Landscape Studio 4: Designed Ecologies

SCULPTING C R E E K. S C A P E MOONEE PONDS CREEK REVITALIZATION PROJECT

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CONTENTS SITE INVENTORY AND EXPLORATION Historical channel Site issues Research on stream rehabilitation principles Preliminary scheme and drivers

DESIGN ITERATION Iteration #1 Testing landform Design the logic Iteration #2 Refinement Ambition revisited Final scheme

FINAL DESIGN Sculpting Flow Sculpting ground Slope-sensitive planting scheme Details Sections Physical model Perspectives

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PLANFORM

HISTORIC CHANGE

CHANNELIZATION

NATURAL CHANNEL MORPHOLOGY

URBAN DEVELOPMENT MOONEE PONDS NOW AND THEN

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LAND INFILL / FORCING WATER TO RUN IN A PREDICTABLE WAY

Historical channel (Melbourne 1945)

Historically, this section of Moonee Ponds Creek had several meanders which inform local settlement boundary. Following the construction of the highway, however, this part of the creek was channelized and concreted to quickly divert water downstream in the event of extreme flooding.

With urban development stress, riparian buffer, unfortunately, was kept at minimum. This has become a major constraint to any plan-form morphological modification. Hence, re-constructing historical meanders is impractical and may impose erosion and flood risks to local residents.

The design could, nonetheless, employs underlying principle of stream formation to simulate natural flow.

CROSS-SECTION INCISED CHANNEL

LONG AGO

30 YEARS AGO

NOW

SITE ISSUES

Urban Stream Syndrome

URBANIZED STREAM The site exhibits typical characteristics of highly urbanized stream with straightened water course and incised streambed (which was then concreted). This forceful approach to prevent flooding (rapid conveyance) causes increasingly severe flashy flow, high concentration of nutrients and contaminants downstream, and degraded riparian vegetation. These syndromes have been widely observed across the site.

LANDSCAPE-SCALE LOSS OF HABITAT The loss of riparian wetlands and vegetation lead to the loss of suitable habitat for many species, such as native birds and amphibian community. Increase noise associated with the City Link affects negatively on acoustic communication of certain species, which eventually has impacts on local biodiversity.

Also, water-loving tree species observed at the site are not receiving enough water due to the disconnected groundwater source.

DISCONNECTED STREAM AND LOCAL COMMUNITY With the concreted channel, the stream become less engaging with local residents as it used to. Kids no longer want or are allowed to play in stream; water quality is severely degraded for any use (even for the adjacent community garden).

This emphasize the disconnection between the creek and its local community as it should deserve and be celebrated, which calls for a revitalization.

PONDERING ON FLOW

Water in this section of Moonee Ponds Creek is too little but sometimes a little too much. How to address water flow in Australian context where the creek will be dry for 90% of the time and the other 10% it can be severely flooded?

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THIN PARK TYPOLOGY: FILTER

DEFINITION

STUDIO EXERCISE: RHYTHM AND PATTERN EXPLORATION

Series of circles with their radius proportional to their distance to water course.

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RESEARCH ON STREAM RESTORATION: PRINCIPLES Literature review on small stream rehabilitation principles. This information gives me a scientific understanding upon which the design is grounded.

Shields, F., Jr., et al. (2003) and Lake, P., Bond, N., & Reich, P.(2007)

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Site: Beaver Creek located in Knox County, Tennessee Similar issue: channelization and incised streambed due to urban development.

RESEARCH ON STREAM RESTORATION: PRECEDENTS

Measure: Reconstruct pool-riffle sequence to restore natural stream morphology.

Illustrations taken from Schwartz, J. S., Neff, K. J., Dworak, F. E., & Woockman, R. R. (2015)

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RESEARCH ON STREAM RESTORATION: POOL-RIFFLE MECHANISM STUDY

Illustrations taken from Pasternack, G. B., Bounrisavong, M. K., & Parikh, K. K. (2008)

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EXPLORATION: FLOW DIMENSIONS LONGITUDINAL

LATERAL

VERTICAL and TEMPORAL?

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POTENTIAL APPLICATION OF PATTERNS

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PRELIMARY SCHEME

POOL RIFFLE SEQUENCE PLAN VIEW SCALE 1:500

BED SLOPE ~0.25% 50M A

10M

B

C

D

B’

C’

D’

3M

A’ POOL DEPTH OF CHANNEL

RIFFLE RIFFLE

POOL

RIFFLE

POOL

ANALYIS

BY PASS CHANNEL

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DESIGN DRIVERS HETEROGENITY

PERFORMANCE

LINKAGES

IN STREAM MORPHOLOGY

FLOOD AS SYSTEM MAINTANANCE

LANDSCAPE SCALE

Strategies include reactivating interaction between ground water and surface water, which ultimate goal is to reconnect stream with its flood plain. This will become premise for future flood resilience.

Although I have done little research on possibility for re-establishing or preserveing keystone species locally or at landscape scale, my aim is to extend the benefit of this rehabilitation project for a wider range of species by intergrating species habitat perference into ponds and riffle design.

Riffle pool sequence: design considers heterogenity in stream cross-sectional morphology to create structurally hetetogenous configuration which help retain water on-site, avoid rapid flush downstream and create suitable habitat for different species.

POOL

PERSPECTIVE

SECTION AA’ RIIFLE

NORMAL FLOW

SECTION BB’ POOL

SECTION CC’

BANKFUL FLOW

BY PASS CHANNEL

SECTION DD’

OVERLAND FLOOD

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WATER TREATMENT STORMWATER TREATMENT PRACTICES CONTAMINATION ISSUES

Litter and nutrient-rich stormwater runoff.

Gross Pollutant Trap Wetlands (constructed wetlands, floating wetlands) Swales Infiltration basin Phyto-remediation practices

PRINCIPLES

Distributed stormwater infrastructure to improve infiltration, treatment before discharge to natural

EMERGENT PRACTICES Floating treatment wetlands

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Suggestion for green corridor with stormwater treatment from roadways.

Kennen, K., & Kirkwood, N. (2015)

DESIGN ITERATION 01 RE-MORPHING STREAM + SITE RETROFIT STORMWATER CONTROL

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PLAN Stormwater pass scattered Gross Pollutant Trap before discharged into the ponds

A

Floated Treatment Wetlands

By-pass channel Supplementary storage

Heterogeneity in channel depth

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A’

Pool-riffle sequence

Highway stormwater detention basin

Activities space when not flooded

Design principle longitudinal variation

cross-sectional variation

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POOL-RIFFLE SEQUENCE

Ambition: Relieve flood stress downstream by increasing water residence time on site and increase nutrient settlement in reconstructed pool-riffle sequence.

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RIPARIAN ZONE

Reconnecting stream with its floodplain by reactivating interaction between surface and ground water. This will recover water-loving plants that has been disconnected with water source due to impermeability of concrete channelization.

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RETROFIT STORMWATER TREATMENT MEASURES

MODULAR STRUCTURE Stormwater treatment measures are integrated in the design including Gross Pollutant Trap and Floating Treatment Wetlands. This treatment components are highlighted in space for visual attraction and aesthetics, acting as a tool for public education and enhance environmental awareness.

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biofilm for nutrient demobilization + aquatic habitat treat fine sediments/uptake nutrients

coarse sediments/gross pollutant

ISSUES

FEEDBACKS

Working with the whole site raises the issue of scale as the pools and riffles are barely noticeable, thus the change can hardly be seen from a plan view.

Consider whether or not to integeate floating treatment wetlands into the design because the structure will be quickly relocated or flushed downstream when the creek gets flooded, as well as consider water depth for those structure to be sustainable.

The assumption for water volume is not correct.

More information on local species community needed to achieve the ambition of connectivity.

Instead, explore vegetated constructed wetlands and minimum riparian parameters for installation; how purification system operates across the whole site and when the water will be clean enough for human contact.

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STUDIO EXERCISE: LANDFORM TESTING Site strategy

1

2

1

3

2

marsh

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3

braided stream

main stream + by-pass channel

STUDIO EXERCISE: LANDFORM TESTING 2

ISSUES

FEEDBACK

I struggled with Rhino a lot for the landform exercise. The model is malleable, yet in a random way, it doesn't produce uniformity that can be seen in natural landform.

It seems like with Rhino, rather than random testing, I need some intention in mind to produce form that I want; otherwise it will just turn out really random and ‘not interesting’.

Feedback this week emphasized the importance of testing landform, producing various iterations to see how water interact with these landforms. For my result specifically, I should consider thinking water and landform as a transitional journey, how one landform can inform another and what it will mean to water itself, how can I proceed further?

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NEW DIRECTION Let just have fun!

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Create a grid of points, move each point in Z direction proportional to its distance to pre-defined curves. This results in curve inputs become depression.

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PARAMETRIC LANDFORM

FLOW

Temporal change in flow due to hard edge softening (erosion and deposition)

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SITE SCALE TESTING

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ISSUES At site scale, some problems emerges.

Technically, I encounter problem moving from working with uniform-grid NURB surface (prototype) to non-uniform mesh grid (site), which is not the most enjoyable thing in modelling process.

But more importantly, I realize the pattern I am working with is intuitive and really a top-down morphing into the site, not from what is there that inform the deisgn.

Hence, I tried to think more about pattern. How it can be implied thoughout the whole site in a logical way and ideally, be informed by site attributes?

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RULE-BASED LANDFORM

MORE TESTING ...

To reduce process time in Grasshopper, I start prototyping with a smaller section to quickly generate iteration of patterns.

Instead of input curve individually, I use curve morphing to generate consistent pattern across the surface.

With even stronger waterway..

With stronger waterway..

General pattern study..

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INTERACTION WITH WATER Ridge-valley landform

ISSUES WITH TESTING FROM LANDFORM

After playing with constructing landform for a while, it now becomes clearer that land is formed by force. This is evident in our natural environment: either be it techtonic movement in volcanic landform; wind in the case of sand dunes or water flow in fluvial floodplain. Thus, the problem with testing from the rather random landform from other environments that may not be associated with water is that whether it will sustain? Because once the constructed landform is introduced to its force, in this case water flow, it will gradually deposit/erode, and may completely change the design intended. Thus, I decided to, eventually, come back to Flow, understand force and how force generated by water can be used to recontruct landform.

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DESIGN ITERATION 02 WATER FLOW AS CREEK-SCULPTING FORCE + PATTERN AS MICRO-LANDFORM GENERATOR

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digital PROTOTYPING

UNDERSTANDING FLOW Direction Strength (velocity) obstruction (divergence)

VECTOR FIELDS AND RECONTRUCTED LANDFORM FROM FLOW

ANALYSIS Flow accumulation analysis

LANDFORM

Result landform

Move grid of points down proportional to vector strength at that point

FORCE FIELD Flow direction + intensity

area of high deposition area of high erosion

obstruction + intensity

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WATER AS ORGANIZER

slope analysis

DESIGN THE LOGIC SITE SCALE STRATEGIES

final constructed landform

micro-landform imposed by pattern

Base landform generated by strength of force

flow vector force

Working with given site model (NURB)

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INPUT DESIGN PARAMETERS Water strategies at site-scale

Move grid of points down proportional to vector strength at that point

direction flow intensity

vector field

FLOW AS VECTOR FORCE Water direction Deep marsh

aeration pool pool and riffle

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pool and riffle

RESHAPING FLOW Upstream retention basin cleanse water from upstream utilizing vegetated marshes and wetlands.

Upstream pool-riffle Restore pool and riffle across the site to increase heterogeity in cross sectional morphology of the stream to increase volume of water stored and adapt to seasonal flux

Aeration pool The aerated deep pool here acts as a clean-water playground as well as suitable habitat for wildlife.

Downstream pool-riffle Riffle and pool are again restored to achieve the general goal of retain water and respond to flux.

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MICRO-LANDFORM TESTING IMPLEMENT PATTERN-BASED MICRO-LANDFORM

HOW:

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MICRO-LANDFORM TESTING IMPLEMENT PATTERN-BASED MICRO-LANDFORM

WHY:

This time, the ambition for micro-lanform is to address the WSUD principle, which emphasizes decentralized stormwater detention infrastructure. Hence, pattern for riparian landform is selected due to the flow accumulation that faciliate floodplain capacity to ‘detend’ water locally in a micro scale, improving local water infiltration.

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CULL_BY_SLOPE

DETAIL: LANDFORM-DRIVEN PLANTING Deg(0.0 - (Asin(Abs(z)) - 0.5*Pi))

Based on open-source code

by David Rutten (McNeel)

SLOPE-SENSITIVITY ANSLYSIS

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ADAPTED FOR MODELLING AND FABRICATION

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RENDER TEST

NORMAL FLOW

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RENDER TEST

FLOODING

This render does not come out as good as I expected. Although I particularly like the color scheme, the render itself does not tell much about the design (neither the creek or landform pattern).

And the lack of reference point make the space confusing , in terms of where it is at the site. That's why it didn't make it way to the panel.

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FINAL DESIGN REACTIVATE + REGENERATE + REVITALIZE

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DESIGN AMBITION 1 - Reactivate the interaction between the creek and its floodplain (landform and water), ultimately generate self-maintained scheme for seasonal flux of the channel 2 -Regenerate suitable habitat for terrestrial and aquatic species 3 - Revitalize the creekscape as a historically community social space.

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DESIGN STATEMENT The design is grounded on the idea that force influences the terrain landscape, in the way that can be broken down into parameters to reversely re-construct the desired landform ultilising digital platform.

Scuplting creekscape seeks to explore this notion of force in the form of water flow, in order to generate an adaptive scheme to flux in the context of Moonee Ponds Creek .

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PLAN

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DESIGN PROCESS

APE

C HARDS

SIGN

ING DE

PLANT

LOW

ROUND

TING G

SCULP

TING F SCULP

DITION G CON EXISTIN

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FLUX REPONSE

NORM TE AL STA

OD

O NAL FL

SEASO

OD

AR FLO

100 YE

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SCULPTING FLOW PROTOTYPING

GENERATING LANDFORM FROM WATER FLOW

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SCULPTING FLOW UPSTREAM SEDIMENTATION POND Deep marsh with submerged and emergent vegetation

SITE STRATEGY Riffle pool sequence: Design considers heterogenity in stream cross-sectional morphology to create structurally hetetogenous streambed which help retain water onsite, create suitable habitat for different species and rely on self-maintained machanism.

POOL-RIFFLE SEQUENCE Restore pool and riffle with gravel bed and vegetated riparian bank to increase heterogeneity in cross sectional morphology of the stream. This will ensure bank stabilization and at the same time increase volume of water stored and adapt to seasonal flux STORMWATER DETENTION POND These detention ponds ensure runoff from adjacent highway is treated before being discharged into the creek

FLOW PARAMETER INPUT AERATED POOL

FLOW DIRECTION

The aerated deep pool here acts as a clean-water playground as well as to generate oxygen for aquatic habitat.

<VECTOR>

DISTURBANCE <POINT CHANGE> <SPIN FORCE>

STRENGTH <CHARGE> <DECAY>

POOL-RIFFLE SEQUENCE

Riffle and pool are again restored to achieve the general goal of retain water and respond to flux. This sequence of pool and riffle, however, is intensified in depth because of the natural force generated by existing topography.

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SCULPTING FLOW

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FLOW and SPACE

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SCULPTING GROUND BALANCING CUT/FILL

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SCULPTING GROUND SLOPE-SENSITIVE PLANTING

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TERRESTRIAL HABITAT

Structurally complex, with understorey and overstorey habitat, providing nesting, breeding and migrating environment for avian species and other terrestrial species.

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PLANTING PHASING

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PERFORMANCE PRECIPITATION

CONDENSATION

INTERCEPTION

EVAPORATION

CR

EE

K

TRANSPIRATION

STORAGE

RUN-OFF UPTAKE

RUN-OFF

OVERFLOW SURFACE WATER

UPTAKE D TE RA O RF

PE PI

SILT/CLAY

PE

UPTAKE

GRAVEL AQUIFER

INFILTRATION

INFILTRATION

UNDERGROUND AQUIFER

PURIFICATION EXCHANGE

EXCHANGE

INFILTRATION

FROM FILE TO FABRICATION

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First time using CNC milling machine with enormous help from fablab staff to get the ‘dots’ done properly.

PHYSICAL MODEL

Result model Scale 1: 500

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NORMAL FLOW

AFTER HEAVY RAIN

REFERENCES Kennen, K., & Kirkwood, N. (2015). Phyto : principles and resources for site remediation and landscape design. New York, NY : Routledge, 2015.

Lake, P., Bond, N., & Reich, P.(2007). Linking ecological theory with stream restoration. Freshwater Biology, (4), 597-615.

Pasternack, G. B., Bounrisavong, M. K., & Parikh, K. K. (2008). Backwater control on riffleâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;pool hydraulics, fish habitat quality, and sediment transport regime in gravel-bed rivers. Journal Of Hydrology, 357125-139.

Shields, F., Jr., Copeland, R., Klingeman, P., Doyle, M., & Simon, A. (2003). Design for Stream Restoration. Journal of Hydrology Engineering, 575-584.

Schwartz, J. S., Neff, K. J., Dworak, F. E., & Woockman, R. R. (2015). Restoring riffle-pool structure in an incised, straightened urban stream channel using an ecohydraulic modeling approach. Ecological Engineering, 78. p 112-126.

All Grasshopper definitions are self-constructed, otherwise as indicated.

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STUDIO REFLECTION I explored some basic scripting and Grasshopper early in my first year merely out of my own interest in technology and computation, but initially had no intention of using them in this Landscape Studio because this studio appeared to me then an â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ecological-orientedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; project in which these fancy form-generation tools seem too architectural and less relevant. Needless to say, much of what I reviewed in first several weeks were all scientific papers that oriented towards ecologically engineered measures, thus design-wise similar. I got stuck in week 5 with this approach as I ended up with the design that was not even exciting to me, let alone prospective users. I am now grateful that in week 6 I decided to allow myself more freedom for exploration, start to embrace digital tools as sketching platform to test flow and its resulted landform, which eventually brought about many novel ideas and options that otherwise could not be envisaged. The knowledge I gained from the first few weeks, however, came in great use as I start to engage with ecological principles as deciding factors for choosing suitable iterations (seeing them as design parameter).

The whole process to me was indeed exciting and rewarding, which I personally took pride of. Thanks to the new exploration direction, I got to read Prof. Jillian's book as well as started to look into many exciting digital landscape experiments happening around the world. This makes me thrilled and curious about the future of Landscape Architecture, in which I will continue to immerse myself in.

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-THE ENDStudent

Thi Khanh Hoa Phan 705931 Instructor

Prof. Margaret Grose Fiona Johnson & Elliot Summers ABPL30061 Landscape studio 4 - Designed Ecologies Melbourne School of Design, The University of Melbourne November 2016

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November 2016