WATER URBANISM
Preserving Room for the River Design projects for the Red River Floodplain in Yen So, Hanoi, Vietnam Master of Applied Sciences and Engineering: Architecture
Authors
Stefanie Dens
Laura Rijsbosch
Promotor
2010-2011
Prof. Dr. Kelly Shannon Co-promotor
Prof. Guido Geenen
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WATER URBANISM
Preserving Room for the River Design Projects for the Red River Floodplain in Yen So, Hanoi, Vietnam
Thesis presented to obtain the degree of Master of Applied Sciences and Engineering: Architecture 2010-2011
AUTHORS Stefanie Dens, Laura Rijsbosch PROMOTOR Prof. Dr. Kelly Shannon CO-PROMOTER Prof. Guido Geenen READERS Prof. Dr. Bruno De Meulder, Tuan Pham Anh,
Dr. Loan Pham Thuy
INTRODUCTION Following the conclusion and design strategy pointed out in the booklet of Hanoi, this booklet puts forward 2 design proposals focussing on the floodplain.
The design will focus on the questions of how to prevent room being taken away from the river, how to set free the floodplain from urbanisation and how to make it a common tread amongst the inhabitants of Hanoi. The goal is to make Hanoians aware of the river their city is founded next to in stead of the lacking attitude that nowadays rules in ways which it is feeling safe inside dyke while neglecting what is outside dyke until it crosses front doors.
In this strategy the design projects focus on the floodplain of Yen So, as it is the place where the river is at its widest between the dykes and were the landscape of meanders is still an ongoing process. It is the place where the floodplain gathers a rich amount of villages with a traditional culture in crafts and agriculture. As Yen So is the lowest point, this is the area where the water issues come together and where the Yen So Pumping Station is grafted on the dyke. Moreover, located in the periphery of Hanoi, the floodplain of Yen So is not yet fully urbanised, but as the city keeps on growing, settlements are sprawling in the floodplain in the north already. This factor combined with the fact that the floodplain is at its widest and that this area is seen as possible building space in case of a canalised river as proposed by lots of master plans, a strategic project that puts the floodplain in the mental map of the Vietnamese can be seen as establishing a precedent. 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
2 Introduction 6 Design Strategy 10 Design project: Reconnecting Hanoi to the river Laura Rijsbosch 24 Design project: Across the floodplain Stefanie Dens 3
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DESIGN STRATEGY In a strategy that acknowledges that there is no possibility to create more room for the river as it is part of a rigid dyke system, these design projects aim at preventing room being taken away from the river. In order to do so, a shift in mind is needed, as dykes nor policies have been able to prevent the floodplain from being urbanised in the fringes of the city. Therefore, the goal is to make villagers, citizens and the government aware of the floodplain, both for its dangers such as floods and droughts, as for its values such as crafts and agriculture. Mental mapping the floodplain into the mind, the little space that is left for the river becomes a common tread.
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Red River in dry and wet season
city
Lateral moves of the river in time and agricultural landscape structure
dyke
dyke
water
water
water
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Qualities of the floodplain
administration religious place
cemetery village
water dyke 14m
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Bordered by the dykes that form the gates to the floodplain,
vegetable program of the government that prescribes smart
to be found in extended craft villages between Bat Trang and
the booming rhythm of the city is left behind, making place
use of fertilizers in ways that it is not polluting the environment.
Kim Lan. These villages are mostly specialised in bricks and
for a landscape in which time is set by the river. Meandering
Fields in and around Thuy Linh are covered with nets, giving
roof tiles.
through the landscape, it is the river that draws topography
a shift in green on the aerial map. Orchards and ornamental
flood after flood by leaving several centimetres of fertile soil
tree cultivation are alternating the agricultural plots, providing
behind. In this place agriculture is nested in the pleats of the
trees for the Vietnamese New Year called Tet.
landscape that is subjected to the lateral moves of the river. The colourful mosaics of agricultural plots that cover the outside dyke landscape of Gia Lam, Thanh Tri and Hung Yen provide 62 to 80 percent of Hanoi’s fresh vegetables. These small fields are maintained by farmes that live mostly in the floodplain itself. Examples of such villages are Phuc Xa, Duyen Cha, Van Phuc and Yen My. An exception to the common vegetable cultivation is the village of Thuy Linh as it participates the safe
Supported by the rivers resources, a variety of craft villages can earn their living. Van Giang, located inside dyke, is specialised in ornamental tree growing and is making it flower pots from the sediment of the red river. Lying on an accumulated mount of alluvia, Bat Trang is most known in and around Hanoi for
Having mapped the floodplain in its current condition, it is obvious that the river and its wide water network, the agriculture and the specialised villages form a strong symbiosis. On top of the previous named activities few exceptions of industry such as a harbour that manages concrete resources and criss-cross traffic of dredger boats and sand excavation sites along the river are to be found.
its wide variety of ceramics, bricks and pottery that is made out of the same sediment of the Red River. More pottery is 7
Looking at what happens nowadays in the north of the floodplain, more specifically in the zone between Yen My and the dyke and as well in several proposed master plans, the strong symbiosis between river, agriculture and village is endangered by city pressure. As the city is sprawling with high speed and the floodplain is the nearest zone of open space, land is claimed for building purpose. Unraveling the current development logics, 3 actors are contributing to this process. Firstly there is the government that takes back the areas with the lowest profit rate from the agrarians. In this process the paddy fields are claimed first since prices of claimed land depend on the lands profit and paddy fields are lying on the lowest land and therefore being inundated too much, resulting
Urbanising the floodplain: the government, the citizens and the villagers
in only one crop once a year. Selling this land to developers, entire areas are filled with sand, rendering the former paddy fields into plain flat building plots. Knowing that all land above 8 metres asks pumps in order to irrigate the land properly, these areas are threatened being sold and urbanised as well. The current master plans drawn by Korea, Vietnam and Japan are examples to this strategy. Secondly, citizens are a big contribution factor as well. Fully connected with the centre of Hanoi by the dyke, having high topography and low land cost, conditions are favourable and land is claimed informally to be regulated afterwards. This kind of claiming land results in the sprawling city that enters the floodplain through the dykes, starting at the point where city pressure is highest. Lastly, the villagers themselves can contribute to sprawling the floodplain as well, as the tradition of extending and the wish to distinguish one from another by selling a wealthy house are lively amongst agrarians.
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areas higher than 8 metres are potential building
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Having shortly unveiled the qualities of and the threats that the floodplain is facing nowadays, the following 2 projects will illustrate a strategy that works with the principles of preventing the floodplain from being urbanised, making it a common through mapping what is valuable and unveiling the slow rhythm of the river in order to set free space for the river.
Reconnecting Hanoi with the River
Across the Floodplain
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Reconnecting Hanoi with the river Reconne
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Introduction In this chapter a strategy is elaborated to find a way of making the floodplain precious. In order to do so, the citizens of Hanoi need to be aware of the qualities it contains as mentioned in previous chapter. The focus is put on the most striking feature of the floodplain, the river itself, which curves in the landscape creating impressive scenery. With its changing character it determines the use of the space around it. Previously, water was of great importance in the life of Vietnamese people, they were used to live with the water. However, last decades due to strong urbanisation and the construction of a wide road network, the relation with the water faded away. The water, which used to be the front side, is turned into the backside of the city. The negative connotation of water, the danger for flooding has got the upper hand. Finding back the harmony between river and city, the area along the water is examined. The area the most influenced by the water is the space between the subdykes. Because of its vulnerability for flooding it has remained free from settlements. Therefore, some beautiful rough untouched scenery could be preserved. The river and its riverside have the potential to structure the whole floodplain. A strategy of putting a new layer of accessibility while preserving the identity can restore the relation between city and water. By mapping the structure of the landscape and adding some punctual interventions, the accessibility of the area can be increased to give the people the possibility to visit the characteristics, making the area more known and admired.
Space between the subdykes, the differences in topography and water level dynamically transform this area.
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The area along the river, between the subdykes, contains some beautiful landscapes, It has remained free from settlements because of its high vulnerability for flooding. (source pictures 1,2 & 4: google earth)
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4 dyke subdyke
main road sub road
ferry route road outside floodplain
different water levels
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Strategy Nowadays, few boats are sailing the river. Mostly they are big ships which transport sand along the river. It is only during Tet holiday that the river plays a role in the cultural life of the people. Ceremonial boats sail from village to village to celebrate New Year. In a strategy to make the floodplain more accessible and seen as space for leisure and cultural activities, the river can become a first element of a new proposed network. A second element is the implementation of harbours at strategic chosen locations, near the interesting areas. By doing so, a structure is created providing transport of people from one side to the other side of the river as well as movements in north-south direction. The harbours are located near the religious places, agricultural fields and craft villages. A third element of this network is the strengthening of the connection between dyke and water. In order to reach the harbours, strong connections with the dykes are needed, still accessible during high water level. Moreover they can also serve as evacuation axes during flooding. The elements of this strategy are partly mapped when existing and partly added when absent, but necessarily to complete the network. By reading the landscape, the atmosphere of these axes are different at the west and east bank. The axes situated at the west bank of the river provide direct access to the water. Arrived at the river further exploration of the area along the waterside is possible. At the east bank, the axes are more twisting, connecting the qualities of the floodplain before arriving at the waterside. To examine the possibilities of this network a strategic site in the Yen So area is elaborated.
Existing harbours along the Red River
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Different element of new proposed network. 1, river side and river itself 2. harbours near attractive areas 3. safe roads connecting dyke with harbours 4. overview
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River as transport axe In a strategy to make the floodplain more accessible and known as space for leisure and cultural activities, the implementation of different harbours , connecting religious heritage, traditional villages and beautiful landscapes, includes the river in a wider network. To examine the possibilities of this network a strategic site in the Yen So area is elaborated.
Cultural values of the floodplain pagoda, temple cemetery administration market sport facility
existing road added road
actual sail route future sail route
existing harbour added harbour
strategic site 2 location of picture
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Strategic site in the bend of the river The strategic site is situated in the area where the river curves. Because of the curve, the water acts different at both water edges. Together with the topography and the implementation of the subdyke, the waterside at the west bank is more fixed than the one at the east bank where the subdyke is located more inland. Focus is put on the west bank, whereas the east bank is of higher quality when it is left unclaimed, preserving its rough character, acting as viewing scene from the other side. West bank specifications: In the north, the Yen So Pumping station and its canal create a strong axe going towards the water. In the south the road from the dyke ends at an old religious complex next to the water. Both the Pumping Station as the religious complex are attractive buildings to visit. Implementation of two harbours at the end of the axes gives the possibility to reach the places from the water. Further enjoy is found walking along the water, where cane fields provide a beautiful landscape. Through reading the landscape of the west bank, the character of the site is revealed. The changing water levels of the river and the differences in topography unfold a structure of 2 fixed points at the end of two strong axes. Starting from the north, the topography descends gradually towards the water. Before reaching the fixing point in the south, the topography gets vaguer, due to drainage of irrigation water of the agricultural fields, creating little islands.
In the next part, three strategic projects in the site are elaborated. First the two fixing points will be worked out as potential harbours. Secondly, possible interventions along the waterside are demonstrated.
entrance for the floodplain
public water park
re-establishing religious complex 16
dyke k road
concrete t quay bamboo platform
canee fields fields ld green area
relili i mpll religious complex different water levels
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Connecting Southern Hanoi with the river The implementation of the project at the waterside provides a relation between Yen So Pumping Station and the floodplain and between Hanoi and the other harbours of the Red River. The project consists of the creation of a harbour and quays designed as a viewing platform to overlook the floodplain. A strategy of playing with differences in topography is used to create quays at different heights which give the possibility to berth at any water level. Space, covered with banana trees for shadow, is provided for informal restaurants and bars for people who are waiting for the ferry or for the farmers taking a pause from work on the fields.
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Reference project. of EWWUD - The different platforms create interesting opportunities. (source: EWWUD)
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concrete quay religious building
cane fields green area
Reference image - Pagoda in Bat Trang. A water basin is located in front of the pagoda to fulfill the principles of Feng Shui.
Re-establishing the religious complex The design focuses on the upgrade of the forgotten religious complex next to the water. By cutting in the land a water body is created in the continuation of the pagoda, re-establishing its relation with water. Furthermore, a berth platform, simultaneously acting as viewing platform, is constructed to improve the accessibility to the religious complex.
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Public Water Park The last project is situated in the area along the river, more specific the area bordered by the subdykes. As mentioned before, the intervention focuses on making the west bank accessible, taking the east bank unclaimed, preserving its rough character, thereby acting as viewing scene from the west bank. Since the space between the subdykes is vulnerable for flooding, the space is heavily exposed to the dynamical force of the river. Therefore, instead of designing the full space, only a new layer is proposed, put on top of the landscape to give people the possibility to enjoy the waterside.
subdyke |
Sketch of the topography in northern area
In the north, the land descends gradually towards the river; in the south a water course next to the subdyke creates a more distinct relation between the land and the subdyke itself. The interaction between water course and river gives rise to several islands during wet season. Two different interventions are proposed, derived from this different topographical feature. plan of pier
subdyke |
Sketch of the topography in sourthern area
plan of floating platform
section of floating platform 0
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dyke road
concrete quay cane platform
cane fields wetland vegetation
religious complex different water levels
As a continuation of the harbour designed in the north, a series of piers are designed, placed in the extension of the roads which arrive at the subdyke. The piers consist of a solid structure which slows down the velocity of the river and structures the cane fields in larger plots. At the berth side descend the piers gradually following the different water levels of the river in time.
In the southern area, no direct connection with subdyke and landscape is made. Instead, floating platforms are placed dispersed in the area between the islands. During dry season, they are accessible over land, while during wet season they work complementary with the piers in the north, being reachable by boat. The platforms are ideal locations for fishermen or lovers looking for some privacy.
Reference image of fisher houses near Thanh Tri Bridge.
Reference project. of floating village.
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Next centre Ne x to oH Hanoi ano oi cent entre ent entr t
Waterside Waterside off Bat Tr W Trang rang
Cultural values of the floodplain pagoda, temple cemetery administration market sport facility dyke subdyke
main road sub road
Widest estt flflood floodplain oodplain area ea
ferry route road outside floodplain
different water levels village
Widest floodplain
added road future sail route
existing harbour added harbour
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Zooming out Going back to the scale of the floodplain of Hanoi, the same situations as in the strategic site in the Yen So area can be derived. Where the river makes a turn, the combination of the hard, accessible edge, with the soft untouched edge turns up. The design principles from the Yen So case study, can be implemented on the other locations. The curve next to Hanoi centre can be turned into a waterfront for the city, overlooking the landscape created by the dynamical forces of the river at the other side. Bat Trang, protected by a concrete subdyke, recently has constructed a new quay, making the village accessible from the water. From the platform, a beautiful overview on the dune landscape at the other side is possible, making the connection with hard and soft, the village and the water characteristics. The implementation of this network of harbours and waterfront promenades together with the strong axes which provide the connection between dyke and water will lead to a better accessibility to the floodplain and to a better known of the different features the floodplain collects.
Different atmospheres at east and west bank - The axes situated at the west bank provide direct access to the water. Arrived at the river further exploration of the area along the waterside is possible. At the east bank, the axes are more twisting, connecting the qualities of the floodplain before arriving at the waterside.
Next to Hanoi centre
Waterside of Bat Trang ng
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