storey 4+ storey

0

200

400

600

800

1km

North

Figure 4.19 - Building heights and massing

0.5 miles

4.2.3 Building heights, styles and distinctive features By analysing the building heights and massing (figure 4.19) for the development site on Canvey Island it will give a broad idea of the maximum datum height that would be permissible for development in keeping with the area.

The building heights of the site rise to a maximum of 4+ storeys with these being the height of the gas storage tanks.

No other buildings in the nearby vicinity rise to this height.

There is no datum height to be found on the site with built form ranging from single storey to 4+ within close proximity.

To be able to gain views over the sea wall, buildings will need to be constructed over 3 storeys.

•

•

1 Storey - the majority of buildings on the site are static caravans along with industrial buildings. These are not adequate for the needs of sustainable development and therefore constructing properties of this height should be kept to a minimum.

2 Storey - The sea wall is of 2 storey construction and as such south-facing properties do not gain views into the Thames Estuary. It can be seen with the properties to the east of the development site that 3 storey construction provides views, along with increasing the development

•

•

density. Two-storey construction is suitable further north from the sea wall, where other attractions and views take precedence over the Thames.

3 Storey - This is the optimum height for single dwelling properties that allow views over the sea wall. In addition it will allow for mixed-use properties, active frontages and increased density of development.

4+ Storey - The storage tanks for both refineries are the only properties over 4 storeys. Given the distance from the nearest urban settlement, tall buildings could be constructed to provide increased dwelling density and variety of skyline.

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//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Figure 4.20 - Lobster Smack Public House

Figure 4.21- Sea wall and views over.

Given the current uses of the development site, it is necessary to look at the architectural styles in the surrounding area to provide a guide for potential designs for the site.

The landmark public house, The Lobster Smack (figure 4.2), is a popular destination on the island, made famous in Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Throughout the island there are a number of remnants of the Dutch colonisation, with circular dutch housing with thatched roofs. This is coupled with latter additions of the Lobster Smack, and the Art Deco buildings of the Labworth and Monico.

Figure 4.22 - Oikos Gas refineries

Figure 4.23 - Ove Arup designed, Labworth Cafe on Canvey seafront

The variety of differing architectural styles can be seen in figure 4.25. This is a snapshot of built form and identifies no common theme. There is a mix of building heights, materials, roof pitches, and structure. This varied and rich group will allow for the proposed development to have few constraints, given the menagerie of building styles.

4.2.4 Materials As with the architectural styles, the material pallet on Canvey Island is rich and diverse. The following is a summary of the analysis:

Figure 4.23 - Static caravans and Oikas site

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Figure 4.24 - The Monico Nightlcub and restaurant

•

Coloured render wall finishes - wide variety of colours white, blue, pink, green.

•

Various brick types – grey, red, brown, natural.

•

Various roof types - red, orange, brown, grey.

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Figure 4.25 - Architectural styles of Canvey Island showing that there is no distinct style of built form on the island

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//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Sea wall creates a hard edge with minimal points of access

Exisiting tree line creates a green edge

4.2.5 Landmarks

Balance needed for TV aerial height

Figure 4.26 - View into Horney Bay Caravan park

The site is dominated by views of the oil storage tanks and the sea wall to the south. Both of these built features do not provide a clear datum height throughout the site (see Figures 4.26 & 4.27). The following is a list of issues to be dealt with: • • • • • • • • •

Sea wall creates a hard edge with minimal points of access Existing tree line creates a green edge Balance needed for TV aerial height View dominated by gas storage tanks Flat landscape Too dominant caravan park view No connection to sea Historic building dominated by sea wall Lack of visual appeal

View dominated by gas storage tanks

No connection to sea

Lack of visual appeal

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Too dominant caravan park view

Flat landscape

Historic building dominated by sea wall

Figure 4.27 - View along Hole Haven Creek and the Lobster Smack Public House

004/ context appraisal Figure 4.28 - Schools and Education

Figure 4.29- Health Facilities

Figure 4.30 - Community Facilities

400m

Key

Key

Key

Pre-schools

Doctor’s surgery

Public Art

Primary schools

Dentist

Library

Secondary schools

Pharmacy

Sports Field and play space

4.3 Functional Context This section will highlight the services provided in the site and the surroundings, identifying school, health and community facilities. Distances have been taken from the centre of the development site 4.3.1 Schools • Pre-schools - to the north of the site (see figure 4.28), there are a number of centres. Busy Bees and Hawksbury Pre-School are 0.5 miles (800m) from the site.

Canvey Community Children’s Centre is also close by.

• Primary schools - Canvey Island Infant and Junior Schools are to the north, 0.38 miles (600m) from the site.

It is also served by William Read Primary School on Long Road, and St. Joseph’s School on Vaagen Road.

• Secondary School - the island is served by two secondary schools, Furtherwick Park School 1.06 miles (1.7km) to the east, and The Cornelius Vermuyden School and Art College, 1.08 miles (1.7km) to the west.

4.3.2 Health facilities • Doctor’s surgeries - to the north of the site (see figure 4.29) are a number of doctor’s surgeries served by the Third Avenue Health Centre, Canvey Village Surgery, Long Road Surgery, with Doctor Brown and Partners to the east.

• Dentist - there are no dentists within 800m of the centre of the site, with the nearest being Oak Road Surgery 1.05 miles (1.6 km) to the north-west. Toothcare Ltd and Eldertree Dental Practice are approximately 1.08 miles (1.8 km) in the north-east.

• Pharmacy - to the north of the site is both Pharma Healthcare and Boots. Located to the north east is another Pharma Healthcare, Boots, Co-operative Healthcare and Superdrug.

4.3.3 Community facilities • Community centres - there are currently no community centres on the island. New designs for the development site should include these facilities.

• Library - there is only one library (see figure 4.30), Canvey Island Library located on the High Street, 1.08 miles (1.7 km) to the north-east of the site.

• Public Art - there is no public art on the site, with the nearest a memorial to the flood victims of the 1953 tragedy to the east along with a sculpture of a Shrill Carder Bee. • Sports fields and play space - the surrounding area is not served by sports field with the only one nearby that of King George V Playing Fields to the east. There are a number of green spaces, but few play areas, or spaces laid out for sports near to the development site.

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//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Fens

4.3.4 Flooding/Sea Defences The Island lies below sea level and its relationship with the surrounding sea, whilst rich in bounties, has also brought its share of tragedy. There have been devastating floods on the island in 1791, 1881, 1897, with the most recent in 1953 (figure 4.31) that saw 58 people lose their lives (Urban Initiatives, 2006). Since then significant investment has been put into raising the height of Canvey’s 14 miles of sea walls both immediately after the floods and again in 1975 when the wall was raised by a further two metres. Figure 4.32 highlights the coastal regions in southern England that are less than 5 metres below sea level.

As can be seen in Figure 4.33, the flood map, Canvey Island is protected by flood defences but due to the island being below sea level the Environment Agency states that this area would be likely to flood with between a 1 in 100 to 1 in 200 chance every year. This area would certainly flood without the flood defences. Figure 4.34 gives an indicative sketch of the flood wall along the southern coast of the island.

Canvey Island Bristol

Somerset Levels

Chichester Harbour and Solent

Figure 4.31 - The Flood in 1953 on Canvey Island (2009)

London

Dungeness and Romney Marsh Essex and North Kent Marshes

Figure 4.32 - Map of mainland Britain showing the regions (dark areas) that are currently less than 5 m above sea level, and are thus at risk of occasional flooding from sea storm surges (McBride, 2007)

overflow pond

Sea earth bank Concrete flood barrier

Concrete encased metal pylons

Reinforced sea barrier Figure 4.33 - Flood map of Canvey Island highlighting the island is in a flood plain (Environment Agency, 2011)

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Figure 4.34 - section of flood wall on the south coast of Canvey Island

004/ context appraisal Scenario A

Scenario B

Scenario C

Increased rainfall will increase the likelihood of neighbourhood flooding, affecting the island internally

An increase in the Global Mean Surface Temperature will cause sea level rises with a potential 5 metres in the next 50 years. This will effect the island with flood walls having to withstand extra pressure

Rising temperatures will cause more dry periods resulting in the evaporation of holding ponds and streams.

=

=

=

north

Current Solution: the island has canals and ponds throughout with pumps (see below) installed along the flood wall to deposit extra rain water into the Thames Estuary.

north

Current Solution: the island is surrounded by 14 km of flood defences (see below) surrounding the island. On current projections this should protect the island until 2100.

Figure 4.35 - Climate change scenarios for Canvey Island

north

Current Solution: there are various water channels and storage ponds (see below) located throughout the island for use in dry spells. Like the rest of the South East the island still suffers from droughts with water having to be pumped from elsewhere.

4.3.5 Climate Change Climate change and the effects this may cause will have a lasting impact on the urban environment. This will effect the potential for flooding, with increases in sea levels from rising temperatures and rising global mean surface temperatures (GMST) worldwide. What many climate change experts (BACA Architects, 2009: Novotny and other, 2011) are predicting is more frequent storm surges such as those seen in New Orleans. Given that Canvey Island is below sea level (figure 4.33) with the flood defences the only thing protecting the island from flooding, there is a need to mitigate these effects.

With the potential impact on this area of the country, there are a number of initiatives in place to deal with the effects of climate change. With increased GMST, the oceans will warm and the level of the seas around the British coast will rise (figure 4.35 - Scenario A). We will see more intense rainfall and extreme stormy conditions over the coming decades (figure 4.35 Scenario B). There will also be more periods of dry and hot spells that will reduce water levels in reservoirs leading to water shortages, especially in the south east of England (figure 4.35 - Scenario C).

4.3.6 Biodiversity The Essex Biodiversity Action Plan (2011) highlights a number of considerations for Canvey Island, and therefore the development of this site. Taking into account the nature of the site, the species that will be considered in more detail are set out below: • Habitats (hedgerows, old orchards, reedbeds, ancient woodland, heathland, coastal grazing marsh, roadside verges, marine habitats, species-rich grassland) • Birds (bittern, grey partridge, skylark, song thrush, stone curlew) • Invertebrates (bright wave moth, Desmoulins’ whorl snail, Fishers Estuarine Moth, Heath Fritillary, Hornet Robberfly, Shining Ramshorn Snail, Shrill carder bee, Stag beetle, White clawed crayfish, Bees, Scarlet Malachite Beetle) • Mammals (Bats, Brown hare, Dormouse, Harbour porpoise, Otter, Pipistrelle bats, Water vole) • Other vertebrates (great crested newt, allis shad/twaite shad) • Trees (Black or Water poplar, Sea Hog’s fennel, Oxlip)

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//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 4.4 Community Context The basis of good design is to work with the community so that they feel part of the process. In addition, it is a requirement that consultation is undertaken by the local authority, as stated in the National Planning Policy Framework (2012).

1. What makes a great seafront?

4.5.1 Needs and aspirations of the local community Over the course of a two month period in 2011, an online community consultation exercise was carried out. This used a template adapted from a survey used by James Corner Field Operations when they were developing a waterfront site in Seattle. The full responses to this survey are located in Appendix A. Due to the nature of the project and location of the site, it was felt that an online survey would provide a sample of local opinion allowing the local population to input into the design process.

If more time was permitted, the survey would have been setup alongside face-to-face consultations and online community forums, such as blogs, Facebook and Twitter.

This would provide a greater cross-section of the local population and achieve greater accuracy with results.

Eight questions were posed looking at the following: Q1. What makes a great seafront?

Q2. What is unique about the Canvey Island Seafront?

Q3. What is MOST important to you on the seafront?

Q4. What is LEAST important to you on the seafront?

Q5. Indicate two uses you would like to see?

Q6. What would you most LOVE to see on a new seafront?

Q7. What would you be most disappointed to see?

Q8. If we could do one thing to improve the Canvey Island seafront now, what would it be?

The outcome of this exercise (see figure 4.36) shows that those who completed the survey want more passive recreation, improved views, cafes and restaurants and to be in touch with the unique aspect that is Canvey Island.

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2. What is unique about Canvey Island Seafront?

• It’s nice and small • The Labworth Cafe • It is run down, badly managed, neglected and does not have any positives at all • It has all of the above, but is not to big and crowded.

• Laid back - community atmosphere

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3. What is most important to you on the seafront?

20%

Art + Culture

5. Indicate what uses you would love to see?

7. What would you be most disappointed to see?

• • • • •

80%

Vandalism More of the same The same things that are there now High rise buildings.

Tacky modernisation like Southend

Passive Recreation

4. What is least important to you on the seafront?

Art + Culture 20%

60% Active Recreation

20% Mobility + Access

6. What would you most love to see on a new seafront?

• • • • •

Blips from canvey’s past - improve look flood wall Beaches People showing care and consideration for others Better local authority upkeep.

Less concrete

8. If you could do one things to improve Canvey Island.....what would it be?

• Blips from Canvey’s past i.e. the gun’s that used to be there and maybe some drawings on the wall so that it doesn’t look boring • Start again • Bulldoze it flat and start from scratch • Improve upkeep • Free Parking

Figure 4.36 - Results of community consultation

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4.5.2 Relevant Planning and Legislation The recently introduced National Planning Policy Framework launched in March 2012 aims to simplify the planning process and incorporates many planning policy statements and guidance notes. This section will give a brief overview of the planning requirements for the development site.

4.5.3 National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) The NPPF is in favour of sustainable development. The Urban Design Group (2012) state that “at the heart of the National Planning Policy Framework is a presumption in favour of sustainable development, which should be seen as a golden thread running through both plan-making and decision-taking” (pg.1) This develops 12 key principles: • Plan-led • Creative exercise • Drive and support sustainable economic development • High quality design and a good standard of amenity • Roles and character of different areas protecting the Green Belt around them • Low carbon future in a changing climate, taking full account of flood risk and coastal change • Conserving and enhancing the natural environment and reducing pollution • Reusing land that has been previously developed (brownfield land) • Promote mixed use developments • Conserve heritage assets • Make the fullest possible use of public transport, walking and cycling • Improve health, social and cultural wellbeing

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4.5.4 Essex-wide and Sub-Regional Policy and Guidance There are a number of documents that have already been stated in this report, with key information that provide guidance to the development of the framework.

• Thames Gateway Green Grid Strategy - identifies a series of opportunities specifically for the development site.

These include: 1. Enhancing the river frontage; 2. Creation of a ‘Canvey Loop’, based on the provision of a path around the Island which improves access to the sea wall and along which there are high quality and exciting destinations.

Whilst these lists are not exhaustive they provide a brief overview of planning legislation that will have an impact and amend any designs to fit in with the requirements set out by the National, Regional, and Local governments.

4.5.5 Local Policy The Local Plan map (figure 4.37) permits the following development on the site: • Public open space + long term residential • Public Open space • Coastal protection belt • Green lung Where the current gas and oil works are situated is classified as the ‘South West Canvey Long Term Regeneration Area’.

As the occupiers of multi-owned site are planning to occupy their respective properties for the long-term there have been no proposals drawn up. Saying that, the Local Plan was drawn up in 1998, subsequently, a Local Development Framework is in the process of being drafted (as of April 2012).

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Figure 4.37 - Local Plan Map for the site on Canvey Island (Castle Point Borough Council, 1988)

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4.6 Previous Design Initiatives There are a number of designs, both implemented and at consultation that will/may have an impact on any proposals for the site at South West Canvey Island.

These will be summarised below.

4.6.1 Canvey Island Seafront (figure 4.38) This design proposal is for an area of the sea front on the south of the island. It is a landscaping scheme by Atkins (figure 4.38) that identifies the need to improve the public space and landscaping surrounding the Labworth cafe and running along the Western and Eastern Esplanades.

The design is in construction with small scale interventions that have been restricted to budgetary restraints. The aim is the connection between green space, The Labworth, and the lido located on the southern beach.

4.6.2 Town Centre Master plan (figure 4.39) Building Design Partnership (BDP) have produced a master plan to revitalise the town centre. The aim of this project is to provide new retail and mixed-use buildings along with improved public realm. The landscaping is to provide a green corridor from Canvey Lake to the town centre improving connectivity.

The project is currently under public consultation with the intention to be adopted once the consultation period is complete. At the time of writing, the consultation period has been extended.

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4.6.3 Canvey Island Sustainable Regeneration Report (figure 4.40 + 4.41) The report is a long term vision for Canvey Island and has been prepared by Urban Initiatives and Studio Engelbeck.

The vision for the design options is for a revitalised Canvey Island as a place that will attract people to live, work and play on the island.

This will be achieved by a number of interventions, at various locations on the island, including: • Canvey town centre • Charfleets industrial estate • The Point harbour • Thorney Bay caravan park • Waterside Farm • Canvey Island Football Club The designs are to fit within the context and appropriateness of Canvey, fitting form to function.

The proposals that they have drawn up include part of the site for this project. Figure 4.42 shows an illustrative example for redevelopment at the Thorney Bay Caravan Park. This proposal includes buildings reaching out into the bay, mixeduses and open space. What it does not do is provide options for the entire site, due to the Cordon Sanitare and Pipeline Cordon Sanitare surrounding both the Oikos and Calor terminals.

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THORNEY BAY

ary of Development Potential

es:

The opportunity afforded by this site is currently limited by the presence of the Calor Gas installation on the Island and its associated cordon sanitaire and HSE consultation zone, which effectively cuts through the middle of the site.

However, opportunities do exist to explore the development potential of that part of the site falling beyond the consultation area (as shown here).

ributes to regeneration of Canvey’s waterfront

dominantly residential development

sing the natural shape of the bay to provide osed and sheltered leisure activities

ision of iconic waterfront feature

dscaping improvements, including provision of inable urban drainage

s to the round island cycle network

structure allows for integration of potential common Way extension in the long term

elopable area falls outside the Cordon Sanitare Consultation Zone associated with the Calor Gas allation

Development in this location would be residential led with some mixed uses relating to its waterfront location.

However, due to the proximity of the hazardous installations and the current Calor Gas diversification proposals there would to be a dialogue with the HSE as to the suitability of development at this location.

Map reproduced from the Ordnance Survey with the permission of her Majesty’s Stationary Office Crown Copyright reserved. Licence No. 077461. Castle Point Borough Council 2006.

iding a mix of one, two and three bed units and x of housing and apartments. Also allows for ision of some larger units

elopment over two, three and four storeys, with r development overlooking the waterfront

The strategy for Thorney Bay is a development structured around a grid within which residential development blocks are located. This grid allows for the integration of the Roscommon Way Extension in the long term, should that 4.41 the - Plan forallows for direct be delivered.Figure Additionally, layout connections Thorney to be madeBay with(Urban the town centre, by opening up culs-de-sac Initatives, adjacent to 2006) the area.

:

- 2016: First phase of development (approx. half tal), including iconic waterfront development and scaping - 2021: Remainder of development area built out

Plan illustrating possible redevelopment of Thorney Bay

This grid is arranged to respond to the internal waterway within the site area, which thus becomes an overlooked, landscaped feature within the development (and also operating as part of the Island’s Sustainable Urban Drainage system). The other key feature to respond to is the waters’ edge and in this instance a landmark feature is proposed at the corner of the Bay. And by virtue of its waterfront location, opportunities to provide alternative energy sources, such as wave and wind, should be explored.

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Figure 4.42 - Render for Thorney Bay (Urban Initatives, 2006)

Central path to be removed

Key

Reinforced boundary planting to Furtherwick Open Space

Model illustrating possible redevelopment at Thorney Bay

Block paving cleaned & protective coated

F u r t h e rw i c k Op e n S p a c e

Labworth Car Park ‘arrival’ area, with cycle stands, seats & information signage

New & realigned footpaths to Sensory Garden

17.7.2007

Labworth Car Park: Re-surfaced & formally marked out, with extensive tree & shrub planting

Re-positioned arch Re-planted centre with seats & tree circle around edge

Reinforced boundary planting to Furtherwick Open Space & Sensory Garden

OUTLINE MASTERPLAN

Banner poles marking entrance approach to seafront from town

New paths linking to pedestrian crossings

New link path across open space towards town centre

Position of existing toilets

Cross-over point, with CCTV, seating and signage

New street planting

Amusements Area

F ur ther w ic k R oad

Thorney Bay is the only area of permanent beach on the island and the strategy sees the role of this strengthened, possibly with a lido created as part of the series of activities along the seafront, which link into the new round island cycle network.

Hard surfacing

Feature steps

Pedestrian crossings

Resin-bonded gravel

Existing trees unaffected by works

Steps

New tree planting

Handrail / barrier

New shrub planting

Future development site

(Furtherwick Road Roundabout) Landscape Architects

Pedestrian refuges (Eastern Esplanade)

Lighting (Eastern & Western Esplanades, Furtherwick Road)

Lubbins Car Park

First Aid Point area: new paving, seats, tree planting and screens

Screen panels

New surfaced path to rear of sea wall New ramps with handrail to edge

Link path from car park to cafe

Overflow car park

Block paving to rear of sea wall cleaned & protective coated Central section of rear of sea wall (blue line) to be painted

Re-surfaced ramp with handrail to edge

Eas tern

Pedestrian refuges

6 parking spaces leased to Labworth Restaurant

Labworth Restaurant

Esp

lana de

Toilets Future bee-themed garden by others

Pumping Station New surfaced path to rear of sea wall

e

Seating area with screen panels

Structural & Civil Engineers

Replacement barriers

Espla nade

Amusements

Steps

Disabled parking area retained

Project Managers & Cost Consultants

(Eastern Esplanade)

Private car park

Steps

Welcome Hut Cafe Potential site for coast watch facility

Tarmac footpaths

New grass / grass to be reinstated

Re-surfaced ramp with handrail to edge

Steps

Espl anad

Existing grass

Slab paving

Bandstand area: new 360° steps around bandstand, new paving, seats, tree planting & perimeter hedge

Easte rn

Wes tern

Tarmac

New toilets

Height barrier

Landscaping of the wider area will be a important consideration for this location, providing a visual barrier between the development area and hazardous installations on the Island. The Waterfront section above indicates how this might be achieved.

Design Team:

Soft landscape

Future development site

Terraced gabion steps Pay & Display

Funding Partners:

Works funded outside Seafront Improvements scheme

Seafront Improvements scheme, funded by Communities & Local Governments and EEDA

CANVEY ISLAND F ur ther w ic k R oad

ment Quantum:

o 650 dwellings, at a density of 60 units per are

Central section of rear of sea wall (blue line) to be painted

Block paving to rear of sea wall cleaned & protective coated

New surfaced path to rear of sea wall

Paddling pool repaired & restored to use

Re-surfaced ramp with handrail to edge

N

Concord Cafe

Potential site for coast watch facility

Re-surfaced ramp with handrail to edge

0

25m

50m

75m

100m

Re-surfaced ramp with handrail to edge

Figure 4.38 - Canvey Island Seafront Improvements (Atkins, 2007)

#ANVEY 7ATERFRONT /PPORTUNITIES #ANVEY 7ATERFRONT /PPORTUNITIES

Thorney Bay at night: Illustration only

40

Figure 4.39 - Canvey Town Centre Masterplan (BDP, 2010)

Figure 4.40 Canvey waterfront opportunities (Studio Engelbeck, 2006)

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#ANVEY )SLAND %NVIRONMENT #ANVEY )SLAND %NVIRONMENT

¥STUDIOENGLEBACK ¥STUDIOENGLE

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4.7 Conclusions This section introduced Canvey Island at a macro-level with its location in relation to other major conurbations. With the island located in the Thames Gateway there are plans in place to introduce green infrastructure and provide new developments with higher sustainability ratings.

Water has had a very important impact on Canvey Island.

From the Dutch settlers who formed dykes and water channels throughout the island. To the flooding of the island over the centuries, the islanders have learned to appreciate the sea, but are cut-off by the 7 metre sea wall running 14km around the island.

With climate change an important factor in all new development, Canvey Island is located in a geographic position that could see the island affected by rising sea levels, increased rainfall and extended dry periods. This is another consideration for future development.

There are planning policies and legislation that will determine what can be built on the site. It is important to use this information to guide design, but to also challenge the policies to enable better designs.

The next section of the report will provide an in-depth site analysis of the development site.

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005/ site analysis

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005/ site analysis “Any plan, however radical, maintains some continuity with the existing locale.

Understanding a locality demand time and effort.”

Lynch and Hack (1984)

5.1 Introduction The Context Appraisal dealt with the spatial, built-form, functional, operational and community contexts of the development site, which is a requirement of the Urban Place Supplement (2007) adopted by Castle Point Borough Council.

This section will develop a site analysis of the development site working on an exploration of the connections, townscape and site features. Chelmsford Borough Council (2003) produced a guide for designers titled, “How to do a Site and Context Analysis” (2003) that provides guidance as to what is required.

Throughout this section, design challenges will be identified through analysis of the development site and summarised at the end of the section, along with design challenges developed from the case studies (see Section 3) and the Context Appraisal in Section 4.

Connections have already been covered in the context analysis. This section will therefore begin with the townscape.

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006/ site analysis

Figure 5.1 - 3D model of the development site

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Site Analysis Requirements •

“At the heart of large scale urban design is a creative process which actively engages everyone.”

Design Council CABE (2008)

• • • • • •

• •

5.2 Analysis The Essex Design Guide (2005) and Urban Place Supplement (2007), are documents that Castle Point Borough Council have adopted as SPD’s (The Essex Design Initiative, 2009), that contain the requirements for all development sites.

As stated in Section 4, a site appraisal and context analysis is carried out as a requirement for planning permission.

The requirements for the site analysis can be found in figure 5.2. A Contaminated Land Risk Assessment, Noise Impact Assessment and Archeological Evaluation will not be required as part of the report.

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• •

An analysis of visual and physical character of the site and the visual and physical relationship of the site to its townscape and landscape context Views into and out of the site, landmarks in the surrounding area Existing movement pattern, barriers to movement and desire lines across and around the site. Proximity to public transport routes, stops, and the frequency of service Access points to the site Existing and potential nodal points within or near the site Existing buildings and structures on and adjacent to the site and whether they are to be retained Wayleaves and easement strips that cannot be built on slopes, wind shelter, overshadowing trees, their spread, height and condition, hedges, boundary features and whether they are to be retained Wildlife habitats and whether they are to be preserved Presence of filled ground and potential sources of contamination (a Contaminated Land Risk Assessment to be submitted if appropriate at the planning application stage) Potential sources of noise pollution (a Noise Impact Assessment to be submitted if appropriate at the planning application stage) Archaeology (an Archaeological Evaluation to be submitted if appropriate at the planning application stage)

Figure 5.2 - requirements of site analysis as set out in the Urban Place Supplement (The Essex Design Initiative, 2007)

006/ site analysis residential

residential

2. green belt 1. green belt

residential

leisure

caravan Park 4. industrial

5. industrial

3. residential + historic

industrial

stadium

wall flood

sea flood wa ll

0

200

400

600

800

1km

North

0.5 miles Figure 5.3 - (above) Character areas surrounding the site

5.3 Connections Canvey Marshes

This section will analyse the connections, identifying the accessibility of the site.

5.3.1 Character Areas The site can be divided into six character areas, defined by occupier, use and architectural style. Within the development site, there is a clear need to create an east-west connection for any new development, both for the built environment as well as for landscape. The areas are cut off from the sea by the flood wall. Figure 5.3 highlights the potential linkages across the site. The key aim for the site is to link the builtform, green space, water and seafront (figure 5.4).

The potential of this sustainable urban development site is to create linkages from east to west and north to south, bringing together the historic building in the west, with leisure area in the east.

Canvey Lake Canvey Wick Town Centre

Figure 5.4 Potential spatial linkages (Base Map: Google, 2011)

built water green

Canvey Seafront

seafront

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0

200

400

600

800

1km 0.5 miles

Figure 5.5 - Connections North

Key

Bus Route

Vehicle Route

Bus Node

Vehicle Node

Cycle Route (Road)

Water

Pedestrian Route (Restricted)

Public Green Space Private Green Space Semi-private Green Space

Pedestrian Route

Farmland

Pedestrian Node (Potential)

Football Pitch

Pedestrian Node

Built form

Cycle Route (Path) Cycle Node

cy cle ro ute s

Figure 5.6 - exploded diagram of site connections.

72

bu i gr lt fo ee rm ns a pa nd ce

ve hic le

ro ute s

pe de ro stri ute an s

5.3.2 Movement Links The analysis map - figure 5.5 - identifies the movement links throughout the development site. The map identifies that the area is dominated by vehicular traffic, both through and around the site. Figure 5.6 shows each of the movement networks as individual networks as follows: • Roads - The site is accessible by three roads, running west to east; Haven Road, Thames Road, Thorney Bay Road. Within the site there is an existing road network that serves the purpose for each of the character areas. It is clear that there is no east-west connection. This is one of the aims identified within the context analysis.

• Public Transport - The site is not served by public transport. The nearest is on Long Road to the north and Thorney Bay Road to the east.

• Pedestrians - There is clear lack of permeability throughout the site. East-west connections are along the seafront. The caravan park is restricted to those residing there.

• Cycle paths - Similar to the pedestrian access, the cycle paths are limited to the seafront

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5.3.3 Access to the site As stated the site is located off Haven Road and Thorney Bay Road (figure 5.8). It is bounded to the south by the sea wall. Access to the site is by a right turn, crossing the oncoming traffic. This can be seen in Figure 5.9, showing aerial photographs of the access to the site.

Recently completed, the Roscommon Way extension, provides additional access to the site, but like current access ways, this is a right turn. A new direct route from Roscommon Way would provide adequate access and mitigate the need to cross traffic whilst entering the site using motor vehicles.

Figure 5.7 Connections into the site

Roscommon Way Extension Potential addition to Roscommon Way

Figure 5.8 - (from left) Long Road, Haven Road, Thames Road, Thorney Bay Park (Base images: Bing Maps (2011)

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Figure 5.9 - Townscape North

Key

Pontoon

Sea Wall

Gas Container

Gas Container

Gas Container

Gas Container

Green space

1 storey

Roads

2 storey

Hard surfacing

2 storey

Water

4 + storey

Beach

Development site

Landmark

Tree coverage

Local Landmark

Water feature

Green Lung

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B A

D

Figure 5.12 - (A) The Lobster Smack public house

Figure 5.13 - (B) Oikos Gas Containers from Haven Road

Figure 5.14 - (C) The sea wall looking into Thorney Bay

Figure 5.15 - (D) Thorney Bay beach looking west

Figure 5.16 - (E) Canvey Seafront Amusements

Figure 5.17 - (F) The Labworth Cafe

E F

C

Figure 5.11 - Landmarks

5.4 Townscape The building grain in analysis map 5.9 (previous page), identifies that the tallest buildings within the site are those of the gas refineries, Calor and Oikos.

There are a number of landmarks on the site ranging from the Lobster Smack (figure 5.12), to the sea wall running along the entire southern coastline (figure 5.14).

To the east of the site is Thorney Bay beach (figure 5.15), Canvey Amusements (figure 5.16) and the Ove Arup designed Labworth Cafe (figure 5.17).

The townscape is dominated by industrial use, with residential and leisure uses to the east (figure 5.18).

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North

Figure 5.18 - Building + land uses 0

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5.4.1 Buildings and landscape • Street and block pattern - dominated by the industrial properties with layout and pattern laid out to maximise the space for the gas storage tanks.

•

Building footprints - see figure 5.10.

•

Building lines and skylines - the section (figure 5.11) shows the skyline dominated by the gas storage tanks.

•

Spaces between buildings - see figure 5.10

•

Buildings with planning permission - site to the east has planning permission for 1&2 bedroom apartments on Canvey Seafront.

•

Landmark buildings and features - the Lobster Smack (figure 5.12) was built circa 1800’s and featured in Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.

•

Open spaces - the development site has large amounts of open space, but a shortage of open space accessible to the public.

•

Water features - to the north-eastern corner of the development site is a water feature at the entrance to Thorney Bay Caravan Park. This forms part of the islands drainage system. The coast on the south is another dominant feature. The site is not connected to the sea, with the barrier of the sea wall disjointing it from the island.

Key: Building uses Residential

Private green space

Licensed & Leisure

Public green space

Education

Football pitch

Industrial

Hard surfacing

Water

Roads

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//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Stormwater water channel used as water feature at the entrance to Thorney Bay Caravan Park

5.4.2 Biomimicry Analysis By revisiting the Life’s Principles Sustainability Wheel explained in Section 2, this can used to gauge the level of sustainability within the site at present.

Flat topography throughout the site creates ideal spaces for built form, but creates a lack of landscape identity

FIT FORM TO FUNCTION

INTEGRATE THE UNEXPECTED

!

USE READILY AVAILABLE MATERIALS AND ENERGY

Figure 5.19 - Biomimicry analysis of the development site on Canvey Island

What is clear from the context appraisal and the site analysis is that the development site does not adopt many of the principles of the sustainability wheel. These are as follows (figure 5.19): •

Evolve to Survive - due to changes in safety measures in the gas industry, the gas transferred from container ships is now piped out of the site. This works with the ‘Integrate the Unexpected’ strategy.

•

Be Resource Efficient - the flat landscape within the site has minimised the need for large-scale earth movement.

This allows the site to ‘Fit Form to Function’.

•

Be Locally Attuned and Responsive - with waterways on the island created by early settlers, and many of these are still in place across the development site. By using ‘Readily Available Materials and Energy’ the gas refineries make use of the water to provide cooling ponds within their boundaries. In addition, The Thorney Bay Caravan Park uses the waterways for a water feature.

The ultimate goal is to create a new development that can achieve all the sustainability benchmarks of the Life’s Principles wheel as Biomimicry 3.8 (2011) states, “to create conditions conducive to life”.

Gas is pumped off the island by underground pipelines leading a number of further sites in the Thames Estuary

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Cooling ponds used by the refineries from water collected on the island

Gas is delivered to the refineries by container ships docking at the jetties

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(a) Development Site - showing areas of greenspace and hardstanding surfaces. The site is dominated by the gas containers and the sea wall to the south.

(c) Paris city centre - the building grain is based around large boulevards connecting public spaces with high density development.

Density average - 207.41 per hectare

(e) Letchworth town centre - variety of building block sizes along with green open spaces throughout.

Density average - 20 per hectare

(b) Canvey town centre - showing areas of residential and retail use with a number of open spaces. Density average- 20.31 per hectare

(d) Almere city centre - the dutch new town is mix of building blocks along with a variety of open spaces.

Density average - 13.69 per hectare

(f) Freiburg city centre - a model of green urbanism, with low destiny built form a large open spaces.

Density average - 14.21 per hectare

the main retail area on the island dominated by one large supermarket. Canvey Island has an average dwelling density of 20.31 per hectare. This is a low figure due to the western side of the island containing mostly green spaces.

is Freiburg (figure 5.20f). This has a density of 14.21 per hectare. Similar to Almere, the city has large open spaces within the city boundary.

Figure 5.20 - Tissue analysis of various building grain (Base maps source: Google Maps (2011)

5.4.3 Morphological Tissue Analysis “Differences in street and block patterns, plot patterns, the arrangement of buildings within plots and the shapes of buildings create very different environments”, as states Carmona and others (2010) when referring to the usefulness of morphological tissue analysis. The Design Council CABE (2008) state that tissue analysis “can help to show a site’s or area’s capacity for development and suggest how it may be laid out” (2000, pg.40).

The current site (figure 5.20a) is a mix of building types with large amounts of open space. By comparing this against other developments using the same scale, it is a useful tool to judge the intensity of the urban grain.

The town centre of Canvey Island (figure 5.20b) shows

Paris city centre (figure 5.20c) exibits an extreme of a compact city with an average of 207 dwellings per hectare.

Almere (figure 5.20d) on the other hand, a new sustainable town (see Section 3), has an average of 13.69 dwellings per hectare. As the boundary of Almere includes farmland and wind farms, this figure will be higher within the town centre.

Letchworth (figure 5.20e), the first garden city, has a density of 20 dwellings per hectare. As stated in Section 3, the concept was to provide open spaces and large gardens for all residents. A modern example of green urbanism

The development site has the potential to include a high density of built form. However, this proposal is about sustainability and as such an appropriate building grain will need to be chosen to reflect the demands of the Essex Design Guide and not to overload Canvey Island’s infrastructure and demand for built from. “Towards An Urban Renaissance” by the Urban Task Force (2002) calls for a maximum development density of 75 dwellings per hectare (30 per acre) in mixed use developments. This is similar to the requirements for mixed-use sites as stated in the Urban Place Supplement in the previous chapter.

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u

u

w v

Figure 5.21 - Site Features North

Key: Site Features

w

Built form

Frontage

Retain Built Form

Trees and shrubs

Water

Microclimate

Barrier to movement

Propety boundaries

Views into site

Access Point

Panoramic View

Potential Access Point

Viewing corridor

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Sea wall

5.5 Site Features The analysis map (figure 5.21) shows that the flood wall provides panoramic views of the site and the River Thames.

The wall is a barrier to movement and impedes views out of the site.

Due to the flat nature of the topography the buildings and trees create viewing corridors throughout, as identified on the site features analysis map.

5.5.1 Analysis • Topography - the site is predominately flat with steep, sloping banks up to the sea wall running along the south of the site. This creates both a visual and physical barrier.

•

Adjoining buildings/uses - see figure 5.21.

•

Existing or potential access points - The site is defined as a large sustainable development by the Urban Place Supplement. There is a need to create new access points to the site for both vehicles and pedestrians.

•

Wildlife/Ecology - figure 5.22 shows the western edge of Canvey Island with a mix of wildlife and ecological areas ranging from coastal, waterways, grasslands and farmland. Section 4.3.6 identified the biodiversity of Canvey Island

•

Microclimate - a microclimate is created by the sea wall acting as a wind break providing a strip along the south of the site.

Figure 5.22 - Ecological analysis

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Riparian Habitats

Grassland

Farmland

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5.5.2 Built form The majority of the site will be redeveloped, however a number of buildings and landscape features will be retained.

These are indicated on Figure 5.21.

•

Buildings - the Lobster Smack, the sea wall, pontoons and jetties will be retained. A number of gas containers and buildings.

•

Landscape - the water channels and tree line around the development site will be retained.

Good Quality

Poor Quality

Canvey Quality!

Dutch influence

Poor choice of materials

Lack of cycle lanes

Historic building

Inactive frontage

Hard beach front materials

Previous analysis of the development site and surrounding area has identified that the built form is varied in style, character and building materials. The following as seen in figure 5.23 is a summary of the good, poor and the Canvey: •

•

•

Good Quality - the Dutch influence throughout the island is apparent in the number of historic cottages remaining, along with street names and the water ways, as mentioned previously. The unique design of a number of residential properties allows for views over the sea wall.

On the River Thames side of the sea wall are a number of active areas, including Thorney Bay and the lido, both to the east of the development site.

Poor Quality - the main features are the poor quality materials used, inactive frontages along major roads, lack of connections between public spaces and leisure facilities (namely Canvey Amusements) that create a poor impression of Canvey Island.

Canvey Quality - unique to Canvey Island is the flat landscape that allows for cycling, however the major roads are not sufficiently wide enough to allow for cycling and motor vehicles. Hard materials are used along the sea wall that are lacking in design quality. Along the sea wall at regular intervals are public seating areas which do not offer views over the sea wall. Similarly, the sea wall creates a barrier to movement, with a lack of access points.

????

Unique design

Lack of connection

Sea wall bank poorly used

Active seafront

Poor quality leisure facilities

Sea wall creates barrier to movement

Figure 5.23 - Analysis of built-form on Canvey Island

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//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 5.6 SWOT Analysis The development site has a number of advantages with the potential to remove the majority of the buildings. The main weakness is that the entire island is in a flood plain and any development will need to manage this as best as possible.

The urban design framework gives an opportunity to create a sustainable community and to the creation of a new destination for South Essex. As with the majority of the south east of England there is insufficient infrastructure for new developments. Any new developments will need to create minimal overloading of the current infrastructure.

Strengths • • • • • •

South-facing site Sea front access Historic Buildings Flat landscape Water as a feature Existing buildings and infrastructure • Connections to green space

Seafront access

Water as a feature

Connections to greens space

Sea defences

Lack of character

Lack of topography

New master plan

Using water space

Working with nature

Flooding

Climate change

Cambourne, Essex (eco- town)

Weaknesses • • • •

Bounded by the sea defences Lack of character in architecture Potential to flooding Access to site (mostly right turn access) • Lack of topography

Opportunities • • • •

Complete new master plan Reinvigorate the island Using the water within the site Access to new developments in the area • Sustainable design and architecture • Working with nature

Threats (Challenges) • • • • • •

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Lack of finance available Poor infrastructure Climate change Flooding Planning constraints Similar developments nearby

Figure 5.24 - SWOT Analysis for the development site

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5.7 Design Challenges The Context Appraisal, Section 4 and the Site Analysis within this section have identified a number of design challenges.

These range from the spatial context, ensuring that the development site is within manageable access to the rest of Canvey Island, to ensuring that materials and building styles fit form to function.

Bentley and others (1985) identify six issues which the design challenges will attempt to solve. These are as follows: • • • • • •

Permeability - where people can go Variety - the range of uses available to people Legibility - how easily people can understand the oppurtunites the design offers Robustness - degree to which people can use a given place for different purposes Appropiateness - the detailed appearance of the place makes people aware of their choices available Personalisation - the extent to which people can put their own stamp on a place

These are summarised in figure 5.25.

Design Challenge 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Summary Use the heritage of the dutch influence on the island, including waterbodies Introduce high place for panoramic views, both landscape and built form Complementary material palette Create visual appealing skyline Provide schools, community and health facilities to support the community Design to mitigate flooding and climate change impact Provide habitats to increase biodiversity Adopt the needs and aspirations of the community (where applicable) Provide a development that fits in with the investment potential Work with and develop the planning policy and legislation Connect the site to the neighbouring areas Provide sustainable transport solutions Improve access to the site Integrate the landmark buildings and green infrastructure Ensure adequate building density is adopted Provide links to the ecological areas on the site and in the area surrounding Work with the microclimate created by the sea wall

Section 4.2.1 4.2.1, 4.2.3 4.2.4 4.2.5 4.3.1, 4.3.2, 4.3.3 4.3.4, 4.3.5 4.3.6 4.5.1 4.5.2 4.5.3 - 4.5.6 5.3.1 5.3.2 5.3.3 5.4.1 5.4.2 5.5.1 5.5.1

Figure 5.25 - Summary of design challenges

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5.8 Conclusions The purpose of the site analysis is to complement the context appraisal and provide the urban design framework with an investigation into the unique nature of the development site and its surroundings.

It has identified constraints (both physical and legislative) and opportunities that will inform the design process and provide justification for the design scheme.

The analysis began with a study of the movement networks in and around the site. This identified that the site is dominated by motor vehicle movement, with pedestrian and cycle movement confined to the boundaries. In addition, a potential access point to Roscommon Way to the west of the site was identified.

Following the movement study, the townscape identified the built form with building heights and land uses. This was dominated by the gas refineries, with the highest buildings being the gas storage tanks. Given the flat landscape these dominate the skyline. The sustainability of the site against the Life’s Principles explained in Section 2 found that the site has the minimal sustainable designs incorporated within it and there is a need to create this whilst designing a new sustainable urban development. This leads to the density of development. A density of 75 dwellings per hectare would create an adequate sustainable neighbourhood.

Finally, the site features identified a number of views into and out of the site. With the sea wall rising to 7 metres it provides panoramic views into the site, but it is featureless and lacks visual appeal.

The next section will develop the design challenges and work with biomimicry to find solutions.

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006/ biological systems analysis “Biomimicry is a methodology in which biological systems, processes, and elements are studied to draw analogies to be applied to human design challenges in a sustainable manner.”

San Diego Zoo (2011)

6.1 Introduction This section will develop the design challenges identified in the Context Appraisal (Section 4) and the Site Analysis (Section 5) by determining organisms/ecosystems that could solve these challenges.

This will involve returning to the Challenge to Biology Design Spiral (figure 6.1) that was explained in Section 2: Underlying Principles of Biomimicry. To reiterate, the use of the design spiral involves identifying what the major challenges are and seeking organisms/biological systems that meet these challenges. The process involves 7 stages as follows: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Identify - the function or challenge Define - put in context Biologise - developing potential applications Discover - natural models Abstract - design principles Emulate - nature’s strategies Evaluate - against life’s principles

Not all of the challenges can be met using the design spiral, however, much like ensuring that all aspects of sustainability are supported in designs, ensuring that the Life’s Principles are adhered to ensures that innovate strategies, sustainable benchmarks and aspirational ideals are met. Life’s Principles

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BIOLOGY TO DESIGN

4. EMULATE Nature’s Strategies

5. EVALUATE Against Life’s Principles

006/ biological systems analysis 1. IDENTIFY Function

Design Challenge 1

2. DEFINE Context

2. BIOLOGIZE

GE CHALLEN GY O TO BIOL

Challenge

3. DISCOVER

2

Natural Models

4. ABSTRACT

3 4 5

Design Principles

5. EMULATE Nature’s Strategies

6. EVALUATE Against Life’s Principles

Figure 6.1 - Design Spiral (Biomimicry 3.8, 2009)

7 8 9 Stage 1

BIOMIMICRY RESOURCE HANDBOOK

10 11

are interconnected so it is the purpose to optimise these strategies to create conditions conductive to life (Biomimicry 3.8, 2008).

6.2 Stage 1 - Identify The first stage is to identify the design challenges. As stated previously, this was obtained by carrying out an extensive context and site appraisal of the development site.

Figure 6.2 shows these design challenges with the relevant section within the report where they have been identified.

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Summary Use the heritage of the dutch influence on the island, including waterbodies Introduce high place for panoramic views, both landscape and built form Complementary material palette Create visual appealing skyline Provide schools, community and health facilities to support the community Design to mitigate flooding and climate change impact Provide habitats to increase biodiversity Adopt the needs and aspirations of the community (where applicable) Provide a development that fits in with the investment potential Work within and develop the planning policy and legislation Connect the site to the neighbouring areas Provide sustainable transport solutions Improve access to the site Integrate the landmark buildings and green infrastructure Ensure adequate building density is adopted Provide links to the ecological areas on the site and in the area surrounding Work with the microclimate created by the sea wall

Section 4.2.1 4.2.1, 4.2.3 4.2.4 4.2.5 4.3.1, 4.3.2, 4.3.3 4.3.4, 4.3.5 4.3.6 4.5.1 4.5.2 4.5.3 - 4.5.6 5.3.1 5.3.2 5.3.3 5.4.1 5.4.2 5.5.1 5.5.1

Figure 6.2 - Summary of design challenges

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6.3 Stage 2 - Define The next stage of using the spiral is to define the context of each of the challenges. This will allow for some of the challenges (figure 6.1) to be grouped together in themes and identify those that can be solved using nature for inspiration.

The 18 challenges have been simplified to 8 challenges that the urban design framework will attempt to solve. These are:

Design Challenge 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Movement Incorporate the best practice design vernacular and principles Mitigate the site from flooding Design for climate changes Work within the guidelines laid down in the relevant planning policies Provide shelter and work with the elements Incorporate Green Infrastructure networks Develop sustainable resource efficiency

Figure 6.3 - The context of the design challenges

Stage 2

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Figure 6.4 - Existing pedestrian movement pattern on Canvey Island

Figure 6.5 - Storm water management in Malmo (City of Malmo, 2008)

Figure 6.6 - Canvey Lake, north of the development site

Figure 6.7 - Artists impression of the impact of climate change on the earth (Globalwarming.com, 2012)

6.3.1 Movement Create connections from the development site (figure 6.4) to the rest of the island and ensure it is future-proof to reflect the proposals in place from road extensions, to a new bridge to Canvey Island. This will allow for access from all modes of transport and minimise the use of private motor vehicles and promote mass transit, cycling and increase permeability.

6.3.3 Mitigate the site from flooding Canvey Island has a number of initiatives (figure 6.6) to protect the island from both localised flooding and protection from the sea. By using nature as inspiration it should be possible to find elements that can provide sustainable solutions to those currently in place.

6.3.2 Incorporate best practice Section 3 introduced a number of case studies, highlighting best practice (figure 6.5) within sites that have similar profiles to Canvey Island. Elements of these will be used along with developing the design in context of architecture and urbanism on Canvey to ensure that the framework introduces a ‘sense of place’ and keeps in with the ‘Canveyness’ reflecting the heritage of the island.

6.3.4 Design for climate change The changes in the climate will have an impact on Canvey Island due to its location in the Thames Estuary. Increased rainfall, fluctuations in temperature (figure 6.7) and rising sea levels mean that the designs need to be flexible and futureproof to these climatic changes

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“Climate change has led to evidence of the migration of organisms as they shift their ranges towards cooler climates.�

Yeung (2009)

Figure 6.8 - Thames Gateway Parklands Plan (Farrells, 2008)

Figure 6.9 - Waterfront in Malmo (City of Malmo, 2008)

Figure 6.10 - Flower meadow in Canvey Wick

Figure 6.11 - Energy production at the London Olympic Park (John McAlsan + Partners, 2010)

6.3.5 Planning Guidelines The planning policy and legislation for any development on the island has been developed to influence the designs (figure 6.8). If relevant the design work will challenge these guidelines.

6.3.7 Green Infrastructure The site fits within the Thames Gateway Parklands (DCLG, 2008) scheme and the National Planning Policy Framework (DCLG, 2012) identifying the need to provide an improvement to the green grid throughout the island.

Any designs should look to provide relevant and productive landscapes as an additional ecosystem service, linking into Canvey Wick (figure 6.11) in the west.

6.3.6 Provide shelter and work with the elements The geographic location of the site means that the elements will have an impact on the designs. The designs should (where applicable) work with the elements instead of against, to provide sustainable solutions fit for purpose, such as those incorporated into Vastra Hammen, Malmo (figure 6.9).

6.3.8 Develop resource efficiency Analysis of the island has found that there is a need to promote self-sufficiency, not only in terms of food growth, but also places of work, energy production (figure 6.11) and minimising waste.

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6.4 Stage 3 - Biologise This stage is to biologise each of the challenges to be able to then discover strategies. Two of the challenges (ii.) incorporate the best practice design vernacular and principles and (v) work within the guidelines laid down in the relevant planning policies do not need to be biologised as they are relating to specific urban design context and planning parameters.

Therefore the 6 challenges to move forward are: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Movement Flooding Climate change Protect and work with the elements Green Infrastructure Resource efficiency

The diagram showing examples of nature solving these challenges can be seen in figure 6.12.

1. Movement: in the natural world follows the paths of least resistance.

6. Resource efficient: evolution has created organisms fit for purpose

Example: veins of a leaf (Asknature.org, 2010)

Example: hollow bones in birds minimise weight.

(Asknature.org, 2010)

2. Flooding: plants and ecosystems adapt to protect themselves from changing water levels.

Example: mangroves (Asknature.org, 2010)

3. Climate change: successful ecosystems in nature adapt to change in the environment Example: wetland habitat (Asknature.org, 2010)

Stage 3

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Figure 6.12 - Nature’s examples of the biologised design challenges

4. Working with the elements: nature adapts to the environment.

5. Green infrastructure: habitats emerge along water sources

Example: buffalo herds shelter from the wind in groups (Asknature.org, 2010)

Example: riparian habitats.

(Asknature.org, 2010)

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6.5 Stage 4 - Discover The 6 challenges have now been biologised to identify organism movement, adaptability to changing conditions, expansion and evolution. The information was obtained from AskNature.org, an open source library managed

by Biomimicry 3.8 cataloging 1,500 different biomimicry taxonomies (Biomimicry 3.8, 2011). By discovering how these can be used and developed for use in design, it will be possible to extract this information.

It is clear from reading these challenges that many of them are interlinked. Figure 6.13 to 6.16 identifies a number of natural models.

A

B

Organism Movement

Adaptability

It has already been stated that the veins of leaves follow the path of least resistance. Blood flow around the human body is another example of an optimised flow pattern.

Organisms and ecosystems adapt to changing conditions. The two conditions that have an impact on the development site are flooding and climate change.

Drawing on an example from Canvey Island. It can be seen in Hole Haven Creek that water flows through silt deposits. The early settlers created water channels on the island to move water around the island and protect land from flooding.

C

D

Figure 6.13 - Movement patterns, (A) fluid in a leaf, (B) water moving through silt deposits in Hole Haven Creek

E

Stage 4

Figure 6.14 - Adapting to changing conditions, (C) Canvey Island coastline, (D) the former brownfield site at Canvey Wick now a grassland, (E) Ant tunnels designed to divert excess rainwater (Asknature.org, 2010)

Within Canvey Island are a number of habitats that have adapted to the changing conditions. These are wetlands, grasslands, and coastal areas.

What all of these resilient communities have in common is that they are composed of a diverse range of species that act interdependently, respond to local resources and opportunities and use information (rather than materials) as a guide to their decisions.

With regard to adaptability to flooding, we can look at the insect life within Canvey Wick. Ant colonies create tunnels in their nests to divert excess rainwater away from the main hive.

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F

G

Figure 6.15 - Growth, (F) Riparian habitats along streams, (G) Shrill Carder Bee reusing materials for nests (Asknature.org, 2010)

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Growth

Evolution

Canvey Wick to the west of the development site is an excellent example of a natural landscape.

The ecosystem that has developed on this Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) has been called the “little brownfield rainforest�

(Buglife, 2010).

Life on earth has been evolving for billions of years and has learned to adapt to survive changes in the environment.

In terms of flora, wild flower meadows and grasslands have taken over large plains, with thickets of trees providing shelter. Along the dykes and streams riparian habitats have flourished with willows and reed beds providing all means of resources.

The fauna at Canvey Wick has a rich variety of insects, and animals. The shrill carder bee, a smaller member of the bumblebee family, lives in this habitat.

It constructs its nest out of grass stems and other dead vegetation, either on the surface or slightly below ground. The old nests of mice or voles sometimes form the foundation.

H

There is a need to find a solution to the problem of climate change.

This can be achieved by looking at processes in nature that are used to develop and minimise the impact and use of resources to the best of their abilities.

I

J

Figure 6.16 - Evolution, (H) Cooperation between ants and aphids, (I) Information flow in fungi, (J) Water storage capabilities of cacti (Asknature.org, 2010)

Mycorrhizae fungi that grow underneath forests is an interconnected network.

This fungi connects a variety of species providing pathways for information and energy flow, independent of hierarchy, bottleneck or power outages.

Cactus survive in harsh environments with leaves that evolved into spines for protection, roots and stem that expand to store water and skin developed to protect the plant from sunlight.

006/ biological systems analysis

6.6 Stage 5 - Abstract With examples of nature found for the design challenges we can now abstract design principles before emulating them within designs for the urban design framework in the next section. These are as follows: •

Fluid movement in leaf veins - site planning, permeability.

•

Cooperation between species - synergy with the development, urban farming.

•

Information flow in fungi - communication networks, permeability

•

Local materials for nest building - building reuse, locally sourced materials.

•

Grassland ecosystem - form and functional design, mix of uses, adequate shelter from the elements, work with the elements.

•

Riparian ecosystems - green infrastructure, water purification, storage, food, shelter from the elements.

•

Cactus water storage - storing water in times of drought, adapting to climate change, protection for the elements and predators.

Arid desert desert plains

Temperate steppe forest

Temperate forest coastal region

Mycorrhizae fungi • Communication networks • Movements Fluid movement through lead capillaries • Site planning • Movement Desert cactus • Water storage • Climate change • Protection Ants and aphids • Cooperation • Urban farming

Shrill Carder Bee • Building re-use • Locally sourced materials

Stage 5

Figure 6.16 - The processes, functions and designs that will be mimicked from nature to solve the design challenges. The location of the organisms/ecosytems are placed on a world map (base map: wikicommons.org, 2011)

Riparian water channels• Green networks • Water purification • Storage • Food • Shelter

Resilient grasslands • Form and function design • Mixed-use • Shelter • Working with the elements

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6.8 Conclusions This section draws on the biomimicry principles developed in section 2, looking at the Challenge to Biology design spiral to discover solutions to the design challenges identified from carrying out a context and site appraisal.

By looking to nature as inspiration, the design challenges were narrowed down into key themes relating to movement, flooding, climate change, working with the elements, green networks and resource efficiency.

By looking into the flora and fauna of Canvey Island it was possible to find solutions to these from wild flower meadows, wetlands, and coastal areas. Organisms that have solved the challenges were, the shrill carder bee, ants and aphids and mycorrhizae fungi.

To solve the challenge of water storage and re-use, we looked further afield at how a cactus stores water. Given that a number of gas containers will be reused, there is the potential to incorporate the strategies found in cacti to create a sustainable design for the redevelopment of the storage tanks The next section will introduce and emulate the strategies (stage 6) in the urban design framework and evaluate (stage 7) this against Life’s Principles.

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007/ urban design framework “The best frameworks and masterplans are drawn up by a number of people with different skills working in collaboration.”

Carmona and others (2010)

7.1 Introduction This section will introduce the main element of this design project, the urban design framework. The elements of this will cover the principles of biomimicry, the vision, built form, movement strategies, public space and the development strategy (phasing) for the site.

7.1.1 Urban Design Framework An urban design framework, as stated in Section 1, is:

“a document describing and illustrating how planning and design policies and principles should be implemented in an area where there is a need to control, guide and promote change.” (Cowan, 2002, pg.12: Design Council CABE, 2008, pg.135).

Whereas a masterplan is a “guide to describe a ‘spatial masterplan’, which sets out proposals for buildings, spaces, movement, movement strategy and land use in three dimensions and match these proposals to deliver a strategy” (CABE, 2008, pg.130).

The urban design framework for the site in Canvey Island will work alongside design principles developed in previous sections.

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North

Figure 7.1 - Urban Design Framework for The Gas Workscanvey

7.2 Emulating nature

KEY Public Art Community Facilities Cultural Facilities Recreational Facilities Educational Facilities Seafront Axis Open Space network

Within the previous section, Biological Systems Analysis, organisms and ecosystems were identified that solved various challenges relating to the development site.

Through the breakdown of the urban design framework (figure 7.1), each thread of biomimicry will be identified at the point where it has been emulated.

At the end of this section, the methods adopted will be evaluated against the Life’s Principle wheel.

Stage 6

Figure 7.2 - Stage 6 of the Design Spiral (Biomimicry 3.8, 2011)

Water

Green Space Trees Shared Space

Main Road Existing Building Proposed Building

400m ped shed/ 5 min walk Bus stop Existing roads Main roads through site Shared space Pedestrian priority Pedestrian only

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//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 7.3 Vision The vision for the area is to create a sustainable, modern, and innovative ‘live, work, learn and play’ development, acting as a focal point for the island, with the opportunity to connect seamlessly to the existing residential areas and be easily accessible. Where a rich quality of life and unique sense of place can be experienced by residents, workers and visitors alike.

Drawing on the current use, the development site will be named, ‘The Gas Workscanvey’. This will give it a ‘sense of place’ and aid with potential marketing of this sustainable urban development.

Rich and diverse mix of uses

Water-based activities and recreation

Connectivity

7.4 Principles This section defines the 6 Key Urban Design Principles of The Gas Workscanvey Urban Design Framework. These are followed by the design ‘responses’ which reinforce them based upon the principles of biomimicry, where applicable.

Public and civil spaces with visual quality

The Key Principles are: 1. Connecting The Gas Workscanvey to the rest of island 2. Providing Continuous Seafront Access 3. Establishing Diverse Public Spaces 4. Creating Appropriate Building Height, Scale and Form

Sustainable patterns of movement

5. Facilitating a Mix of Uses and Activities 6. Providing Sustainable Transport and Urbanism Real character and sense of place

Figure 7.3 - Vision for The Gas Workscanvey

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Quality and richness of experience

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Town Centre

Canvey Wick

Charlfeets Indsutrial Estate

Long Road

Canvey Seafront

Figure 7.4 - Existing south Canvey Island character areas

7.4 Principle 1 - Connecting The Gas Workscanvey to the rest of the island Canvey Island’s south coast provides a connection to the River Thames, however the public spaces and activities are few and far between. The existing coastline where the development site lies is disjointed, with little connection between Canvey Wick in the west and Canvey Seafront (figure 7.4). The areas are: • Canvey Wick - a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) known for its rich abundance of flora and fauna.

• Charfleets Industrial Estate - the main light industrial area.

• Long Road - the main connector road on the island joining Charfleets to the town centre. This area is predominately residential.

• Canvey Seafront - an ageing seafront area with apartment buildings along the south connecting to amusement arcades and other leisure facilities. Current improvements are under way led by Atkins (section 4).

KEY

Character areas Development site

Potential connection

Figure 7.5 - The seafront axis

7.4.1 Articulate the Seafront Axis By creating new public spaces along the seafront (figure 7.5) this will provide activity destinations and links the site to the west and east. An example of this is the Brooklyn Bridge Park (figure 7.6) by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates. By retaining the piers and creating destinations into the River Thames, these will draw pedestrians to the seafront with the opportunity of panoramic views across the Thames Estuary.

KEY

New piers Seawall destinations Seafront Axis

The sea wall will be improved with an extended sea wall providing stepped banking towards the sea for visual appeal and to minimise wave force on the sea wall.

Figure 7.6 - Brooklyn Bridge Park (MVVA, 2011)

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Figure 7.7 - North-south connections

7.4.2 Introduce new north-south connections Introducing the north-south connections (figure 7.7) will connect the development to the character areas to the north and the sea to the south. The streets will be treelined opening up the pattern between the built form and the landscape. As Jones and others (2007) state, “people should form the central focus of street design, whether as link or place users’ (pg. 23).

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KEY

North-south streets Additional connections

Figure 7.8 - East-west connections

KEY

East-west street Additional connections

7.4.3 Establish east-west connections The connections through the site will provide unrestricted movement connecting the western side of the island to Canvey Seafront to the east through The Gas Workscanvey (figure 7.8). This will minimise the impact of increased transport on the existing infrastructure and connect to Roscommon Way with easy access off the island.

Developed in the Biological Systems Analysis (Section 6) the movement is based on fluid flow through the leaf capillaries of plants (figure 7.9).

Figure 7.9 - paths of least resistance in the fluid flow through leaf capillaries (Mark Twells, 2006)

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KEY

Figure 7.10 - Continuous seafront access

Green belt seafront Proposed site access Thorney Bay beach Canvey Seafront

Figure 7.11 - Seafront Edges, Spaces, and Structures

KEY

Seafront edges Seafront spaces Seafront development

Proposed seawall access

7.5 Principles 2 - Providing Continuous Seafront Access The Gas Workscanvey will introduce 1.6 miles (2.6 km) of continuous seafront access (figure 7.10) with regular points of interest to extend the active seafront from Canvey Seafront and Thorney Bay beach leading along to seafront at Hole Haven Creek in the west.

7.5.1 Provide seafront edges Leading from the Lobster Smack on the western edge of The Gas Workscanvey, a new seafront promenade (figure 7.11) will run along to Thorney Bay beach in the east. This will extend into the sea with variable heights and allow users to experience a new seafront experience to complement Canvey Seafront. An example of this is Blackpool Promenade (figure 7.12) and coastal protection led by Atkins.

The existing piers, originally used for deep-water ship berths, will be refurbished to create active spaces into the River Thames giving views into the development, the Thames Estuary and across to Kent.

Figure 7.12 - Blackpool Promenade (Atkins, 2011)

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Figure 7.14 - Provide recreational public space + create significant urban public spaces Figure 7.13 - Open Space Connections

7.6 Principle 3 - Establishing Diverse public spaces At present, there are a lack of public spaces (figure 7.13), due to private land ownership. The context analysis in Section 4 identified the need for a range of public spaces with public art to provide visual appeal. Public spaces will be linked throughout the site both east-west and north-south to connect the development to existing spaces and the sea.

KEY

Potential green network Seafront edge Potential green spaces Potential seafront connections

7.6.1 Provide, create and integrate spaces A green network of spaces (figure 7.14) will introduce passive recreation at regular intervals throughout The Gas Workscanvey. These range from allotments to two large parks and a linear park running along the sea wall. Public spaces will allow for meeting places between buildings, sheltered from the elements with their own microclimates. These will range from plazas to squares and will be designed to encourage staying in the spaces. People walk more slowly across squares and stop more often (Gehl, 2006). The Paris Plage riverfront is one such example (figure 7.15). By introducing water spaces, both in the site and on the seafront they can be used for water-based activities and recreational facilities.

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KEY

Green network Water edges Blue water space Urban public spaces

Figure 7.15 - Paris Plage riverfront (PPS, 2011)

007/ urban design framework 7.7 Principle 4 - Creating Appropriate Building Relationships Creating appropriate building height, scale and form will ensure that The Gas Workscanvey is complementary to the seafront, the green belt and the existing development in the nearby vicinity (figure 7.16).

This has been developed using the following principles:

Gre en L ung

Tham es Est uary

Historic + Residential

Figure 7.16 - Built form relationships

Refineries

Water Treatment

•

Maintaining views to and from the site;

•

Establishing urban scaled streets and public spaces;

•

Reinforcing the sea wall as the Seafront Axis;

•

Reinforcing the green space network;

•

Integrating with adjacent seafront development;

•

Creating variety within The Gas Workscanvey and reinforcing the four key character areas;

•

Achieving appropriate orientation and solar access;

•

Achieving high quality built form and sustainable urban design.

Caravan Park

KEY

Area Heavy industry Green edge Water edge

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Figure 7.17 - Built form relationships

7.7.1 Relate to existing built form areas The Gas Workscanvey will relate to the existing neighbourhoods (figure 7.17) and not overly dominate the skyline. The strategy will establish an appropriate transition from green belt (figure 7.18) through the site to the seafront.

KEY

Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4

Green belt

Connections

Figure 7.18 - the natural landscape at Canvey Wick fits form to function (2011)

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Figure 7.19 - Height variations and sight lines

7.7.2 Provide variation in Building Height, Scale, Form and Sight lines The heights proposed throughout the development will provide variations in scale and form throughout the four character areas (figure 7.19). Introduction of new character buildings will contribute to the quality, complexity and interest of The Gas Workscanvey’s skyline and roofscape. A successful example of this is the 8 House by Bjarke Ingels Group in Copenhagen (figure 7.20). The 8 House allows the city’s social life to ‘invade the higher altitudes’ (Ingels, 2011).

4+ storey sites will also provide variety to building form and scale. These sites have been chosen to reinforce the principal site axes and to assist in establishing a legible urban structure. Increased permeability, accessibility and amenity will be provided by establishing a clear structure of views and vistas that extend to the River Thames.

KEY

Buildings over 4 storeys Character buildings Key design sight axis Secondary design axis Additional sight axis Existing sight lines

Figure 7.20 - 8 House, Copenhagen, by Bjarke Ingels (2011)

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KEY Figure 7.21 - Existing street network

7.7.2 Existing street network The existing street network only provides public access via Haven Road (west) and Thames Road (east). The remainder of the site has a street network that is private for the users of the sites (figure 7.21). These are appropriate for current use, but do not provide clear connections across the site.

A new street network is proposed which will: • Create a network of high quality streets; • Create a legible street hierarchy and urban structure; • Improve permeability and establish pedestrian priority and safety; • Facilitate better access and circulation between transport modes; • Define streets, public space frontages and facilitate appropriate urban outcomes.

Major roads Roads within site

Figure 7.22 - Proposed street network + hierarchy

7.7.3 Proposed street network and hierarchy The new street plan (figure 7.22) will be introduced to create a permeable network connecting the site to the existing access roads and provide connections to Roscommon Way in the west and Thorney Bay Road in the east.

KEY

Existing roads Main roads through site Shared space Pedestrian priority Pedestrian only

The proposed street network will establish a finer grain of development and smaller lot sizes to enhance pedestrian amenity and legibility. Creating a place that has a clear image and is easy to understand (Carmona and others, 2010). A sample of street sections from each character area can be found in Figure 7.63 to 7.68.

A clear hierarchy of streets will provide legibility and accessibility throughout the site. The key aim as stated in Section 7.4 is to create minimal disruption of vehicle flow based on the movement through leaf capillaries (figure 7.23).

Figure 7.23 - Leaf capillaries (Mark Twells, 2006)

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Town Centre

Canvey Wick

Charlfeets Indsutrial Estate

Long Road

Canvey Seafront

KEY Figure 7.24 - Activity Zones

7.8 Principle 5 - Facilitating a Mix of Uses and Activities The development of The Gas Workscanvey provides the opportunity to encourage a mix of seafront activities that will establish a cohesive living, working and cultural destination.

The urban design concept creates four distinct areas (figure 7.24) with the potential for each to establish an identifiable urban character and mix of uses that support the long-term economic and social sustainability of Canvey Island.

These four key areas are: • Zone 1 - Cultural, mixed use and residential area linking the seafront with the historic landmark.

• Zone 2 - Central town area with education, mixed use, retail and cultural destinations • Zone 3 - Residential and mixed use area connecting to the existing neighbourhoods • Zone 4 - The seafront space with cultural and leisure activities.

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Residential Industrial Water treatment Caravan Park

Figure 7.25 - The Active Seafront Axis

KEY

Seafront Axis Existing open spaces Seafront spaces Water spaces

7.8.1 Activate the Seafront Axis The seafront axis is activated by connecting the existing urban spaces in the west to Thorney Bay in the east (figure 7.25).

By providing urban spaces on the refurbished piers these will provide activity nodes that will allow users to spend time in the area. Nanseen park in Oslo is a contemporary example of an active public space (figure 7.26).

Between the piers water spaces will allow for a range of water-based activities such as swimming and boating.

A number of existing ponds will be retained within the sea wall to create passive recreation spaces.

Figure 7.26 - Nanseen Park, Oslo,

by Bjordekk & Lindheim (2011)

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C A B D

Figure 7.27 - Activate the character areas

7.8.1 Activate the character areas Each area will be broken down to relate the best possible use and activity to each specific site (figure 7.27). This will facilitate appropriate uses on prime locations such as: • • •

•

A: Amphibious housing and water storage adjacent to the Lobster Smack.

B: Cultural and leisure destinations next to the seafront.

C: Energy production and water treatment with a new Biomass digester plant and refurbishment of the water treatment plant to provide a sustainable energy and water supply for the site and Canvey Island.

D: Active seafront edge with both passive and active recreation

KEY

Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4

Figure 7.28 - Integrate Community, Cultural and Recreational Facilities

7.8.2 Integrate Community, Cultural and Recreational Facilities The concept for The Gas Workscanvey allows for the provision of a range of community, recreational and cultural facilities (figure 7.28). These are to be located at the termination of the main axes or adjacent significant to public space destinations. These facilities could include recreational and community uses or other cultural buildings such as libraries, galleries or museums.

There is minimal public art on the island. The concept calls for public art installations throughout the site to add to the visual appeal of the area. As Gehl (2006) states, “a sculpture dramatically transforms an urban scene...” (pg. 62).

KEY Public Art Community Facilities Cultural Facilities Recreational Facilities Educational Facilities Seafront Axis Open Space network

Figure 7.29 - Ants and aphids cooperating (AskNature.org, 2010)

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7.9 Principle 6 - Promoting Sustainable Transport and Urbanism

Town Centre

Canvey Wick

Charlfeets Indsutrial Estate

The Gas Workscanvey will be integrated into the island and the regional passenger transport infrastructure by providing a range of transport modes and routes. A sustainable approach to transport is required to reduce demand on the existing road network (figure 7.30) and to create walkable and accessible neighbourhoods. This will be achieved by establishing a range of passenger transport options and integrating pedestrian and cycling infrastructure.

Water, resources and energy are also key issues for the development of The Gas Workscanvey. The urban design responses propose a public realm and built environment that represents international best practice standards of energy and resource efficiency.

Long Road

This includes: Canvey Seafront

Figure 7.30 - Existing transport connections

KEY

400m ped shed/ 5 min walk from transport node Existing bus stop

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•

Integrating Best Practice Stormwater Design and the efficient use of water resources;

•

Re-using of existing structures and infrastructure where possible;

•

Generating renewable energy on site;

•

Preserving coastal water quality and protecting ecological areas;

•

Protecting air quality and minimising traffic congestion;

•

Encouraging appropriate architectural responses to the site’s climatic conditions;

•

Providing for the efficient use of materials and energy;

•

Energy rated buildings (eg. BREEAM, Building for Life).

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Figure 7.31 - transport

7.9.1 Integrate Transport The main street will provide the link to the rest of the island with bus stops within five minute walk throughout the development (figure 7.31). The integrated street planning and design will create a place suitable for people, away from motor vehicles, as suggests Jones and others (2006).

Portland, USA (7.32) provides one such example of this.

Proposed bus routes will service both local destinations and the wider island connection. A transport interchange near the centre of the development will create a hub within close proximity to the seafront destinations.

KEY

400m ped shed/ 5 min walk Bus stop Main bus routes Collector route Pedestrian priority Public transport priority

Figure 7.32 - Integrated transport solution, Portland, USA (2011)

Figure 7.33 - Pedestrian and cycle routes

KEY

Key pedestrian and cycle routes Additional routes

7.9.2 Promote pedestrian and cycle routes Pedestrian and cycle networks (figure 7.33) and supporting infrastructure will be integrated into the public space and street networks.

These will link into the existing network already in place on the island. By providing more routes, throughout the development, the aim will be to reduce the need for use of motor vehicles and promote a healthier, active lifestyle increasing social sustainability. Hafencity, Hamburg provides a range of cycling and pedestrian routes throughout the development (figure 7.34).

Figure 7.34 - Cycling in Hafencity Hamburg (Hafencity, 2011)

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Photovoltaics

Canvey Waste

Wind Turbines

CO2

Farmland + Greehouses

Heat Storage CHP Unit

Bio Gas Plant (digester)

Residential

Electric vehicle Plant Filters

Mixed-uses

Sewers

Figure 7.35 - Sustainable closed-loop system

7.9.3 Integrate Sustainable Principles An innovative closed-loop system (figure 7.35) will be created for The Gas Workscanvey that integrates the following initiatives: • Stormwater treatment using plant filters • Stormwater ponds • Green roofs adopting the principles of Rotterdam Climiate Initiative (2011) whereby all flat roofs should be converted to green roofs, with grants available to subsidise installation

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• • • • •

Bio-gas, Combined Heat & Power (CHP), Heat storage plants Renewable energy use from wind turbines and solar panels Rain water storage in existing gas containers Public space incorporate stormwater/rain garden design principles Food production via allocation of allotments and street planters

KEY

Process Water treatment Food Recycling Clean Water Human Waste Energy

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Figure 7.36 - Integrating sustainable design into the development

The entire development will function as a trademark sustainable development using the principles developed from biomimicry and sustainable urbanism.

By creating the development to mimic an entire ecosystem, such as those found on Canvey Wick, the aim will be for the development to be carbon neutral, without the need to place an over-reliance on the infrastructure needs of the rest of Canvey Island.

Figure 7.36 develops the model of the closed-loop system

within the development context. This is based on the model of industrial ecology developed in places like the Kalundborg Eco-Industrial Park in Denmark. Kalundborg applies the exchange of waste and by-products (2012Architecten,2009).

Pawlyn (2011a) states that the goal of moving from a linear to a closed-loop system is to identify underutilsed resources as an opportunity rather than a problem. This can be done by creating synergies between technologies by assessing the inputs and outputs of each.

KEY Wind turbines Storm water ponds Bio Gas Plant Water treatment Existing overflow outflow New overflow outflow Sewage network Household waste network Biomimicry water storage Food production

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7.10 Indicative Framework Plan The following section illustrates the proposed development framework for The Gas Workscanvey.

It firstly identifies the existing extent and pattern of development and secondly indicates the proposed areas to which the urban design concepts apply (figure 7.37).

Thirdly, it illustrates the indicative development framework and the new street and public space networks. Additionally it illustrates the proposed site plan overlaid with the proposed public realm (public space and streetscape).

Height plans quantify the development proposed. This is illustrated in the framework plan and is subsequently represented in the indicative site sections and perspective views.

Following these plans are perspective views which illustrate the indicative character, scale and form of development, the proposed character of the public realm, and key design features of The Gas Workscanvey.

Figure 7.37- Proposed The Gas Workscanvey areas

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KEY

Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4

Ha ve nR

Figure 7.39 - Edinburgh Quay (Building Design, 2007)

oa d

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Mixed-use

tS tre

Lobster Smack Public House

Character A

Residential

Creek Mixed-use

Residential

Mixed-use lanade

Character C Residential

Water Storage

Canve y Esp

Residential

Hole Haven Creek

High Place

Water Storage

Mixed-use

•

Character C - dominated by a number of 4+ storey mixed-use buildings, eight converted gas containers and Mixed-use Mixed-use a sustainability information centre.

In the centre of the Plaza Mixed-use area is water-based housing on stilts, to create a wetland Mixed-usethe wetlands that dominated the area area mimicking Canvey Esplan ade in the past. The dutch are Mixed-use the experts of amphibious housing with an exemplar project Waterwijk, Rotterdam (figure 7.41). The blue networks of water channels Allotment and canals Leisure can be read as a continuous and allencompassing body of water in which the plots float like Pond green islands (Nillesen and Singelenberg, 2011).

Mixed-use Creek

Residential Mixed-use

Polde r

Character B - bounding the green lung in the west and north and the Canvey Monster Park in the east, this area is characterised by mixed-use buildings with views Mixed-useout Mixed-use to the green spaces. The buildings are of varying height Pond to create an interesting skyline and variety of built form.

The gas container in the north-west has been retained as Mixed-use water storage, based on theMixed-use water retention capabilities of cactus (figure 7.40).

Way

Mixed-use Estuary Park Pond

Mixed-use

Leisure Estuary Park

Leisure Outdoor Activities

Leisure

Figure 7.38 - Zone 1 Plan

Viewing platform

Figure 7.41 - Floating homes, Waterwijk, Rotterdam (Nillesen and Singleberg, 2012) Leisure 100m

200m

300m

400m

500m

Residential

Residential treet West S

Bio-mass Plant

ue

Mixed-use Residential

Residential

•

School

Way Forest

l Aven

Mixed-use

Mixed-use

Mixed-use

Residential

Residential

Mixed-use

Water Storage

Residential

Eas

Residential

Feelgood Park

Allotment

et

Residential

ay Estuary W

Character B

Figure 7.40 - Mimicking the water storing capabilities of Cactus (Asknature.org, 2010)

Street

Mixed-use

South

High Place

Residential

Character A - focused around the historic building, the Lobster Smack, and bounded by the sea wall in the south. Three mixed-use buildings, with active frontages will open up the area and connect with surrounding areas. The buildings will rise to 3 storeys to provide views over the sea wall and along the improved seafront.

Canvey Forest Edinburgh Quay (figure 7.39)on the Caledonian Canal is Residential an example of this type of character area.

Residential

Schoo

et

t

tS tre

th S tree

Eas

Nor

Green Lung

•

Water Storage

Thames Road

7.10.1 Zone 1 Key Concepts (figure 7.38) Green Lung

1km

115

Water Treatment

Mixed-use

Ha ve nR

oa d

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Character D - mixed-use building varying in height from 2 Residential to 4 storey. Shared space leading off Canvey Esplanade.

Hole Haven Creek

•

Character I - formed around an existing waterbody, the site mixes open space with residential and mixed-use buildings.

Leisure

•

Character J - the southern tip of the town square, this mixed use area creates a link to the sea wall and pier, with a number of retained buildings to be used for leisure activities.

100m

116

200m

300m

400m

500m

Mixed-use

Character G ue

Mixed-use

Canve y Esp

lanade

Mixed-use

Mixed-use

Mixed-use

Character D Mixed-use

Creek

Polde r

Way

Thames Road

Character H

Mixed-use

South

Water Storage

Character I

Plaza

Mixed-use

Canvey Esp

Mixed-use

Pond

Mixed-use

Mixed-use

Mixed-use

Mixed-use

Character H - a mixed-use set of buildings of varying Estuary Park height, reducing as it steps away from Canvey Esplanade.

•

Residential

t

Mixed-use

Residential

Pond

Residential

Creek

et

Bio-mass Plant

Mixed-use

l Aven

Residential a new town Character G Mixed-use - along Canvey Esplanade, Lobster Smack Residential square Public House with a number of landmark buildings. All flat roofs Residential will have green roofs increase biodiversity and provide Residential insulation. The Omni Centre in Edinbrugh isResidential a modern example of this (figure 7.45).

Water Storage

tre West S

Mixed-use

Character E

High Place

th S tree

Mixed-use

Mixed-use

Storage

•

Residential

Residential

Character F

School

Residential

Residen

ay Estuary W

tS tre

combining Character F - a school for The Gas Workscanvey Residential both lower and upper schools located within 800m of the entire site. A mix of residential and mixed use. The Icon Mixed-use Innovation Centre provides an example of sustainable educational design (figureWater 7.43). Mixed-use

Residential

Residential

Residential

Residential

Feelgood Park

Allotment

Way Forest

Residential Canvey Forest

Mixed-use

Street

Character E - a residential area to the north and east with Residential a mix of apartments and housing. On the main streets, active frontages with retail on the ground floors.

Residential

Residential

High Place

Eas

•

Figure 7.44 - Landhausplatz, Innsbruck, Austria, by LAAC Architects (2011)

Mixed-use

et

et

•

tS tre

Nor

•

Water Storage

Eas

Green Lung

Schoo

7.10.2 Zone 2 Key Concepts (figure 7.42) Green Lung

Figure 7.43 - Icon Innovation Centre at the University of Nottingham, by Consarc Architects (Archdaily.com, 2011)

Water Treatment

Resi

M

lanade

Character J

Allotment

Mixed-use

Leisure Pond

Viewing platform

Estuary Park

Leisure Outdoor Activities

Leisure

1km

Figure 7.45 Intensive Green Roof Leisure on the Omni Centre, Edinburgh (2010)

Viewing platform

Figure 7.46 Allotment, York (2011)

Figure 7.42 - Zone 2 Plan

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ne

ey orn Th

yB ay Figure 7.48- Energy production Roa d in the London Olympic Park (John McAslan + Partners, 2010)

Bay

7.10.3 Zone 3 Key Concepts (figure 7.47)

Ro ad

Mixed-use

Mixed-use

Residential

et

tre West S

Figure 7.49 - 8 House by Brake Ingels Groups (BIG, 2011)

Character N Residential

Bio-mass Plant

Residential

Allotment

Allotment

Character O

Water Treatment Residential

Mixed-use

Residential

Residential

Character N - focused around a wetland area, floating dwellings will introduce a new type of housing typology for Canvey Island.

•

Character O - a mixed-use and residential area with a broad mix of property types.

•

Character P - - same as Character O, facing the skate park across the main road to the south. The Gold Route in Sheffield provides active leisure facilities such as skate park Devonshire Green (figure 7.50).

Character P

e lanad y Esp Canve

Mixed-use

lanade

Allotment

Mixed-use

Viewing platform

Viewing platform

Outdoor Activities

Estuary Park

Figure 7.50 - Devonshire Green Skate Park on the Gold Route (2010)

Figure 7.47 - Zone 3 Plan

Outdoor Activities

•

Parkland

Skate Park Canvey Esp

Character M - various residential types from terrace housing to apartment and maisonettes. At pedestrian and vehicle nodes, active frontages will be provided by introducing retail at the ground floor level.

ew

High Place

Horney Bay

Mixed-use

Garain Vi

ay Estuary W

Street South

Mixed-use

Character M Residential

e Thorn

Character L

venue y Bay A

Pond

Mixed-use

•

Residential

Playground

Mixed-use

Character L - the energy production of The Gas Workscanvey, similar to the power production plant in the London Olympic Park (figure 7.48). A new Biomass digester plant will provide energy for the area linked to the refurbished water treatment plant. Views of these will be minimised by strategic planting.

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Character K - the gateway onto the site from the eastern edges (e.g. 8 House by BIG, figure 7.49), a number of 3+ storey mixed-use buildings will provide the entrance to The Gas Workscanvey. The residential properties will be of varying heights ranging from 2 bedroom to 4 bedroom with various ownership and rental types.

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Figure 7.53 - Venice Beach, USA (2011)

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Figure 7.54 - Tel Aviv Port Regneration, Israel, by Mayslits Kassif Architects Studios (2011)

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Figure 7.51 - Zone 4 Plan

Figure 7.55 - Elwood Foreshore, Australia, by Aspect Studios (2011)

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Figure 7.56 - Dover Esplanade, UK,

by Tonkin Liu (2009)

Figure 7.57 - Maloov Axis, Denmark, by Adept Architects (2011)

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7.10.4 Zone 4 Key Concepts (figure 7.51) • Character Q - the redevelopment of the existing piers into leisure attractions (e.g. Brighton Pier figure 7.52) that will provide footfall generators for the seafront. The existing seawall will be extended on both sides to create a more visually appealing stepped promenade that allows access from the north, similar to Venice Beach (figure 7.53) and Elwood Foreshore (figure 7.56). The existing grassed slope of the wall will be raised to allow for access over the sea wall and the creation of various passive recreation spaces providing shelter from the elements creating a unique microclimate. • Character R - by building a number of towers at regular intervals along the seafront they will create landmarks that draw people along the seafront. These towers will create viewing platforms over Canvey Island and the Thames Estuary out to Kent in the south.

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7.10.5 Indicative Site Plan The Indicative Site Plan (figure 7.58) illustrates the development potential within The Gas Workscanvey and the anticipated grain and scale of built form. Development sites are indicative only and represent a range of architectural responses to the proposed sites. The site plan also illustrates the proposed public space network.

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Estuary Park - a linear park parallel to the seafront. It varies in height with a number of different pedestrian and cycle routes. Spaces for extreme sports and climbing are also provided.

• Feelgood Park - developed around the existing gas containers, the park provides open spaces and trails for active and passive recreation.

• Town Square - the focal point of The Gas Workscanvey, the square provides a variety of seating typologies and flexibility of use.

• Floating Parklands - located in a residential area, this provides green and blue space for active and passive recreation.

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7.10.7 Site Infrastructure Additional infrastructure will be required to facilitate development of The Gas Workscanvey. This includes:

Viewing platform

Viewing platform

7.10.6 Public Space Network The public space network includes a diverse range of spaces which will reinforce the Canvey Island seafront Horney Bayand maximise access to the water’s edge. The condition, sequence of public spaces proposed includes:

Outdoor Activities

• • • • •

Estuary Park

• •

Viewing platform

Connection to Roscommon Way in the west New bridges over the channels and canals A transport interchange at the town square Extended sea wall providing active seafront access Biomass digester plant and improved water treatment plant Improved access from Thorney Bay Road New connection to Thorney Bay Road in the east.

River Thames

Figure 7.58 - Indicative Site Plan for The Gas WorksCanvey

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Figure 7.59 - Building Grain

7.11 Density and Height An appropriate scale of development (figure 7.59) has been achieved by increasing the density of development by building mixed-use properties across the site and increasing the height comparative to that already on the island.

7.11.1 Building Grain At regular intervals a variety of open spaces has been achieved by building taller to provide viewing points and increase the building density to the requirements laid down by the Urban Place Supplement (2007) of up to 65 dwellings per hectare.

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Figure 7.60 - Building Heights

Key 1 storey 2 storey 2 storey 4 + storey

7.11.2 Building Heights The proposed maximum permitted building heights for The Gas Workscanvey will achieve an appropriate scale in relation to the seafront context and the proposed street and public space networks. The height plan (figure 7.60) has been developed in order to: • Avoid monotonous building height; • Establish appropriate seafront edge conditions; • Create an appropriate seafront scale and grain of development; • Reinforce the 4 four character areas; • Reinforce the urban structure and legibility of The Gas Workscanvey; • Encourage quality built form; • Preserve sight lines between The Gas Workscanvey and adjacent areas.

Figure 7.61 on the next page provides a section through the main street from west to east.

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Green Edge

Gateway mixeduse building from the west

Water Storage

Church Spire

Figure 7.61 - Section along Canvey Esplanade in The Gas WorksCanvey. This shows the variety of building heights and green spaces through the development

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Tall building at the Town Square

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Energy and water recycling

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Floating homes

Gateway mixeduse buildings from the east

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7.12 Street Sections These street sections illustrate the indicative width of footpaths, carriageways, streets, building heights, and the public-private interface relating to the various The Gas Workscanvey character areas (figure 7.62). These are as follows:

A C A C

A. Zone 1 - East Street (figure 7.63) B. Zone 2 - Canvey Esplanade (figure 7.64) C. Zone 3 - West Street (figure 7.65)

E

D. Zone 4 - Sea wall, wide space (figure 7.66) E. Zone 4 - Sea wall, narrow space (figure 7.67) F. Zone 4 - Sea wall, pier (figure 7.68)

B

F B

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D

Figure 7.62 - Illustrative sections through the site

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Figure 7.63 - Example Section A-A Zone 1

Figure 7.64 - Example Section B-B Zone 2

Figure 7.65 - Example Section C-C Zone 3

Figure 7.66 - Example Section D-D Zone 4

Figure 7.67 - Example Section E-E Zone 4

Figure 7.68 - Example Section F-F Zone 4

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Figure 7.69 - Proposed Framework Plan

KEY

7.13 Indicative Land Use Mix

Residential

The proposed land use mix for The Gas Works is illustrated in the Proposed Framework Plan (figure 7.69). canvey

This illustrates the extent of open space and the dominant land use activities contained within the various development sites. It also indicates the proposed locations for other special uses such as potential cultural or community buildings.

Mixed-use Licensed & Leisure Energy & Waster Education Religion Hotel Water Storage

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7.14 Building Height and Form For the purposes of this report it will not be necessary to provide Development Controls for all of the plots. As such, 3 sites have been chosen to give an example of the requirements, ranging from an apartment block, mixed-use building and a residential properties control.

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Figure 7.70 - Example of apartment building in Zone 1

Figure 7.71 - Example of mixed-use building in Zone 2

Figure 7.72 - Example of residential building in Zone 3

7.14.2 Apartment Building (figure 7.70)

7.14.3 Mixed-use Building (figure 7.71)

7.14.3 Mixed-use Building (figure 7.72)

Block size approx. 19m x35m

Block size approx. 35m x21m

Block size approx. 30m x25m

• Height = 16m including roof • Verandah controls at north and western edge • Frontage to Lane provides atrium to 12m • Active frontage to lane on eastern edge

• • • •

• • • • • •

Height = 23m including roof Ground floor setback 25m all around Active Frontage to Canvey Esplanade to 5m View shaft to western edge

Max. Height = 10m including roof Max. Building width = 10m Change in height of roofs of 1m Property stepped back at intervals of 2m Garden plots approx 17m x 10m Active frontage to Forest Way and Craven Avenue

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Figure 7.75

Feelgood Park

Canvey Esplande

Skate Park

Floating Parklands

Figure 7.73

Gateway development

Figure 7.73 - View into Zone 1 looking north

Figure 7.74 - View into Zone 2 looking east

Figure 7.75 - View into Zone 3 looking west

7.15 Zone Views

7.15.2 Zone 2 View from the west (figure 7.74) looking along Canvey Esplanade. Developments heights rise to 45m along the esplanade flowing down to 11m as you move north.

7.15.3 Zone 3 View from the south-east (figure 7.75) showing how the open space and residential area connect to Thorney Bay Road in the north. The landmark building at the gateway to the site is clearly shown.

7.15.1 Zone 1 View from the south (figure 7.73) showing the Lobster Smack and how Zone 4 connects with Zone 1. The tall building and stilt housing is clearly visible.

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Viewing plattform

Figure 7.77

Sculptured seafront

Figure 7.76

Figure 7.76- View along Zone 4 looking west

Figure 7.77 - View along Zone 4 looking east

7.15.4 Zone 4 (West) View from the east showing the variety of buildings along the seafront (figure 7.76). The three viewing towers add to the built form and create destinations along the waters edge.

7.15.6 The Gas Workscanvey Gateways On the following page are views into the site from each of the gateways. They are as follows:

7.15.5 Zone 4 (East) View from the west (figure 7.77) showing the open space between the built form and seafront. The 4 piers with leisure and cultural destinations can clearly be seen.

• • • •

Canvey Wick - showing the western edge of the development (figure 7.78) with a varied skyline.

Haven Road - an existing access road to the development (figure 7.79) is clearly identifiable by the gas container highlighting the gateway.

Thames Road - the second existing access road (figure 7.80) highlighting the treeline providing screening to the rear of the residential properties Thorney Bay Road - a new gateway in the site connecting to Thorney Bay Road (figure 7.81).

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Figure 7.80 Figure 7.81

Figure 7.78 - View into site from Canvey Wick

Figure 7.79 - View into site from Haven Road

Figure 7.80 - View into the site from Thames Road

Figure 7.81 - View into site from Thorney Bay Road

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1

2

3

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10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

DEMOLITION SITE CLEARANCE REMEDIATION

The Gas Workscanvey is a long-term regeneration project and as such could take a number of years to put together the parcels of land to be able to move forward to the planning stage of development. Phasing (figure 7.82) is as follows: Step 1 - Demolish Once the site is vacant, all buildings that are not to be retained will be demolished and the site cleared. All materials will be reused where possible.

INFRASTRUCTURE

DESIGN AND BUILD PUBLIC PARK CONSTRUCTION OF ZONE 3

Step 2 - Land Remediation The industrial land will need extensive remediation to remove contaminates. By looking to nature for inspiration, phytoremediation techniques will be used to clean the land. A large park will be created with greenhouses (figure 7.83) to aid the cleaning of the soil, similar to that at DuisburgNord (figure 7.84) During this period, infrastructure will be put in place, (including biomass digester plant and the refurbishment of the water treatment plant). The first stage of built form can be constructed, Zone 3. Dixon and others (2007) argue that sustainable greenspace has to be carefully managed to ensure that the contaminates in the soil do not pose health risks.

CONSTRUCTION OF ZONE 2 CONSTRUCTION OF ZONE 4 CONSTRUCTION OF ZONE 1 COMPLETION

Figure 7.82 - Gantt Chart of the Construction Period

Step 3 - Zones 2 + 4 Once the industrial land has been cleaned, construction of the improved seafront (Zone 4) and the town square (Zone 2) can be undertaken simultaneously.

Step 4 - Zone 1 To complete The Gas Workscanvey, Zone 1 will be developed to link the entire site to the rest of the island.

Figure 7.83 - Biodomes to create productive landscapes at the Eden Project, Cornwall (Eden Project, 2006)

Figure 7.84 - Creating parkland out of an industrial landscape at Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord (2008)

Step 5 - Completion The aim is the completion of this long-term strategy for 2040.

As new construction techniques become available these should be integrated into the construction. This will minimise the environmental impact of the development and make it carbon neutral.

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Mimicking nature in the design framework

7.17 Biomimicry in Urban Design The basis of this research and design project is to identify whether biomimicry can be used in an urban design context.

This section has built upon the foundations laid throughout the previous sections that have adopted a number of processes and strategies from nature.

Figure 7.87 identifies a number of strategies of biomimicry developed from the initial research.

REPLICATE STRATEGIES THAT WORK

Built from case studies of similar sites and sustainable urbanism models

!

Buildings can be used for a variety of uses dependent on market demand for space

USE MULTI-FUNCTIONAL DESIGN

Public spaces are flexible for use for a number of purposes

RECYCLE ALL MATERIALS

Water is recycled, buildings refurbished and waste is kept in a closed-loop system.

FIT FORM TO FUNCTION

Drainage systems are in place to store excess rainwater

MAINTAIN INTEGRITY THROUGH SELF-RENEWAL

Figure 7.85 - Life’s Principles Sustainability wheel (Biomimicry 3.8, 2011) developed for use within an urban design context.

Figure 7.86 - Strategies developed for The Gas Workscanvey

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EXAMPLES

INTEGRATE THE UNEXPECTED

By evaluating the project against Life’s Principles Sustainability wheel (figure 7.85), explained in Section 2, the framework can be tested to find what level of sustainability can be achieved. Figure 7.86 aligns the capillaries of the sustainability wheel with those that are relevant to urban design.

It is clear that the design for the development need to achieve a number of objectives from the outset of this project. The strategies adopted are interlinked, such as, ‘recycle all materials’ and ‘self-organising’.

STRATEGIES

Stage 7

INCORPORATE DIVERSITY

Mixed-use development

SELF-ORGANISE

A green network links the site to the Canvey Wick to the west and Canvey Seafront in the east

COMBINE MODULAR AND NESTED COMPONENTS

Buildings interact with their urban and green spaces

DO CHEMISTRY IN WATER

Phyto-remediation techniques will cleanse the soil before development takes place

USE READILY AVAILABLE MATERIALS AND ENERGY

Sustainably source materials and create a network a closed-loop energy network for the area

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USE MULTI-FUNCTIONAL DESIGN

RECYCLE ALL MATERIALS

Case studies identified best practice on projects ranging from Letchworth Garden City to the London Olympic Park

Bio-mass digester plant and water purification reusing existing infrastructure along with plant filters

FIT FORM TO FUNCTION

Water channels, porous paving, SUDs and water tanks based on cacti have been created to store storm water

INCORPORATE DIVERSITY

Throughout the site is a high number of mixed-use buildings with active ground floors suitable for a variety of uses. The centre of the development has the highest concentration of mixed-use buildings.

Ce ntr al are ao f th ed ev elo pm en t

COMBINE MODULAR AND NESTED COMPONENTS

Active frontages allow users access to green space and creates a connection to the natural landscape

SELF-ORGANISE

The development is linked to the green infrastructure network in the Thames Estuary and that on the island.

REPLICATE STRATEGIES THAT WORK

Case studies identified best practice on projects ranging from Letchworth Garden City to the London Olympic Park INTEGRATE THE UNEXPECTED

!

The buildings are adaptable with the framework laying down the foundations that can be developed in master plans and detailed architectural designs at a meso and micro-level design stage.

Figure 7.87 - A number of the strategies in place throughout the development

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7.18 Ideas from Nature The next two pages highlight where each of the organism/ ecosystems were used to aid the designs. By combining strategies the designs are hoped to integrate nature in the majority of the framework, proving that using biomimicry can be useful to urban design and masterplanning. These are as follows: • • • • • • •

Site planning Street network and hierarchy Pedestrian and cycle routes Community, cultural and recreational facilities Building heights Integration of sustainable design Built form uses Pedestrian and cycle routes

Mycorrhizae fungi • Communication networks • Movements

Fluid movement through lead capillaries • Site planning • Movement

Figure 7.88 - Organisms/ecosystems used to aid the design stages of the Urban Design Framework

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Street network and hierarchy

Site Planning

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Desert cactus • Water storage • Climate change • Protection

Built form uses

Shrill Carder Bee • Building re-use • Locally sourced materials

Integrating sustainable design Resilient grasslands • Form and function design • Mixed-use • Shelter • Working with the elements

Ants and aphids • Cooperation • Urban farming

Riparian water channels• Green networks • Water purification • Storage • Food • Shelter

Building heights

Community, cultural and recreational facilities

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7.19 Conclusions This section developed the urban design framework for The Gas Workscanvey using biomimicry principles working alongside sustainable urbanism techniques to provide a carbon neutral development that complements the existing development on Canvey Island and creates a 21st century destination within the Thames Gateway.

The section is introduced by the vision for a sustainable ‘live, work, learn and play’ development acting as a focal point for the island. These developed six key Urban Design Principles based on connectivity, continuity, diversity, appropriateness, mix of uses and sustainability.

These principles developed are the responses to the design challenges developed from the context and site appraisals.

By using nature as a mentor to develop responses to these challenges, it clearly shows that biomimicry can work alongside ‘green’ urbanism principles and be a positive benefit to the design field.

The Indicative Urban Design Framework Plan introduced 18 different areas across the site and how they interlink with each other. Building density and uses were explained, along with key viewpoints into and out of the site.

The section concluded with the indicative development process, from initial site clearance and remediation, stage development and completion of the site the over a twenty three-year period.

The next section will develop in detail four different sites across The Gas Workscanvey.

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008/ indicative design options “We can reduce our footrpint by producing more with less and consuming better, wiser and less.�

WWF Life Planet Report (2012)

8.1 Introduction The previous section laid out the basis for the Urban Design Framework for the development site, The Gas Workscanvey.

Developing the principles of biomimicry by finding solutions to the design challenges from nature, the framework developed a mixed-use sustainable development with consideration for the environment and the locality of the site.

This section will further develop a number of sites (figure 8.1) within The Gas Workscanvey; water storage, a mixed-use development, a new town square; and floating homes.

These proposals will follow the guidelines from the framework, along with providing information about materials, street lighting and housing construction.

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008/ indicative design options 2. Mixed-use The concept will be a development of mixed-use buildings and public spaces along the main transport corridor.

3. Town Square With many larger developments, there is a need to create a focal point and as such the development will benefit from a new town square with open space and transport links to the rest of the island.

Figure 8.1 - Design Areas

1. Refurbished Water Towers The designs will refurbish the gas containers for use as water storage, to minimise the impact of drier periods and resulting climate change.

4. Floating Homes The development plot will introduce a number of residential properties, both floating and amphibious housing to protect from the potential of flooding in the area.

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Intensive green roof

8.2 Water Storage

Bridge Extensive green roof

An innovative solution for water storage and treatment was developed in Section 6 (Biological Systems Analysis) and Section 7 (Urban Design Framework).

The process identified the cactus and how it stores water in a dry climate when rainfall is infrequent. This is coupled with the re-introduction of water channels throughout The Gas Workscanvey to store excess storm water for use within the green infrastructure and the productive urban landscape.

A

Figure 8.3 - Shanghai Houtan Park

by Turenscape (Landezine, 2011)

The aerial view of one such site can be seen in figure 8.2. This shows five retained gas containers set within a landscaped setting surrounded by water channels. Shanghai Houtan Park (figure 8.3) is a former brownfield site with integrated water features. These containers will combine a functional context with the addition of a built form feature relating back to the former use of the development site, similar to Blast Furnace Park (figure 8.4).

Water containers

D

C

A raised walkway will allow people to explore the water storage tanks and activate the built form within the landscape. Activities that can be carried out in this park include both passive and active recreation as follows: • Passive recreation - picnic area, nature trails, birdspotting • Active recreation - ball games, sports, model boating, climbing, cycling, running 8.2.1 Views of the park The page opposite shows views of the park in use as follows: A. B. C. D.

Figure 8.5: South eastwards Figure 8.6: North Figure 8.7: East Figure 8.8: West

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B Figure 8.4 - Blast Furnance Park, Landschaftspark Duisburg Nord by Latz + Partner (Landezine, 2009) Figure 8.2 - Aerial view of the water storage park

Water channel

Sustainable urban drainage system

008/ indicative design options Viewing platform

Intensive green roof

Figure 8.5- (A) view into the looking south-eastwards into the parkland from the 5th floor of the tall building

Water channel Spire

Figure 8.7- (C) view eastwards of the water storage tanks in use

Climbing wall

Permeable paving

Raised grass mounds

Open green space

Figure 8.6 - (B) looking into the park from the southern edge

Open space

Figure 8.8 - (D) view westwards into the parkland showing the scale of development

Water storage

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8.2.2 Landscaping To create a ‘sense of place’ the park will incorporate a variety of flora to compliment the rich and varied landscape found on Canvey Island.

Figure 8.10 Intensive green roof

Figure 8.11 - Red beds

The creation of green spaces will fit into the urban design framework by creating a network of green infrastructure, on the ground-level, water channels, rooftops and vertical surfaces. Figure 8.7 shows an annotated isometric view of the park, with landscaping as follows: Ground level: • Manicured and natural grasses.

• A variety of plants incorporating those from the biodiversity audit in Section 4.

• Porous paving to allow for stormwater to soak away into the water channels, or be stored in water containers.

Water channels: • Reed bed plant filters to clean the stormwater.

• A variety of riparian planting to provide habitats for the local wildlife.

Figure 8.12 climbing wall

Rooftops: • Extensive green roofs to provide habits to increase biodiversity.

• Intensive green roofs to provide urban farming.

Vertical Surfaces: • Green walls to provide habitats, food production and shelter the water containers from the sun.

• Climbing walls incorporated into the vertical surfaces of the water containers to provide an active recreational pastime.

Figure 8.9 - Isometric view of the water storage park

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Figure 8.13 Natural Grassland

Ask Nature - Roots maximize water uptake: plants

Created: 2012-01-28 Updated: 2012-01-28

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Roots maximize water uptake: plants

8.2.3 Anatomy of water storage The cactus is a superb example of an organism that has adapted to be fit for purpose. “Some desert plants have had to develop root systems that are far deeper than they are tall and extend laterally a very long way beyond the furthest extent of their foliage. Even if the environment is wellwatered, a plant may still need to compete with others for this essential commodity, so it positions a network of roots (figure 8.14) within a few inches of the soil surface, where it can gather the rain water before others can.” (Attenborough 1995).

Figure 8.14 - Tree routes

This process will be built into the water storage containers to (AskNature, 2012) draw water from the water channels within the development.

This will reduce urban runoff by integrating root design into pavement or building designs. Given that the water tanks Roots plants maximize will be liable to solar heating, the surface willofbe covered in water uptake by adapting their orientation to the environment. vegetation. This will provide a habitat for wildlife, but act like the skin of the cactus by reducing theBiomimicry internal temperature, Taxonomy to minimse evaporation.

Get, store, or distribute resources >

An excellent example of desert architecture, MMA’s new Capture, absorb, or filter > building (figure 8.15) is designed to be very energy efficient Liquids and utilise sun shades on its windows. This is similar to how a cactus chooses to perform transpiration at night rather IdeasFigure 8.15 - MMMA building, Qatar during the day in order to retain waterBiomimetic (Meinhold,Application 2009).

by Aesthetics Architects (Inhabitat, “For the roots of a plant to extract requires making more 2009) surface, and thus it takes a very great pull, one that appears - Reduce urban runoff by integrating root design into pavement or building designs as an additional (negative) component of the pressure in the vessels running up a stem or trunk. So the pull needed to get water free of soil can exceed both the pull that keeps water (c) Ask Nature - Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License. except where noted. moving in the vessels and the pull that counteracts gravity.”

(Vogel 2003) Figure 8.16 gives a breakdown of the water storage process.

Page 1/3

Figure 8.16 - breakdown of the water storage process

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Figure 8.17 - view looking south-eastwards into the parkland from the 5th floor of the tall building

008/ indicative design options Commercial building Public square

Commercial building

Place of worship

8.3 Mixed-use This development block is intersected by the main highway running through The Gas Workscanvey. It will provide a range of buildings from residential, mixed-use properties, commercial and a place of multi-faith worship.

E

Open spaces include a formal square overlooking the pond, similar to that off Dijver in Brugge (figure 8.19) and number of green spaces with both formal and naturalistic planting.

E

H

Figure 8.18 provides an aerial view of the site highlighting the key buildings and spaces. The Bridge is Dartford sets a precedent in community design (figure 8.20).

The site is dominated by water, which is part of the storm water collection system. In addition, it creates a visually appealing landmark that will provide habitats for various flora and fauna.

Figure 8.19 - Formal tree planting on a square off Dijver, Brugge (2012)

G

8.3.1 Views of the mixed-use area The next page shows views of the mixed-use area as follows: E. F. G. H.

Figure 8.21: East along Canvey Esplanade Figure 8.22: Frontages of the residential properties Figure 8.23: North view over the pond Figure 8.24: West along Canvey Esplanade

F Allotments

Figure 8.18 - Aerial view of a mixed use zone

Residential

Pond

Mixed-use building Figure 8.20 - The Bridge, Dartford

by Hemingway Design (Hemingway Design, 2008)

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Figure 8.21 - (E) Looking east along the main street Varied sklyline

Figure 8.23 - (G) Mixed use building with active frontage

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Pubic square

Frontage minimises solar glare

Playground

Mix of materials

Figure 8.22 - (F) Frontage of the residential properties

Figure 8.24 - (H) Street view west along the main street Active frontage

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Place of worship

Commercial

8.3.2 Building typologies Part of the strategy of the framework for The Gas Workscanvey is to create a mixed-used development that will establish ‘social cohesion and a sense of belonging’ (Jacobs, 1960).

This will be accomplished by ensuring that pavements and paths are treated as public spaces and designed with the same required attention as plazas and squares.

Commercial

In addition, Jacobs refers to cities as ecosystems with each be it, sidewalks, parks, neighbourhoods, government, economy, functioning together synergistically, in the same manner as a natural ecosystem. A flower meadow performs in the same way as this.

Mixed-use

The variety of building types aid the creation of social cohesion by allowing for a mix of uses throughout the day.

These are as follows: •

Place of worship - the spire creates a visual landmark, but is also in a central position to attract all types of worshippers rather than segregate.

•

Residential properties - due to the potential for flooding these are narrow, but tall, with many rising to 4 storeys this will provide views over the sea wall.

•

Mixed-use - the ground floor of the buildings will be retail, with either studios, apartments or office space on the upper floors

•

Commercial - created to attract business to Canvey Island, these will be easily accessible and provide lowcost space due to sustainable design to create buildings that work with the elements, rather than against. This will include: rainwater collection and re-use, passive heating, rooftop solar panels and a solar shield.

Residential

Figure 8.7 - Bird’s eye view of the mixed use area

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//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Semi-intensive green roof

Modular extensive green roof system

Granite Absolute Black Planters

8.3.3 Material Pallette To be able to create successful spaces, there is a need to choose the correct materials so that they work with the buildings and bring harmony to the development. The Gas Workscanvey is no different.

The choice of materials to be considered within the realms of sustainability does not mean just sourcing from local suppliers. The whole cost must be taken into account from the cost of mining, production, shipping and installation.

The materials that have been selected for this case study area have been selected to be functional and fit for purpose.

The sample materials are as follows: •

Modular extensive green roof - ANS Group Euripue can install a modular system which can incorporate additional indigenous species of wild flower and grasses for added colour and interest. This can be moved in sections to aid roof works underneath.

•

Semi-intensive green roof - ideal for a wide range of perennials, grasses and even small growing shrubs and evergreens depending on the construction depth and irrigation options. Information from Rooflitesoil.com

•

Porous paving - Hardscape UK produce a range of sustainable porous paving systems to aid rain water drainage

•

Kerbs - Hardscape UK produce a range of sustainable granite kerb stones

•

Planters Hardscape UK produce a range of sustainable granite planters

Granite Alpendorada Grey Kerbs

Porous paving

Figure 8.8 - (E) Example of materials used on the main street

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Figure 8.23 - View west along the main street

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Cafe style seating

Change in material to create feature in the square

Landmark building

Shell of gas container reused as building fabric

8.4 Town Square The Gas Workscanvey will be provided with a new town square to complement the existing town centre, 800m to the northeast.

L

Located on Canvey Esplanade, the main route through the development, the site will act as a focal point and meeting place. Bus routes will provide transportation to the rest of the island and beyond, along with access to the various cycle and pedestrian routes throughout the area.

47m

The town square will be surrounded by a variety of buildings, a landmark tall building and one of the former gas containers refurbished to provide an architectural feature, to mixed-use buildings. The space is designed to be flexible for a wide range of uses. The retail space fronting the square offers outdoor seating space to compliment that provided by the benches.

Figure 8.25 - Praca Pasteur, Lisbon, Portugal. 0.64 ha (105m x 55m)

59m

I

121m

H

J

The town square has an area of 0.57 hectare (1.4 acre), although it is divided by shared space running through the centre. The western space is 0.28 hectare with the eastern side 0.22 hectare. A number of town squares and plazas across Europe are of a similar size, from the tree-covered Praca Pasteur (figure 8.25) the open Piazza Daniele (figure 8.26) and the enclosed Brunswick Square (figure 8.27).

Figure 8.26 - Piazza Daniele Manin, Pisa, Italy. 0.29 ha (65m x 44m)

8.4.1 Views of the town square The next page shows views of the town square as follows: I. J. K. L.

Figure 8.28: East into the Town Square Figure 8.29: North into the Square Figure 8.30: West into the Square Figure 8.31: South viewing the connection to the sea wall

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Figure 8.24 - Aerial view of new town square Shared space

Bench seating Figure 8.27 - Brunswick Square, Birmingham, UK. 0.35 ha (70m x 50m)

008/ indicative design options Varied skyline

Figure 8.28 - (I) View east into the town square

Figure 8.30 - (K) View west into the town square

Wide streets

Figure 8.29 - (J) View looking north through the town square

Flexible space

Shared space

Figure 8.31 - (L) View south through the town square North-south links

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Buildings provide shelter

Shared space slows vehicles

Variety of seating options

Figure 8.33 - Elithis Tower by (Arte Charpentier Architects), the first energy positive office building (Inhabitat.com, 2011)

Flexible space for range of uses

Attractive edges to the square

Figure 8.32 - Isometric view of the town square

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Appropriate choice of materials

Figure 8.34 - Street performances in Covent Garden, London (Project for Publics Spaces, 2010)

8.4.2 Town Square Qualities “City spaces are places where children and adults from all cultures and lifestyles can move freely and meet to socialise and play and enjoy experiences with visual appeal� as reveals Jan Gehl (2006: pg.106). He continues that spaces should offer protection, comfort and enjoyment for the users. This has developed into 12 quality criteria that the town square design will use as a benchmark. These are as follows: Protection: 1. The main road skirts the edge of the space, with traffic calming to slow traffic and eliminate the fear of traffic.

2. Creation of a lively public realm with the focus on the space with overlapping functions and good street lighting. Tall buildings (E.g. Elithis Tower, figure 8.33) provide shelter from the elements and reduced traffic speeds will minimise noise pollution.

Comfort: 4. The squares are designed for permeability with minimal barriers to movement.

5. A variety of ground floor uses and attractive edges will provide opportunities and reasons to stay.

6. A variety of spaces and seating types will provide views, sun and shade.

7. Interesting views with a variety of architecture coupled with night time street lighting (figure 8.36).

8. Seating areas created to provide low noise levels and opportunities to talk.

9. Street entertainment space, day and night, summer and winter (E.g. Covent Garden, London. figure 8.34).

Enjoyment: 10. The surrounding buildings do not dominate the space and are designed to a human scale.

11. Enjoyment of the local climate (figure 8.38 and 8.39).

12. Appropriate materials, views and planting.

008/ indicative design options Figure 8.37 - Shading analysis (clockwise from top left) 9am, 12pm, 3pm and 6pm in mid-July.

Figure 8.38 - Microclimate.

Buildings protect the square from winds and provide shade at the hottest parts of the day.

Figure 8.36 - Night time lighting of the town square

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Figure 8.39 - View east into the town square

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8.5 Floating Homes Given the height of the island relative to sea level the development calls for innovative solutions for the design of the buildings. The framework has stated two ways of working with these parameters, build taller and build amphibious properties. The concept is similar to that developed by Floating Concepts mentioned in Section 1, but more in keeping with the Dutch designs for housing.

Off-street car parking

Community allotments

M

This development plot is for 28 houses, of 2 and 3 bedrooms with yards/gardens arranged to maximise the sunlight across the south of the development.

P

Figure 8.41 - Aqua Vista Housing, Almere by Theo Verburg Architecten (Theo Verburg, 2004)

The housing will be connected to a spit, a narrow strip of land that juts out into the water (Nillesen and Singelenberg, 2011). The spits will allow road access and increase the potential waterfrontage for the properties. To the west of the site is a parking area that will be hidden from the main road by greenhouses, trees and the allotments for the local residents.

In terms of the building design, these will be similar to those found in Almere (figure 8.41) with the brickwork selected for the properties to shimmer just like the water in the plot.

O

X X N

In the event of extreme rainfall, the public park to the south will act as a sustainable urban drainage system for the eastern side of The Gas Workscanvey.

8.5.1 Views of the floating homes The next page shows views of the floating homes as follows: M. N. O. P.

Figure 8.43: East along Canvey Esplanade Figure 8.44: Frontages of the residential properties Figure 8.45: North view over the pond Figure 8.46: West along Canvey Esplanade

Figure 8.40 - Aerial view of the floating area

Tree line creates privacy to rear of homes

Public space connects to the water channels

Figure 8.42 - Magellen Terraces in Hafencity, Hamburg, connect to the surrounding water (Hafencity, 2010)

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Wide streets

Figure 8.43 - (M) View south of the floating homes

Figure 8.45 - (O) Allotments and view of the park

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South-facing balconies

Allotment

Green roofs

Appropriate choice of materials Figure 8.44 - (N) Rear of floating homes

Figure 8.46 - (P) View from apartments in to the floating homes zone Connection to water

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8.5.2 Water community The creation of the floating home development within The Gas Workscanvey, aims to provide future-proof solution to building on flood plains.

By designing for potential increases in water levels through architecture, urban and landscape design, places and spaces will work harmoniously together.

Throughout The Gas Workscanvey a number of the taller buildings will serve the purpose of safe havens in the event of extreme flooding. Clear exit routes will also direct the occupiers to these high place. Figure 8.47 shows the flood risk management strategy for the floating home zone.

The section on the next page (figure 8.50) gives an indication of the level change for two types of floating homes and how they are connected to the spit. In addition, the two open spaces provide growing space and seating areas for communal activities in this residential area.

Figure 8.47 - Isometric view of the floating home zone showing how flooding could impact the site

Figure 8.48 - Visitor centre at Brockholes Nature Reserve rises and falls with water levels, by Adam Khan Architects (Bdonline.co.uk, 2011)

Figure 8.49 - Ripirian plant communities reestablish with successful plants resilliant to flooding. This has implications on how to ensure dynamic systems are in place (Asknature.org, 2009)

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Main road Two-storey house

Three-storey house Parkland

Public space

Water channel

Figure 8.50 - Section X-X showing frontages the floating homes

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Figure 8.51 - Allotments in the town square

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8.6 Conclusions This section has provided a selection of more detailed designs highlighting a number of key features of The Gas Workscanvey.

Firstly, we reintroduced the plant process for water storage.

This strategy allowed for the retention of a number of the gas containers to be refurbished as water towers using the principles of how cacti store water in dry climates. These towers will be part of the wider sustainable drainage system implemented throughout the site.

Secondly, a mixed-use area was detailed highlighting the interaction of users created by varying the types of building and creating public spaces through well-designed streets.

An indication of the landscaping materials highlighted the sustainable strategies of green roofs, porous paving and the need to carefully select suppliers on the whole-cost method rather than just use local sources.

The penultimate design was the new town square for Canvey Island. Located at the heart of the The Gas Workscanvey, it has been designed to provide protection, comfort and enjoyment based on the work of Jan Gehl (2006). This allowed for a human scale public space that users can enjoy all year round.

Finally, floating homes were introduced. The small plot on the eastern side of the development designed 28 residential properties connected by spits. The ponds surrounding the homes are part of the flood risk strategy, but also provide visual appeal and habitats for wildlife.

The next and final section will provide the conclusions, findings and potential next steps for this project.

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009/ main findings + conclusions “The conscious mimicking of nature’s functions, processes and systems to produce development meeting the needs of current and future generations.�

- combining the definitions of Biomimcry and Sustainable Development

9.1 Introduction This design and research project is concerned with using biomimicry to develop an urban design framework for a site on Canvey Island. The project developed a four-pronged approach.

Firstly, by extensive literature research and review, it identified the overiding principles of biomimicry and how this can be developed for use in urban design and planning. This compared biomimcry with the Garden City Movemement, Landscape Urbanism and Ecological Urbanism.

Secondly, a number of case studies were identified in the areas of green and sustainable urbanism. The case studies identified best practice, weaknesses and whether any elements of biomimicry had been used.

Thirdly, by carrying out an extensive context and site analysis of the development site, a number of design challenges were identified, that could be biologised to find a solution in nature.

Finally, the report used biomimicry to develop an urban framework using functions, processes and systems borrowed from nature. Four sites were chosen in detail to develop the urban design principles in more detail.

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9.2 Main Findings This project aims to test a number of natural design processes whilst developing a framework for a regeneration area on Canvey Island to tackle the issues of land costs, availability and climate change. The questions posed at the beginning of the report were as follows: • • • • • •

Why use biomimicry when other types of sustainable design methods are available?

What are the major challenges to the urban setting?

Using the principles of biomimicry, what organisms and/ or natural ecosystem(s) would best-fit the challenges?

Can these be applied to the Canvey Island site?

What level of sustainable initiatives are appropriate?

What are the benefits to Canvey Island in respect of economic, environmental, ecological and social aspects of using biomimicry for the urban design framework?

These questions can be answered in turn.

9.2.1 Why use biomimicry when other types of sustainable design methods are available?

As previously stated, one of the definitions of Biomimicry is “the design and production of materials, structures, and systems that are modelled on biological entities and processes” (Oxford English Dictionary, 2011). Within Section 2 ‘The Underlying Principles of Biomimicry’ compared Biomimicry against 3 other models of ‘green’ urbanism.

These differences are as follows: • Garden City Movement: develops a structure of green networks with self-sufficiency in food and energy production. It integrates open spaces, but does not borrow inspiration from its surroundings. Very much planled. An example is Welwyn Garden City (figure 9.1).

• Landscape Urbanism: argues that landscape, rather than architecture, is more capable of organising the city (Corner, 2006). Developed around the look and feel, and not about drivers of systems within it (Steffen, 2011). An example is the Highline (figure 9.2).

• Ecological Urbanism: developed to look at the order between people, buildings and the environment. It learns from living systems, but does not use these as a basis for conscious mimicry. An example is Landschaftspark (figure 9.3).

Figure 9.1 - Garden City Movement: The Parkway Fountain, Welwyn Garden City (2011)

The use of biomimicry in a masterplanning and urban design context, can solve all the design challenges, allowing designers to think about how nature works and how to use it as inspiration. In addition, biomimicry allows the urban designer to develop sustainable designs incorporating ecology whilst using organisms and/or ecosystems to provide innovative design solutions. By consciously looking to nature for inspiration, biomimicry can work with urban design methods to ensure that design challenges can be met.

There are issues with using biomimicry. Nature is complex and we have a long way to go to be able to truly replicate the complexities of nature (Jana, 2011). Chris Garvin in the article by Jana (2011) continues that the barriers faced by attempting to incorporate biomimicry into urban design range from policy, politics, infrastructure and funding issues. Cuff and Sherman (2011) agree that green design is nearly suffocated by the “twin forces of moralism and commercialism”.

What is clear is that the biggest challenge facing biomimicry in urban design, is not how it can be used to solve the challenges, but how it can be sold to funding institutions, politicians and policy makers. With a number of design practices using biomimicry, including HOK, Arup and AECOM, and the construction of Lavasa in India, biomimicry is slowly coming to the forefront of sustainable design.

Figure 9.2 - Landscape Urbanism: Radial Bench, High Line Park, between west 28th and 29th streets (2011)

Figure 9.3 - Ecological Urbanism: Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord (2008)

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9.2.2 What are the major challenges to the Canvey Island urban setting?

The Context Appraisal and Site Analysis (Sections 4 and 5) identified eighteen design challenges for the development site. Figure 9.4 explains these with reference to where in the report these challenges were determined. It is a requirement of the local authority, Castle Point Borough Council, to carry out an extensive review as a requisite of planning applications. These requirements are laid out in the Essex Design Guide (Essex Design Initiative, 2005) and Urban Place Supplement (Essex Design Initiative, 2007).

These eighteen challenges (figure 9.4) fall into a number of categories and were simplified in Section 6.3 by defining themes that can be biologised using nature for inspiration.

These eighteen were narrowed down to eight, as follows:

Design Challenge 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10

• Movement • Incorporate the best practice design vernacular and principles • Mitigate the site from flooding • Design for climate changes • Work within the guidelines laid down in the relevant planning policies • Provide shelter and work with the elements • Incorporate green infrastructure networks • Develop sustainable resource efficiency

11

These eight challenges form the basis of the next research question.

18

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12 13 14 15 16 17

Summary Use the heritage of the dutch influence on the island, including waterbodies Introduce high place for panoramic views, both landscape and built form Complementary material palette Create visual appealing skyline Provide schools, community and health facilities to support the community Design to mitigate flooding and climate change impact Provide habitats to increase biodiversity Adopt the needs and aspirations of the community (where applicable) Provide a development that fits in with the investment potential Work with and develop the planning policy and legislation Connect the site to the neighbouring areas Provide sustainable transport solutions Improve access to the site Integrate the landmark buildings and green infrastructure Ensure adequate building density is adopted Provide links to the ecological areas on the site and in the area surrounding Work with the microclimate created by the sea wall

Figure 9.4 - Summary of design challenges

Section 4.2.1 4.2.1, 4.2.3 4.2.4 4.2.5 4.3.1, 4.3.2, 4.3.3 4.3.4, 4.3.5 4.3.6 4.5.1 4.5.2 4.5.3 - 4.5.6 5.3.1 5.3.2 5.3.3 5.4.1 5.4.2 5.5.1 5.5.1

rals

2. ABSTRACT Design Principles

3. BRAINSTORM Potential Applications

BIOLOGY TO DESIGN

4. EMULATE Nature’s Strategies

5. EVALUATE Against Life’s Principles

009/ main findings + conclusions 1. IDENTIFY

Figure 9.5 - Challenge to Biology design spiral Context (Biomimicry 3.8, 2009) 2.

BIOLOGIZE Function

2. DEFINE

GE CHALLEN GY O TO BIOL

Challenge

3. DISCOVER Natural Models

4. ABSTRACT Design Principles

5. EMULATE Nature’s Strategies

6. EVALUATE

9.2.3 Using the principles of biomimicry, what organisms and/or natural ecosystem(s) would bestfit the challenges?

Arid desert desert plains

Temperate steppe forest

Temperate forest coastal region

Against Life’s Principles

BIOMIMICRY The concept of using Biomimicry is to use nature to solve design challenges. Eighteen design challenges were identified via a context appraisal and site analysis.

By using the Challenge to Biology design spiral (figure 9.5), these challenges were simplified to discover and abstract strategies from organisms/ecosystems. Two of the challenges, (ii.) incorporate the best practice design vernacular and principles and (v) work within the guidelines laid down in the relevant planning policies, do not need to be biologised as they relate to specific urban design context and planning parameters.

RESOURCE HANDBOOK

Mycorrhizae fungi • Communication networks • Movements Fluid movement through lead capillaries • Site planning • Movement Desert cactus • Water storage • Climate change • Protection Ants and aphids • Cooperation • Urban farming

Using biological examples to solve the challenges, the analysis found a number of organisms and ecosystems that meet the following parameters: • Organism movement - veins on a leaf, water flow through silt deposits • Adaptability - wetlands, grasslands, coastlines, ant colonies • Growth - grasslands, thickets, stream edges, shrill carder bee • Evolution - ants and aphids, mycorrhizae fungi, cactus From this range of organisms and ecosystems it was possible extract solutions to the design challenges. Figure 9.6 shows these with natural examples of these solutions, where they are located and their climate setting.

The processes and designs taken from these organisms and ecosystems were used in the design of an urban framework in Section 7.

Shrill Carder Bee • Building re-use • Locally sourced materials

Figure 9.6 - The processes, functions and designs that will be mimicked from nature to solve the design challenges. The location of the organisms/ecosystems are placed on a world map (base map: wikicommons.org, 2011)

Riparian water channels• Green networks • Water purification • Storage • Food • Shelter

Resilient grasslands • Form and function design • Mixed-use • Shelter • Working with the elements

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Desert cactus • Water storage • Climate change • Protection

Built form uses

9.2.4 Can these be applied to the Canvey Island site?

By working with the Challenge to Biology Design Spiral (figure 9.5), the process of identifying and defining the challenges via a thorough context and site analysis ensures that the organisms and/or ecosystems have practical applications in the development site.

Figure 9.7 shows where each of the biomimicry solutions have been adopted. These are as follows: • • •

• • •

Sustainable movement: the creation of a network of pedestrian and cycle routes Building Grain - the creation of mixed-use design, coupled with re-use of the buildings Building Heights - designed to provide shelter with microclimates throughout the development. The site has a number of high buildings to act as safe havens if there is extreme flooding Green network - a grid of connected spaces with community facilities within walking distance. Urban farming and local food production is to be promoted Movement - a clear and defined movement network with permeability and hierarchal movement strategy Site planning - development with ease of movement in mind with human scale building blocks

Shrill Carder Bee • Building re-use • Locally sourced materials

Integrating sustainable design

Resilient grasslands • Form and function design • Mixed-use • Shelter • Working with the elements

Building heights

Ants and aphids • Cooperation • Urban farming

Riparian water channels• Green networks • Water purification • Storage • Food • Shelter

Community, cultural and recreational facilities

Pedestrian and cycle routes

Mycorrhizae fungi • Communication networks • Movements Street network and hierarchy

Fluid movement through lead capillaries • Site planning • Movement Site Plan

Figure 9.7 - Layers of the framework where biomimicry was used successfully

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9.2.5 What level of sustainable initiatives are appropriate?

Using biomimicry as a design tool is about looking to “Nature’s Time-Tested Framework for Sustainability” as states Zanowick (2011). By incorporating biomimicry into the urban design framework, the aim of the project is to develop a sustainable community with low-energy systems in place within a closed-loop system (figure 9.8).

Along with the sustainable design opportunities highlighted in Section 7.9, the project aims to create opportunities for pedestrian and cycle networks and create a walkable community. The following is an overview of the sustainable principles • • • • • • • •

Stormwater treatment using plant filters Stormwater ponds Green roofs (figure 9.9) Bio-gas, Combined Heat & Power (CHP), Heat storage plants Renewable energy use from wind turbines and solar panels Rain water storage in existing gas containers Public space incorporate stormwater/rain garden design principles Food production via allocation of allotments and street planters (figure 9.10)

Figure 9.8 - Sustainable design opportunities KEY Wind turbines Storm water ponds Bio Gas Plant Water treatment Existing overflow outflow New overflow outflow Sewage network Household waste network Biomimicry water storage Food production

The next section will highlight the benefits of biomimicry in terms of sustainability.

Figure 9.9 - Green roofs in the town square

Figure 9.10 - Allotments at the floating homes

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//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 9.2.6 What are the benefits to Canvey Island in terms of economic, environmental, ecological and social aspects of using biomimicry for the urban design framework?

The overall goal of using biomimicry is to ensure that awareness of the natural landscape is created by looking to nature for inspiration. Figure 9.11 gives a breakdown of sustainability for the development site. The key aspects are as follows: Economic: • Inward investment from the new development, increasing land values • Potential for development to create energy that can be delivered to the national grid • Cost savings by using less expensive reclamation costs and sustainably sourced materials Environmental: • Reduction in CO2 emissions • Greater provision and higher quality open spaces for users • Reduction in the need for car journeys Ecological: • Increase in biodiversity • Creation of productive landscapes Social: • Network of community facilities • Increase in open spaces can lead to rise in health and well-being of residents By using biomimicry, sustainability is at the forefront during the design process. Nature recycles all materials, uses readily available materials and energy and doesn’t use synthetic chemicals. The challenge was to attempt to mimic nature as closely as possible. Although there are limitations, it acknowledges that there is the potential to create minimal disruption to the environment by actively learning from it. As Biomimicry 3.8, states ‘use nature as a model, a measure and a mentor (2011).

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STRATEGY

ECONOMIC

ENVIRONMENTAL

ECOLOGICAL

SOCIAL

REPLICATE STRATEGIES THAT WORK

Adopting best practice designs increases likelihood of investment

Adopting relevant best practice has the potential to reduce carbon emissions

Linking developments into the local green infrastructure network

Provide community and cultural facilities or amenities

INTEGRATE THE UNEXPECTED

Development of sustainable technologies could reduce costs as efficiency increases

Vacant sites could be used for temporary spaces

Green infrastructure could increase by using temporary spaces as parks

Community well-being could increase through the formation of social networks

USE MULTI-FUNCTIONAL DESIGN

Potential increase in land values through adaptable buildings and land

Reduction in energy consumption through co-operative relationships

Creation of a range of green space typologies

Creation of space that is useable throughout the day and through the seasons

RECYCLE ALL MATERIALS

Create value from recycling and the creation of energy

Reduction in environmental impact

Reduction in wastage

!

Increase in social wellness Attraction to occupiers and investors

Reduction in vehicle journeys

Variety of open spaces

MAINTAIN INTEGRITY THROUGH SELF-RENEWAL

Development can integrate latest cost-saving initiatives

Minimising energy waste through self-healing infrastructure networks

Green spaces regenerate themselves with local plant species

Social networks adapt to changing trends

INCORPORATE DIVERSITY

Potential increase in property values through diverse range of occupiers

Increasing modes of public transport lessen the need for car use

Creation of a mix of green space typologies

Creation of a mix of community facilities

FIT FORM TO FUNCTION

SELF-ORGANISE

Higher land values from being close to Green Infrastructure

COMBINE MODULAR AND NESTED COMPONENTS

Repeating common element into successful designs

DO CHEMISTRY IN WATER

Reduction in land reclamation costs

USE READILY AVAILABLE MATERIALS AND ENERGY

Reduction in energy costs by designing buildings to be more energy efficient

Figure 9.11 - Performance indicators for biomimicry

Increase in ecosystem services

Reduction of the impact on the environment

Reduction in potential damage to the environment

Linked community groups working together to support the neighbourhood

Repeating common elements into successful designs

Repeating common element into successful community facilities

Minimising the effects of development on the local flora and fauna

Minimise the effect of redevelopment on the local community

Lessen the impact on the local wildlife

Increase in wellbeing through cost savings for the residents

009/ main findings + conclusions

Figure 9.12 - Gateway view from the Roscommon Way extension

9.3 Auxiliary Research

9.4 Limitations

9.5 Next Steps

With the main focus of this project relating to biomimicry in an urban design context, a number of case studies were identified as best practice (section 3). Within these case studies weaknesses of each project were highlighted, these provide an insight that not all award-winning projects run smoothly and challenges need to be overcome.

In a professional context, projects of this scale would be undertaken by a number of different individuals working as multidisciplinary teams. This would include urban designers, planners, developers, building surveyors, property agents, master planners, public artists, engineers, ecologists, biologists (biomimicry specialists) and architects. This allows for each team-member to bring their own skills to a project of this scale.

This is a theoretical design and research project. If this was a ‘live’ project the design team would be consulting with the local authority to work on developing the urban design framework to comply with relevant planning policy and legislation.

Sustainable architectural design was researched and developed, along with gaining a broader understanding of how organisms and ecosystems can be incorporated, allowing for these to be developed within the project.

The second limitation is with regards to the community consultation (section 4.4). Due to the limited response rate, it would be have been more appropriate for this study to be carried out over a longer period to achieve a more rounded and complete study. This would have been run in conjunction with a number of face-to-face community sessions along with using various forms of information technology to obtain a broad cross-section of the community to better understand their needs.

Within this phase, the design team would work with the key stakeholders to ensure that all groups are given a chance to ensure that the design is acceptable.

Further consultation with the local authority would be required at this stage to allow time for the framework to be adopted into the local authorities as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).

On Canvey Island, Building Design Partnership have been working for 3 years to enable the Town Centre Masterplan to be adopted as an SPD. The Urban Design Framework for The Gas Workscanvey could take significantly longer due to the potential scale and complexity of the scheme.

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010/ references

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appendices

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Online Community Engagement.

Q1. What makes a great seafront?

Published on Survey Monkey(www.surveymonkey. co.uk) for 2 months during 2011.

The survey was setup by compiling a number of questions, both open and for selection, by identifying a number of similar seafronts carried out community consultation. It was done to bring forward a number of key recreation types and uses that interviewees may prefer.

Consulting with Mr. Steve Rogers, Head of Regeneration + Neighbourghoods at Castle Point Borough Council, it was useful for the council to be aware of the survey and it would be for research purposes only. This lead to the disclaimer before the survey.

The survey was placed on a number of Canvey Island message boards with a link to the surveymonkey.com website Details of how the survey was set out is as follows: --------------------------------------------My name is Richard James MacCowan and I am a postgraduate student at Leeds Metropolitan University. This survey will help me understand the needs of the locals when it come designing a masterplan for the seafront.

If you could spare a few minutes to answer the questions.

There are no right or wrong answers, so please be as honest as possible. Thank you for committing to completing this survey as part of my vision for the seafront on Canvey Island.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at rmaccowan@hotmail.com.

DISCLAIMER - THIS SURVEY IS PART OF A PROJECT BY RICHARD JAMES MACCOWAN OF LEEDS METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY. THERE IS NO CONNECTION TO ANY CONSULTATION EXERCISES CARRIED OUT BY THE LOCAL AUTHORITY OR THEIR CONSULTANTS. ALL DATA COLLECTED IS ANONYMOUS.

178

Q5. Please indicate TWO main uses that would attract you to the seafront regularly (examples: places to eat, place to stroll and sit, pathways to run and ride bicycles, concerts and events, public art, shops, etc)?

Q2. What is unique about the Canvey Island Seafront in comparison to the area’s other seafronts?

Q6. What would you most LOVE to see on a new seafront?

Q3. The Canvey Island Seafront needs to achieve many goals and will ultimately include many of the uses listed below. That said which of the following is the MOST important for you?

(SELECT ONE) • Aquatic + Natural Habitat • Shops + Restaurants • Art + Culture • Mobility + Access • Public Spaces + Destinations • Active Recreation (examples: fishing, sailing, football, tennis, skateboarding) • Passive Recreation (examples: parks and pedestrian areas for walking, picnicking, lounging, relaxing, viewing)

Q7. What would you be most DISAPPOINTED to see on the new waterfront?

Q8. If we could do one thing to improve the Canvey Island Waterfront now, what would it be?

Thank you for the taking the time to complete this survey. All responses are greatly appreciated.

Q4. 4. The Canvey Island Seafront needs to achieve many goals and will ultimately include many of the uses listed below. That said which of the following is LEAST important for you?

(SELECT ONE) Aquatic + Natural Habitat • Shops + Restaurants • Art + Culture • Mobility + Access • Public Spaces + Destinations • Active Recreation (examples: fishing, sailing, football, tennis, skateboarding) • Passive Recreation (examples: parks and pedestrian areas for walking, picnicking, lounging, relaxing, viewing)

Survey Responses (5 in total) Q1. What makes a great seafront?

• One that includes the local nature and history in it’s design.

• Lots of things to do and see • People enjoying themselves whilst showing consideration and care for others and views of the sea • A sandy beach, clean water, safe bathing. user public facilities, good parking.

• Clean peaceful safe Q2. What is unique about the Canvey Island Seafront in comparison to the area’s other seafronts?

• It’s nice and small • The flood wall with the cafe overlooking the thames • It is run down, badly managed, neglected and does not have any positives at all • It has all of the above, but is not to big and crowded.

• Laid back - community atmosphere Q3. The Canvey Island Seafront needs to achieve many goals and will ultimately include many of the uses listed below. That said which of the following is the MOST important for you (SELECT ONE)?

• Art + Culture - 1 response (20%) • Passive Recreation (examples: parks and pedestrian areas for walking, picnicking, lounging, relaxing, viewing) - 4 responses (80%)

Q4. 4. The Canvey Island Seafront needs to achieve many goals and will ultimately include many of the uses listed below. That said which of the following is LEAST important for you (SELECT ONE)?

• Art + Culture - 1 response (20%) • Mobility + Access - 1 response (20%) • Active Recreation (examples: fishing, sailing, football, tennis, skateboarding) - 3 responses (60%) Q5. Please indicate TWO main uses that would attract you to the seafront regularly (examples: places to eat, place to stroll and sit, pathways to run and ride bicycles, concerts and events, public art, shops, etc)?

• Nice pathway to bike and walk • Places to eat • Place to stroll and sit • Seafont stroll.

• Carnival • Nice views • Viewing platforms • Places to eat • Childrens safe bathing.

• Nice cafes like concord & labworth

Q7. What would you be most DISAPPOINTED to see on the new waterfront?

• Vandalism • More of the same • The same things that are there now • High rise buildings.

• Tacky modernisation like Southend Q8. If we could do one thing to improve the Canvey Island Waterfront now, what would it be?

• Blips from canvey’s past i.e. the gun’s that used to be there and maybe some drawings on the wall so that it doesn’t look boring • Start again • Bulldoze it flat and start from scratch • Improve upkeep • Free Parking

Q6. What would you most LOVE to see on a new seafront?

• Blips from Canvey’s past i.e. the gun’s that used to be there and maybe some drawings on the wall so that it doesn’t look boring • Beaches • People showing care and consideration for others • Better local authority upkeep.

• Less concrete

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Concrete Experience

Based on Kolb’s model of experiential learning (Kirk, 2011) proposes four stages required to gain worthwhile knowledge: •

Concrete Experience - Willingness to be actively involved in the experience

•

Abstract Conceptulisation - form an idea from the experience via analytical skills

•

Reflective Observation - Ability to reflect on the experience

•

Active Experimentation - Use problem solving and decision making skills to develop ideas.

Task

Case Studies

Research Proposal

Principles of Biomimicry

Context Appraisal

Doing

Researching biomimicry Developed research and potential sites for the from the proposal and project tweaked it to fit into an urban design context

Identified and Carried out a researched relevant case desktop survey of the studies development site based on requirements of the local authority

Reviewing

Found examples of best practice that can be used within my designs.

Learning

Gain an understanding Developed an of how biomimicry can understanding of the background to mimicking be used as a design tool nature and found a site on Canvey Island Understood how to develop a proposal for a design based environment and how it can develop as the study progresses

Learned how to select a set of case studies relevant to the project and critique these to aid the subsequent design work

Planning (or trying out)

Develop a proposal in Will use the Design Spiral Develop a framework of detail before moving to solve challenges in analysing case studies forward with the research future designs to show strengths and weaknesses

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Using biomimicry can be useful and it can be combined with other models to develop sustainability for the public realm

Site Analysis

Reflective Observation

Active Experimentation

Abstract Conceptualisation

Kolb’s model of reflection (adapted from Kirk, 2011)

Biological Systems Analysis

Urban Design Framework

Detailed Design Options

Carried out a site inspection to develop an appraisal of the site to highlight the design challenges

Using nature to find relevant organisms/ ecosystems that solve the design challenges

Developing a framework for the development site based working on the design challenges identified in previous sections

Presenting design options on various designs throughout the development site

Found out that a context appraisal is an in-depth study that is part of a Design and Access Statement

Identified a number of unique challenges to the site

Using nature as an example is a difficult challenge, better suited when working with ecologists and biologists

To make a large-scale framework takes a considerable amount of time.

Need to simplify my designs to be clear and simple for users to understand

Developed an thorough understanding of the requirements for master plans to be submitted for planning approval, plus how and where to gain the information needed

Developed a different method of site analysis that was taught previously and how to develop this for use with a large site

How to use nature and where to gain information to learn about incorporating strategies into the design.

First attempt at an Urban Design Framework that taught me how to prepare a document of this scale for professional work

Expanded knowledge of CAD software, 3-D modelling and render packages. Used previous experience and notebooks to find design ideas and refine these.

Will use the basis of this section to carry out further reports requiring this information

Continue to develop my site analysis skills adding in ecology to ensure natural environments are maintained

Will develop my skills and finding solutions in nature through further research and study

Decrease the time taken to carry out this type of design by using skills developed and folio of examples gathered from research

Learn what are the best methods of delivering design in the allotted time, expand sketching skills in the future, instead of relying on computer packages

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Richard James MacCowan

MA Urban Design 2010/12