1 CLOSE TO NATURE

Academic Project

Individual Work

Landscape Design

Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning, China

The Lingshui River, a distinctive landscape element on campus, meanders through the entire area. In recent years, escalating pollution has adversely impacted the lives of nearby residents and constrained the campus’s ecological development. This project aims to mitigate pollution by strategically implementing urban wetlands that revitalize the river’s health and promote a symbiotic relationship between the waterway and the surrounding community, ultimately enriching the overall campus environment.

Location Analysis

The project site is situated on the north side of Dalian University of Technology in China. It faced numerous challenges due to its insufficient foresight and funding constraints in early planning. Concurrently, the rapid expansion and development of the campus led designers to overlook the ecological integrity of the university grounds. The Lingshui River, which meanders through the entire campus, has experienced pollution and soil erosion, significantly affecting the quality of life for nearby residents. This project aims to remediate these issues by implementing extensive green spaces, reducing impervious surfaces, and promoting climate resilience within the campus environment.

As a landscape architect, I merge fundamental campus design principles with urban ecological wetland concepts. This creates innovative green open spaces for the campus and surrounding areas, enhancing the living environment for riverside residents. With the Lingshui River’s purification, diverse recreational activities will flourish.

A double-layer pedestrian viaduct seamlessly connects the wetlands, creating a distinctive campus ecological landscape imbued with urban wetlands. This offers high recreational and environmental value for both the campus and outdoor public events. Dynamic activities like jogging, cycling, and other sports cater to individual preferences, while accommodating the diverse schedules of various user groups.

The design concept is inspired by simulating islands and integrating them into urban wetlands, utilizing their inherent cohesiveness and resilience to regulate water quality and surrounding soil. Constructing wetlands alters the river’s fixed water capacity, increasing the contact area between water and land. This reduces the risk of inundating campus buildings during rainy seasons or typhoons, and creates a relatively stable microclimate for coastal cities with unpredictable weather.

Design Concept

On the eastern edge of the wetland, Tree array square is being transformed into a vibrant, human-centric landscape. The planting design incorporates a diverse range of flora, carefully selected to flourish throughout each of the four seasons. This approach ensures a visually captivating environment and addresses ecological requirements, providing a harmonious blend of aesthetic appeal and environmental sustainability.

Plant Design

The project chose Dalian ornamental plants with strong wind resistance, cold resistance and excellent water purification abilities. There is a reasonable combination of trees, shrubs, and flowers including characteristic aquatic plants. Through the analysis of the time limit for leaf, flower and fruit appreciation, it can meet the needs of terrain and site functions. The landscape on the west side of the wetland is more natural and ecological than the human-inclined east. It contains a rich abundance of plant and animal species that reside at many different layers of habitation — from ground to treetop.

Plant Design Index

Trestle Space Design

Lush wetland vegetation contributes to the purification of rivers and creates an inviting habitat for birds. As people stroll along the pathway, they can immerse themselves in the captivating wetland scenery on either side, allowing them to connect with nature and experience a sense of physical and mental well-being. Incorporating art installations along the path helps create flexible spaces that further enhance the overall ambiance, making the area even more engaging and enjoyable.