Protectors of the Earth: Remediating the Toxic Landscape of Santa Marta, Venice Jack Glasspool 13011334
“Humans have always modified their environment of course, but the term designated only their surroundings, that which precisely, encircled them. They remained central figures, only modifying the décor of their dramas around the edges. Today, the décor, the wings, the background, the whole building have come on stage and are competing with the actors for the principal role. This changes all the scripts, suggests other endings. Humans are no longer the only actors even though they still see themselves entrusted with a role that is much too important for them” Bruno Latour, Down to Earth: Politics in the New Climatic Regime
Contents Earth and the Anthropocene
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Sensing Seismic 5 Venice 9 Generating Care 15 Healing the Site - The Timeline
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Supporting the Agents - Brief
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The Warehouses 36 The Garden 51 The Tower 55 An Antidote for the Toxic Garden
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Earth & the Anthropocene The term Anthropocene is a more radical concept that has emerged over the last half century. It defines the current geological epoch as the period when human influence over the natural world has become the dominant factor in the global order. As humans our first step from hunter gatherers into agricultural societies marked the moment when we first began to domesticate nature for our own individual benefit. Since the Age of Enlightenment began this thinking has accelerated amongst widespread industrialisation and technological advancements. In our “industrial civilisation” the natural world is seen as something we can understand in more scientific and concrete terms, helping humans to control and manipulate it to our own needs and desires. Nature is independent of human existence, human existence is dependent on nature, this is an argument that humans have been increasingly keen to challenge. An appreciation of what this industrial civilisation has achieved for the human species is coming to be matched by a growing awareness of the damage humans are doing to the natural world, and thereby to themselves. These consequences are now so widely documented that they are common knowledge, and also commonly ignored. Emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, from burning coal, petroleum, and natural gas are causing changes to the worlds temperature, whilst the destruction caused by these industrial processes release chemicals which are causing the widespread destruction and fragmentation of habitats and plant life which has initiated a global mass extinction of species All the while, the human population, the agents initiating all of these effects, is growing and raising the rate at which the above phenomena are occurring, overtaking the capacity of the natural environment to meet our biological needs. A feeling of alienation in our modern society has extended beyond the human community and its patterns of material exchanges to our interaction with nature itself. In technologically sophisticated urban societies, we do not consider ourselves “earthlings” or consider the Earth sacred. The humans on the planet are facing a growing dilemma. Do we continue to generate this kind of life what we have become accustomed to? Or can we redefine our relationship to nature and the way in which we live, which would avoid and reverse the damage we are causing? In this challenge we must consider who is architecture for? How can we design for more than humans? As Latour states, we are not the only actors, within nature and technology world there are agents capable of aiding us in this challenge. This proposal aims to broaden the scope of architecture in the natural world by providing a strategy for healing an ecosystem in Venice riddled with toxic contaminants, in the process reversing the trends of the Anthropocene and generating a sense of care for our surroundings. 4
Sensing Seismic French philosopher Bruno Latour argues that the current crises surrounding nature and the climate, as well as migration, inequality and nationalism in society are one and the same. Rather than looking to solve our own problems, we instead aim to defend our existing way of life, one which billions of both humans and non-humans are unable to benefit from. “Let’s put up impenetrable borders and we’ll escape from the invasion!” To defend both our human and non-human relationships, we need to recognise the “migrations without form or nation” such as climate change, erosion, pollution, resources depletion, and habitat destruction. At the moment our attempts to seal our frontiers against “two-legged refugees”, cannot slow these problems from growing5. This idea can be translated into our homes and buildings. We view these places in the human domain as our own stretch of land which is ours to control and oversee. Despite this perception there is an abundance of ecosystems and living organisms around us which transcend our building barriers. We share our homes with thousands on non-human beings or “others” but instead of fostering this relationship we try to promote the message that we are separate and superior from our natural surroundings, effectively proclaiming: “We don’t belong to the Earth”...
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“Life is not just about matter and how it immediately interacts with itself but also how that matter interacts in interconnected systems that include organisms in their separately perceiving worlds” Dorian Sagan, A Foray into the Worlds of Animals and Humans,
Right now, the Earth is full of refugees, human and not, without refuge5. Rather than building barriers we need to consider how we can reconstruct these relations; how can we find new footing while simultaneously taking into account the needs of our kith and kin, both human and non-human. Our only way out is by discovering in common what land is inhabitable and with whom we can share it, requiring us to redefine how our anthropocentric industrial civilisation has traditionally perceived architecture. The concept of the “oikos” translates from the Ancient Greek idea of the family and the house, but can be used to develop a vision for our fundamental idea of inhabitation. By examining the behaviour of our kin you can begin to understand the differences in how we inhabit our environments. The natural architecture of a spider’s web allows its inhabitants to constantly monitor their environment, detecting microscopic reverberations, which in turn allows them to navigate and survive, constantly in tune with the signals of the wider world.
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Microscopic reverberations of a spiders web
“That is why the old Indian still sits upon the earth instead of propping himself up and away from its life-giving forces. For him, to sit or lie upon the ground is to be able to think more deeply and to feel more keenly; he can see more clearly into the mysteries of life and come closer in kinship to other lives about him …” Luther Standing Bear, Land of the Spotted Eagle, with a Theory of Meaning,
Taking inspiration from the “oikos” of a spider, I proposed a new fluid floor made from spider silk which would be able to enhance and amplify the seismic signals emitted from the ground and surrounding species, in order for us to be more aware with the constantly changing world around us. Seismic communication is common among animals of all sizes. They create signals by interacting with the substrate, with this information decoded by receivers over varying periods of time. Elephants stamp their feet to provide their location, birds can detect earthquakes long before they strike, while insects communicate under the surface. The receptors in our skin are not sensitive enough to understand many of these signals, and as such are ignored. The idea of amplifying could help take the steps to establish a new “oikos”, one where we can begin to tap into the activity around us.
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Care for the soil and living organisms becomes better when we learn to understand the temporal rhythms of an “other”, and the relationships being woven together. Creating a web this is slightly suspended from the floor, allows these signals to be re-transmitted at a higher frequency, The act of being unbalanced makes us more susceptible to these sensations and vibrations. Roots which propagate into the soil can record the initial signals. These can then be re-transmitted using nodes on the ground which will vibrate in response to activity as we move around the “Oikos” The nodes have a convex base to reduce the amount of friction between themselves and the ground. If the nodes move, so does the floor. A large earthquake could send them flying across the room, whilst a small mole could shift it a millimetre. The fluid rug, will be constantly in motion, changing and rotating it will reflect our ever adapting environment and remind us of our place within the Earth.
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Venice From the Holocene to the Anthropocene
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Mainland
Holocene Lagoon and Coastal Sedimentation
Venice Porto Marghera Key Shipping Routes Geographical Section Cut
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Lagoon
Littoral
Pleistocene Continental Sedimentation
Peat
Caranto
Clay and Peat
Light Grey Silty Clay
Grey and Green Clay
Stiff Silty Clay
Holocene Sand
Silt
Silt with Caranto
Sand and Silt
Venice Geographical Section
7th Century Land
7th Century Sand Banks
Venice is a city which has evolved as a combination of natural and anthropocentric activity. Venice was founded in the salt water lagoon, formed at the end of the last ice age. The melting ice sheets in the mountains caused large rivers to flow down from the Italian Alps, pouring into the Adriatic Sea, and dumping large volumes of sediment that created the islands, mud flats and sand banks which still exist today.
Holocene Lagoonal Deposits
Land Boundary Today
Humans first began to take up residence on these islands in the 5th century when they offered protection form invaders on the mainland. Since then the islands have evolved under human supervision, reversing the natural evolution of the Lagoon. Seemingly conquering nature humans were able to construct the city of Venice, expanding and reclaiming land from the lagoon in order to keep the islands habitable.
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Pleistocene Alluvial Deposits
Anthropocene Deposits Superficial cover & lagoon deposits, wooden pilings, Istrian limestone, marble, cisterns
Stiff Clay
Clay and Peat (Tidal Channels)
Sand/Clay Silts
Clay and Silty Clay (Tidal Flats)
Clay and Silty Clay
Sands and Silts
The Industrial Engine The romantic vision of Venice has been preserved over centuries. 30 million people visit the city every year, with thousands of tourists entering the city every day. The presence of large cruise ships, trains, cars and buses, has rapidly increasing the levels of pollution and the instability of the islands.
Infrastructure to support the cruise ship port
During the 20th century, a number of initiatives were implemented to help modernise Venice and bring it under the remit of our industrial civilisation. On the islands the construction of the port, and the Ponte della LibertĂ bridge to the mainland increased the level of access from the outside world. A new industrial centre was developed at Porto Marghera on the mainland which would allow for the widespread distribution of fossil fuels, out of sight, out of mind. At the start of the 20th century gas lighting was required for the city. and large gas work warehouses and storage provisions were constructed in 1909 and 1925 in the area of the former Campo di Marte, today Santa Marta.
Santa Marta & Santa Croce Venice’s Industrial Districts 12
Car parking facilities and railways in Santa Marta
The Former Italgas Site
Derelict gas cylinder on the former Italgas site
The gaswork sites in Santa Marta and Porto Marghera were both managed by the Italian energy company Italgas. In 1969 the sixty year concession expired for the Santa Marta gasworks and the site was abandoned, with Porta Marghera absolving its requirements. The site now acts as a buffer between the traditional, historic side of Venice, and the more recently formed cruise ship port and parking infrastructure which allows thousands of people to spew out into the city, unaware of their impact.
1114 - Foundation of the Santa Marta Church
1808 - First Industrial Settlements 1815 - Reclamation of land using debris taken from demolished urban sites around the city
1880-90 - Construction of the railway into Venice, and the Port of Venice.
1887-1930 - Construction of the natural gasworks for the city, run by the Italian company Italgas 1960’s - Abandonment of Former Italgas site due to high levels of soil contamination.
In its existing state the Santa Marta gasworks is made up of 51 thousand sqm and is now in a state of disrepair. From the sky the former Italgas site represents one of the largest green area on the Venetian islands.
Abandoned gaswork warehouses
However this image is misleading. The site is uninhabitable to both humans and other species. Much of the existing vegetation is polluted and the existing warehouse and gasometer have been abandoned. The land has been poisoned and corrupted as a result of the anthropocentric agenda imposed on it by humans since the land was first reclaimed from the sea in 1815.
Transformation of Santa Marta
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The Italgas site has sat unused for decades as the cost to clean it to a safe standard is more than the land would be worth after redevelopment. Traditional cleaning processes involve excavation or “pump and treat� methods which displace and clean soil to clear pollutants from the ground. In May 2018 it was agreed by the local Venetian municipality that over the next two years the site would be remediated to allow for future urban developments. Over stages the existing contaminated trees and vegetation would be removed whilst across the site 1m of ground will be excavated to remove the pollutants in the ground.
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Generating Care Looking at the ground we inhabit, a handful of healthy soil contains millions of life forms from thousands of different species. Human treatments such as pesticides and fertilisers can drastically reduce these living populations or even eliminate them entirely. If we were able to visually perceive and feel the fungi, bacteria, and invertebrates would we be more inclined to act against this carnage we cause? The overarching question arises: “How do we begin to care about others of whose existence we might not even have been previously aware, let alone teach others to care?” Maria Puig de la Bellacasa argues that the concept of care is one that is not generated immediately it is one that is nurtured over time when we begin to understand the temporal rhythms of the “others”, and the relations that are constantly woven together. In her experiments she found by inviting practitioners to spend time observing bacteria and other microscopic beings, count them, feel them, learn to feed them well, encourages a sense of curiosity. The repetitive character of ongoing observation of the soil cycles enables care. Care develops when it is done again, creating a relationship thorough greater involvement and knowledge. The process requires attention and adaption to the temporal rhythms of an “other”. This doesn’t create an immediate connection to nature or a sense of control, rather the idea of immersive observation allows humans to experience the specific patterns happening within non-human life cycles that create “temporal niches” in different types of ecology6. This contaminated site is one amongst thousands in a worldwide crisis relating to our physical impact on the planet. The land that has been polluted with the hazardous waste acts as both remnants of our industrial past and signs of the damage we have imposed upon the Earth. Since the responsibility of this destruction has fallen at our feet, why should the ground we have spoiled for our kin and kin be allowed to suffer further at our hands? Is there a way to restore the suffering, hazardous, poisonous site to a healthy state of being?
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Gasworks Pollutants The image above indicates the areas where the presence of toxic contaminants is especially concentrated across the site. The table to the left is a complete list of the contaminants left over from the production of natural gas.
Inorganic Compounds
Metals & Metalloids
BTEX’s
Phenolics
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)
Ammonia Cyanide Nitrate Sulphate Sulphide Thiocyanate
Aluminium Lead Antimony Manganese Arsenic Mercury Barium Nickel Cadmium Selenium Chromium Silver Copper Vanadium Iron Zinc 16
Benzene Ethyl benzene Toluene Total xylenes
Benzene Ethyl benzene Toluene Total xylenes
Acenaphthene Chrysene Acenephthylene Dibenzo(a,h)anthracene Anthracene Fluoranthene Benzo(a)anthracene Fluorene Benzo(a)pyrene Naphthalene Benzo(b)fluoranthene Phenanthrene Benzo(g,h,l)perylene Pyrene Benzo(k)fluoranthene Indeno (1,2,3-cd) pyrene
Nutrient Tank
Bioremediation To heal the site without causing any extra damage to the Earth I propose the implementation of a new natural bioremediation process. Bioremediation involves the use of microorganisms, commonly bacteria or fungi, to transform of degrade contaminants in the ground to non-toxic or less toxic by-products. To reduce the pollutants in the soil which remain from the gaswork facilities, In situ bioremediation can be applied on site to the subsurface. Microbial activity can be both stimulated and enhanced. Biostimulation involves modifying the environment to stimulate the existing bacteria capable of bioremediation, whilst bioaugmentation is the process of adding bacteria and microbes alien to the site to speed up the rate of degradation. Remediation timescales typically range from 6 months to 3 years, but can span decades for heavier compounds such as metals. The success is entirely dependent on the complexity and specific site conditions .
Delivery System
Bioremediation is dependent on a number of site conditions which need to be addressed to give the best chance of success in specific locations
Clarifier
Bioreactor
The key conditions to monitor are: Oxygen Tank
Microbes - Presence and suitability of microbes in the soil Oxygen - Enough present to support aerobic biodegration
Infiltration Basin
Water - Soil moisture 50% - 70% Nutrients - Correct nutrients present to support growth Appropriate Temperature PH Range
Area of soil contamination
In order to monitor the process of the bioremediation detailed documentation is required throughout the site. Regular soil samples over different intervals are required for testing to determine the loss of contaminants and rate of degradation and bacterial activity, with testing in labs required to ensure that the soil conditions have the potential to transform contaminants.
Water Table
Injection Well
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Extraction Well
Phyto-volatilization Phyto-degradation Phyto-extraction
Phyto-stabilization
Oyster Wall
Phyto-stimulation
Phytoremediation
Oyster Sensing
Phytoremediation is a bioremediation process that uses various types of plants to remove, transfer, stabilize, and/or destroy contaminants in the soil and groundwater. Around 350 species of plants can be used in this process
A natural method of monitoring the levels of toxicity across the site is through the use of Oysters. The site shares a perimeter with one of the cities canals. Contaminants in the ground can propagate when they go under the water table.
Phyto-stimulation - Plants releases natural substances through its roots, supplying nutrients to microorganisms in the soil.
Oysters are capable of detecting amounts of hydrocarbons as each one constantly filters dozens of gallons of water every day.
Phyto-stabilization - Chemical compounds produced by the plant immobilize contaminants, rather than degrade them.
Attached to rocks or other supports, oysters are ideal for nearly real-time analysis because they have nothing to do except notice the surrounding noises and temperature and light variations.
Phyto-extraction & Rhizofiltration - Plant roots absorb the contaminants along with other nutrients and water. The contaminant mass is not destroyed but ends up in the plant shoots and leaves
By attaching electrodes, the oyster’s valves can be monitored to see how quickly they open and close to filter food.
Phyto-degradation - Plants metabolize and destroy contaminants within plant tissues.
Spikes in valve cycles are the first alert that the mollusc has become stressed, with larger increases corresponding to higher hydrocarbon concentrations.
Phyto-volatilization - Plants take up water containing organic contaminants and release the contaminants into the air through their leaves
Rhizofiltration
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This can be grown on the boundary in reefs by setting up netting and oyster larvae. The grown wall can be used to track the spread of contaminants below ground..
Venetian Phytoremediators There are over 350 species of plants that have been utilised for phytoremediation. The success rests on a suitable climate which can be determined by the altitude temperature, season and geographical location. The table to the right indicates 42 species of plants that are known to remediate pollutants associated with natural gasworks. In addition each of these species has been grown, or is suitable to be grown in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy, in and around the Venetian lagoons. Over the previous 4 months I have planted and grown 10 species of these. The progress of these has been documented to the left and on the following pages. Contaminants Key: Al – Aluminium Ag – Silver As – Arsenic Cd – Cadmium Cr – Chromium Cu – Copper Mn – Manganese Ni - Nickel Hg – Mercury Pb – Lead Se – Selenium Zn – Zinc BTEX – Benzene, Ethyl Benzene, Toluene, Total xylenes PAH’s – Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Organic Solvents - Phenolics 19
Plant Species (Latin)
English Name
Contaminant Remediated
Achillea millefolium Agrostis capillaris Agrostis castellana Alyssum markgrafti Ambrosia artemisiifolia Athyrium yokoscense Azolla filiculoides
Common Yarrow Common Bent Grass Highland Bent Grass Madwort Common Ragweed Asian Common Ladyfern Water Fern
Hg As, Al, As, Mn, Pb, Zn Ni, Pb Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn Cu, Mn, Pb
Azolla spp. Bassia scoparia Brassica juncea Brassica napus Brassica nigra Brassica oleracea Brassicaceae Cannabis sativa Chlorophytum comosum Crotalaria juncea Cynodon dactylon Eichhornia crassipes Eleocharis acicularis Festuca ovina Helianthus annuus Hydrilla verticillata Ipomoea trifida Lemna minor Marrubium vulgare Medicago sativa Phanerochaete chrysosporium Pinus spp. Pistia stratiotes Pteris vittata Rorippa globose Salix spp. Salix viminalis Solidago hispida Sorghum halepense Spirodela polyrhiza Tagetes erecta Trifolium pratense Triticum aestivum Vallisneria spiralis
Mosquito Fern, Duckweed Fern, Water Fern Burningbush, Ragweed, Mexican Fireweed Indian Mustard Rapeseed Black Mustard Wild Cabbage Mustards, Crucifers, Cabbage Family Hemp Spider Plant Sunn Hemp Bermuda Grass Common Water Hyacinth Needle Spikerush Sheep Fescue Common Sunflower Waterthyme Threefork Morning Glory Common Duckweed Common Horehound Alfalfa White Rot Fungus Pine spp. Water Lettuce Chinese Ladder Break Globe Yellowcress Osier spp. Common Osier Hair Goldenrod Johnson Grass Giant Duckweed African Marigold Red Clover Common Wheat Eel Grass
Cr Se Ag, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb, Se, Zn Ag, Cr, Hg, Pb, Se, Zn Pb Pb Cd, Zn Cd, Cu BTEXs Cd PAHs Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, Zn Cu, Cd, Zn Pb Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Zn Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb Pb Cd, Pb Hg Cr, Pb BTEXs Organic solvents, PAHs Cd, Cr, Hg As, Cu, Cr Cd Ag, Cr, Hg, Organic solvents, PAHs, Se Cd, Pb, Zn Al Pb Cd, Cr, Pb, Zn Cd Zn Pb Cd
Alyssum markgrafti Madwort Nickel
Ipomoea trifida Threefork Morning Glory Lead
Agrostis castellana Highland Bent Grass Aluminum, Arsenic, Lead, Manganses, Zinc
Helianthus annuus Common Sunflower Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Manganese, Zinc
Chlorophytum comosum Spider Plant BTEX’s
Brassica napus Rapeseed Silver, Chromium, Mercury, Lead, Selenium, Zinc
Medicago sativa Alfalfa Chromium, Lead
Trifolium pratense Red Clover Zinc
Festuca ovina Sheep Fescue Lead
Agrostis capillaris Common Bent Grass Arsenic
The Phytoremediators 20
Alyssum markgrafti Madwort Nickel
Ipomoea trifida Threefork Morning Glory Lead
Agrostis castellana Highland Bent Grass Aluminum, Arsenic, Lead, Manganses, Zinc
Helianthus annuus Common Sunflower Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Manganese, Zinc
Chlorophytum comosum Spider Plant BTEX’s
Brassica napus Rapeseed Silver, Chromium, Mercury, Lead, Selenium, Zinc
Medicago sativa Alfalfa Chromium, Lead
Trifolium pratense Red Clover Zinc
Festuca ovina Sheep Fescue Lead
Agrostis capillaris Common Bent Grass Arsenic
The Phytoremediators 21
Phytomining Once the phytoremediating plant has extracted the toxic contaminant into its roots or stem, it can survive with the pollutant in its system. This will stop it spreading, however the plant will need to be removed and replanted once it becomes diseased. The diseased plant will need to be degraded or composted down in a bioreactor, this will remove the natural matter, leaving only the toxic element in a process known as phytomining. The metals left over can then be recycled, or reused once extracted.
Thermology To detect the health of the plant, and to test when it is time for extraction, thermology filters and sensors can be used to understand the invisible plant health. Thermal imaging can be implemented using proximity sensors which can be used at different vantage points and locations to test the health of and entire crop down to a single leaf. Providing a detailed indication of the success of the remediation.
Helianthus annuus Common Sunflower Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Manganese, Zinc 22
Healing the Site The process of completely remediating the site is one that will take place over a number of years. Whilst the primary aim will be to heal the site, there are a number of architectural requirements to support the technology that will be temporary, permanent, and virtual, which will need to respond to both the human and non-human users. Bioremediation techniques are dependent on a meticulous level of analysis and testing. A constant stream of information over the conditions of soil and plants is required to determine the loss of contaminants and rate of degradation and bacterial activity. In order to monitor the process of the bioremediation a precise structure of care is required for the soil, plants and different agents present throughout the site. Due the toxicity of the site it is not viable of possible for humans to enter or work on the contaminated land. A fleet of robotics will be required as architectural agents to help carry out these tasks and support the remediation of the site.
Phase 2 Bioremediation 5-10 Years
Phase 1 Site Categorisation 18 Months
Using a phased plan, a timeline has been established of how to remediate the site using human and non-humans to carry out different tasks at different stages
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Phase 3 Phytoremediation 20-50 Years
Contaminant Exposure Level
Biologists Soil Analysts, Nutrient Developers
Mechanics Robotic Engineers
Tourists
Botanists Gardeners, Phytominers, Rangers
Data Scientist Coordination Engineer (Mission Control)
Venetians
Humans 24
TERRA Aerial Sensor
DEMETOR Soil Sampler
CERES Injection Well
GAEA Sprinkler & Sensor Drone
Robotics 25
FLORA Seeder
CHLORIS Tree Planter
Phase 1 Site Categorisation 18 months To implement the initial bioremediation strategy, a detailed site categorisation is required all across the site to determine the soil conditions, contaminant types and concentrations. Soil samples are required every 3 sqm which over the entire site will result in 4500 samples. Soil sampler robots will extract these over 18 months, whilst aerial sensors will scout from above to pinpoint soil damage using thermal imaging at a wider scale. Two disused office buildings will be demolished to make way for the construction of the supporting site facilities. Whilst this is under construction the disused railway tracks can be used to transport mobile labs in train carriages to support the site categorisation tasks. As well as a temporary antenna to coordinate the robots on site. Along the canal netting and beams will be installed to allow for the growth of an oyster wall to detect pollutant levels.
Robotics Movement Soil Sampling Point
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Phase 2 Bioremediation 5-10 Years Once the construction of the permanent facilities has been completed the bioremediation strategy will begin. Using the categorised samples from Phase 1, nutrient solutions can be tested and produced for specific locations and specific contaminants. These will be delivered using the injection wells which will distribute these solutions into the ground in coordinated locations. Soil samples will continue to be taken across the site to provide up to date levels of contaminants and the latest soil to create new nutrient solutions.. Drones and aerial sensors can navigate the site from different ranges to get scans of the site using thermal imaging. This allows for detailed scans of soil spots, as well as an indication of the pollution of the site as a whole. Humans will have access to the permanent facilities using the bridge across the canal on the eastern side of the site. A walkway combining east and west will be constructed which will provide protection from the site, and prevent access.
Robotics Movement Soil Sampling Point
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Phase 3 Phytoremediation 20-50 Years Once the bioremediation has reduced the level of contaminants across the site to a desired level, phytoremediation will be used to extract the heavier metals in the ground which nutrient solutions were unable to break down. Once soil samplers, aerial sensors, and drones have mapped the site, the plants and seeds can be organised around certain locations to remediate specific metals. Seeders will travel round the site planting smaller seeds, whilst tree planters can plant larger trees around the site. Once planted sprinkler drones can deliver nutrients and water to plants around the site, using thermal imaging to detect plants in need of water and/or extraction. When plants need extracting is the only time humans will be allowed access into the site. With protective clothing the human rangers will be able to travel to the diseased location and extract the plant, returning it to the lab to be degraded.
Robotics Movement Soil Sampling Point Diseased Plant Location Human Ranger Movement 28
Site Activity This process of complete remediation is one that will take decades to accomplish due to the complexity and level of pollutants across the site. Over time, as the health of the soil and plant life improves the site will gradually begin to support life of all sizes, from microbes to wildlife. The presence of robotics allows us to map and understand how they will interpret how they will coordinate themselves and move across the site. By compiling information on the soil sampling and distribution locations, they work out the quickest and most efficient route to operate. This will constantly update with new information being provided by the proximity and aerial sensors across the site. This is coordinated via an antenna in the human facilities which used gps to send signals to satellites, which are then relayed back to the robots on site and vice versa. For the humans it allows us an alternative view to how the space is utilised on site, creating a virtual landscape and insight into the robotic world.
Robotics Movement Soil Sampling Point Diseased Plant Location Human Ranger Movement 29
Phase 1
Phase 2 30
Phase 3 - 1
Phase 3 - 2 31
Phase 1 Temporary labs , robot workshops, control room, & antenna on disused railway
Phase 2 Injection wells and soil samplers on site, with drones scanning from the air
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Phase 3-1 Tree planters and seeders begin to implement phytoremediation on the site. Plants are supported by the sprinkler drones
Phase 2 Human rangers in protective clothing begin to gather diseased plants to phytomine in the lab
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Lidar & GPS At any one time there could be dozens of robots on the site. To understand the activity it is important to understand how they are coordinated and interact to prevent collisions and congestion. The robots will be controlled using a site antenna, this will send radiowave signals to a satellite, which in turn will transmit this to the robot in the site. This will coordinate the fleet using gps, which will provide locations of all robots on site and generate the movement paths they will need to take to navigate efficiently.
Phase 1
To navigate robots will recreate the site using Lidar technology. A robot will send electromagnetic signals out in all directions .which will be reflected off of solid surfaces. It records the time taken for this signal to return, the shorter the time the closer the object. These points are all compiled into a point cloud, which will appear to us as a sequence of dots, shown in the image to the left. These are then used in addition with the gps to determine the location of obstacles and generate the most efficient movement routes around the site.
Movement Route Soil Sample Points Aerial Robot Routes Satellite Signals
Phase 2 34
Supporting the Agents - Brief To support the remediation process a set of facilities will need to be constructed on the periphery of the gasworks site. These will be centred around 3 main areas: The Warehouses In the site of the former site office, a sequence of warehouses will house labs, robotic maintenance facilities, and control room for the activity. The Tower The tower will house an antenna at a higher level which will be able to send and receive the signals needed to coordinate the robotics. At its top it will also house a public viewpoint to share the process with the wider city of Venice. The Garden The existing wall of the site will be rebuilt to allow a public walkway between the western cruise terminal and eastern historic city. The wall will have clearly defined zone between humans, robotics, and plants.
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Robotic Workshops – - Storage Docks - Cleaning - Maintenance - Unloading/Reloading Bays - Entrance/Exit circulation to site Labs – - - - - -
Soil Analysis Lab Nutrient Development Lab (Bioreactors) Soil Storage Changing Facilities Plant Disposal/Composting (Phase 3)
Control Room - -
Server Rooms Control Centre
The Tower - Antenna - Viewing Gallery
Robot Boundary
The Garden
Human Boundary
- - - -
Tower
The Warehouses:
Canal Boundary
Boundary Wall “Botanical” Garden Site Entrance Oyster Wall
The Warehouses In order to minimise any impact the consturction could have on the site, the warehouses focused on the site of the demolished office on the eastern side of the site. The only facade kept was the thicker brick wall of three old boat sheds. Using the proportions of these three faรงades, the massing was extended back to the boundary of the contaminated land. These were then duplicated along a 9.4m grid to mimic the typology of Venetian marine structures such as the Arsenale. The two sheds and tower were stepped back to provide an open space where entrance bridge crosses the canal.
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The marine warehouses of the Arsenale and across Venice have been in place for centuries. The thick brick walls form permanent walls using materials constructed in the local region. The warehouses sit adjacent to one another with the arched columns and walls creating clear lines of site through multiple spaces. With the remediation process adapting over time by using a permanent structure provisions could be made to allow for different tasks during different phases, without requiring extra accommodation, whilst also providing a structure which could last and be re-purposed in the future.
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Using the 9.4m dimension from the existing faรงades, the building has been divided into a square grid. This has been split horizontally into three openings to allow a clear line of sight all the way through the building from the public zone, whilst leaving a solid wall bordering the site. This allows for a clear circulation route for humans and robots entering and exiting the building. To vary the size and scale of spaces between the spaces in the warehouse the arches have been scaled up in different locations, such as the robotic workshop to open up or close certain spaces.
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The key relationship in the warehouses is between the lab and the robotics workshop. A clear and efficient route is needed to allow for soil samples to be recovered, robots to be reloaded, and robots to re-circulate back into the site without any of these being cross contaminated. Rather than using a single entry and exit into the site for robotics, a one way system has been implemented to allow for robots to pass the labs, workshop, and exit into the site. This prevents congestion and allows for specific spaces to be compartmentalised to prevent the spread of contaminants between “dirty� and clean� spaces.
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Initial Workshops & Labs
Initial Control Room & Changing Facilities
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Biosafety Levels When dealing with dangerous or toxic contaminants such as the ones present in the gasworks site, strict safety measures need to be in place to protect the health of people in and outside of controlled spaces.
BS4 Access Routes
The Presence of chemicals such as arsenic will require a Biosafety Level (BS) 3/4 requirement. For a BS4 lab, the highest safety level, a clear and controlled route between spaces is needed. Users must first change in a regular locker room into lab clothes. They then must enter into a second shower room to change into more protected clothing before being allowed into an anteroom. From here they are able to enter a BS3, and will need to shower before being allowed to leave. For BS4 labs, users must additionally go through another level where they are equipped with protective suits and undergo a chemical shower upon entry and exit into the main lab space. The gaswork site facilities pose a more complex problem as it will need to deal with humans and robots as they navigate through different labs of different Biosafety levels. For each lab this will require a set of small and larger volumes. Each will need to have its own material finishes that are easy to clean, resistant to corrosion, and separate from the main building structure. Key Lab locations & Supplementary Rooms
BS4 Lab 41
Initial Lab Plan
Robot Air Shower
Autoclave
Robot Repair Hall 1: Servicing
Autoclave
Robot Repair Hall 2: Injection Wells/ Planters
Robot Repair Hall 3: Soil Samplers/ Seeders
Air Shower Contaminated Soil Analysis Lab
Soil Extraction Point
Air Shower
Viewing Deck Entrance
3 main labs have been provided for a low medium and high biosafety level. Whilst robots have been allocated a route which allows them to enter from the site, have samples extracted, be reloaded and exit into the workshop without cross contamination.
Air Shower
Sample Store
Robot Air Shower
Autoclave
Chemical Shower Nutrient Testing Lab Robot Air Shower
Suit Room
The robots move between spaces using air showers which can remove all particles from their surfaces. From the site they enter into a wet room where they are hosed down and have samples extracted (Human BS4). Once cleaned they move through another air shower before entering a nutrient lab (Human BS1/2) where they are reloaded before being released into the robot workshop for repairs.
Nutrient Distribution Lab
Anteroom
Shower
The warehouses have had to be reorganised to allow for the circulation of robots, soil samples and humans, from “clean” to “dirty” spaces and vice versa.
Male Changing Room
Entrance Hall
Shower
The soil extracted from the robots is taken through into a BS4 lab due to the presence of toxic in the open soil. The samples are sent through autoclaves from the extraction wet room, which sterilises all equipment. Whilst humans also move through an air shower.
Female Changing Room
Human Lab Circulation
In the BS4 lab the soil samples are filtered to remove rocks and deposits, before being filtered down into a fine grain. This is then tested to determine levels of contaminants, moisture, PH level.
Robot Lab Circulation Showers/ Air Showers/ Autoclaves
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Once tested these samples are passed through another autoclave into a BS3 lab. Humans have to leave using the chemical shower before entering this space. In this lab soil is mixed with water in a slurry bioreactor. Once mixed different nutrients, water, microbes or oxygen are mixed and tested to see which combination is able to break down the contaminants present in the soil. Once a solution is discovered this is recreated in the BS1/2 nutrient lab, where no toxic soil is present. Lab workers need to leave the BS3 lab via shower room to enter this space. In the nutrient lab the solution is recreated and loaded into containers and then into the robots for them to distribute back into the site. The robots can enter the workshop from here, but lab workers will need to exit into a small anteroom before entering the locker room or public spaces. The system is heavily compartmentalised but provides a safe route for samples soil and robots, preventing contaminants spreading in the building and public spaces.
Lab Structure Development With the brick structure unable to be exposed in a lab due to its capacity to hold dirt, a separate structure would be needed for the labs. To avoid compromising the primary structure, a secondary structure would sit offset the main columns, forming around the arches to match the space and volume requirements for the individual lab compartments, Using the volumes from the initial lab plan these were rounded and tested to fit around the brick walls.. This typology was continued into the control room and locations which would require a shorter life span.
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The Primary & Secondary Structures
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Above - Archigram’s “Living Pod, Below - Mars colony proposal
Nordic Pavilion - Venice Biennale 2018
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Inside the Lab Whilst the remediation of the land takes place across the site, the place where all components and agents of the land come together is in the lab. Where the antidote is crafted. This creates a new world, one which will be replicated and define our future attempts to save the planet. The pods base their form on the lightweight proposals for space colonies. These need to be easily transportable yet resistant to the alien toxic atmosphere and radiation levels. A thin lightweight aluminium alloy frame can be constructed to circular form, like the fuselage on an aircraft. Thin stringers reinforce the main beams, whilst service can be place in the curved floor plane. On the inside a woven fibreglass layer can flt around the structure, with a PTFE interior finish seam welded to prevent dirt storing. PTFE is self cleaning and resistant to dirt preventing contaminants remaining in the lab. Depending on the task the outside can have multiple finishes. Aluminium panels can be riveted in place, or thin layers or acrylic can be moulded around the frame to retain visibility from outside to inside or inside to out. Service pipes in the base and top transport water or fresh air around the system, with a HEPA ventilation installed in the roof to provide a clear flow of air. A decontamination tank sits between the 3 main labs to deal with excess pollutants. 46
Ground Floor Plan
First Floor Plan 47
Second Floor Plan
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Robot Circulation Route
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Human Lab Route
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1 - Main Entrance 2 - Locker Room with Wash Pods 3 - Robot Workshop 4 - Lab Entrance 5 - BS1/2 Nutrient Lab 6 - BS1/2 Anteroom 7 - BS3 Shower Pods 8 - BS3 Anteroom 9 - BS3 Bioreactor Lab 10 - BS4 Suit Room 11 - BS4 Contaminant Shower 12 - BS4 Soil Analysis Lab 13 - BS4 Soil Extraction / Robot Wash Room 14 - BS4 Human Air Shower 15 - Robot Air Shower 16 - Decontamination Tank
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Ground Floor Plan
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First Floor Plan
1 - Staff Room
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2
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Second Floor Plan
1 - Meeting Room 2 - Control Room 3 - Server Room
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The Garden The boundary wall around the site will act as the key circulation route for tourists and Venetians visiting the site. More than aesthetic walkway, it needs to communicate what is going on the site, even if this is not directly visible. The physick garden, or “Hortus Medicus� means the healing garden. It was a medieval garden which planted the remedies and herbs capable of providing ailments and medicine. Famous gardens such as the one at Padua, planted these in plots, with medicine students touring the garden to learn the healing effects of specific plants. With the wild garden growing in the site, on the boundary will be a modern healing garden, with the plots dedicated to the phytoremediators that are healing within the site walls, providing a route for the public to navigate the site and see the natural protectors. Padua Botanical Garden
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The Cosmati Mosaic - St Mark’s Cathedral
The Flower of Life
The never ending circles represent the infinite universe, with the pattern continuously expanding. The geometric patterns represent a union between philosophical speculation and scientific discovery, an ideology lost in the industrial civilisation.
Leonardo Da Vinci’s sketch above depicts the flower of life. The circle and the geometric divisions within signify creation and the unity of everything, replicated over thousands of years,
Circular Symbolism
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Circular Symbolism Usually these patterns are used in garden, as a representation of paradise. The walled gardens however are an area dictated by and for humans, an attempt to control nature. To divide the plots of the physick garden these patterns have been overlayed. The patterns span the whole site instead with the layout for the boundary garden cut based on these intersections. The routes created are fragmented and show the human zone as just a small part of the wider world, as they are with the site,
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Garden Plots
Terrazzo Pavement
Mosaic Floor
Circular Symbolism The patterns continue from the site into the building with the brick pavement leading from the garden plots to the warehouses. The pattern is replicated inside in a mosaic floor, for robots and humans to move over. The boundary wall consists of offset arches with these geometric screens. Visibility into the site is protected but not blocked. From around the site glimpses are on offer to see plants and robots through the cracks.
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The Tower The skyline of Venice is dominated by the bell towers across the city. Stretching high above the streets they offer panoramic views over the city and lagoon.
Initial Tower Top
The Venetian Republic believed should have no civic power, and the towers sit separate from surrounding monuments. To receive such a strategic view of the city should be considered a privilege by those associated with Venice. Throughout the site views into the garden are restricted deliberately, the garden is allowed to grow independently of our presence and gaze. The site offers glimpses but like the Venetian towers it should be a privilege for any who want to look down upon the garden sacred to so many. How do the public visualise and understand the site? The green trees below and sprawling blue lagoon offers a picturesque image but does not paint the full picture. The tower offers a vista of the site to the public but its key role is to immerse outsiders in the process and activity of the toxic garden.
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St Mark’s Campanile Venice, Italy
Tower of Herculus Galicia, Spain
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Giotto’s Campanile Florence, Italy
The Masonry Tower At 30m high the tower will follow in the footsteps of its predecessors in the city. Rather than employing a steel structure, using materials excavated from deep in the ground, it will be built entirely from masonry. Deep 2m walls at the base of the tower penetrate into the ground, with timber piles delving into the deeper clay. The structure gradually thins as the tower ascends with thin window openings at points on the stairs. Inhabited by both humans and robots, the window sills act as home to the drones and aerial sensors, the drones are small enough to fit through the gaps in the tower. Using wireless charging pads they land in the windows to recharge. To exit back into the site they can exit on the inside or outside of the tower. The stairway up the tower cuts across the centre, instead of the corners, allowing space for the drones to rise to a higher altitude before leaving the tower. The tower follows the proportions of precedents in the city, at the top this ceases. The viewing deck is housed in dome like structure similar to the lab. Clad in thin layers of acrylic, the outside mirrors its surroundings, whilst the inside remains clear. Projectors inside blur this view, instead replacing the real image of the site with the robotic lidar scan and thermal imagery, immersing visitors in the real landscape of the site.
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First Floor
Third Floor
Staircase Overlaps
Viewing Deck
Ground Floor
Second Floor
Drone Zones
Masonry Peak
Tower Plans
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An Antidote for the Toxic Garden
The Garden The Tower The Warehouses 60
Thermal Imaging
Lidar Landscape 61
Ranging in the Toxic Garden
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Perception of Plants
The Realm of the Robot
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The Warehouses
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Hortus Medicus - The Healing Garden
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The Biosafety Labs
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Biosafety Level 4
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The Robotic Workshop
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Ascending the Tower
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The New World
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