AN INTEGRATED WATERFRONT BASED ON BROWN EARTHWORK

Singapore is facing the impacts of high-density urban development. One of these impacts is the contamination of residues in urban brownfields. Being an important node of Sungei Pandan, Pandan river mouth’s waterfront is a nexus of river-based industry, transportation, commerce and maritime activity at the current stage. The site is located in Pandan waterfront industrial area, which is working as a shipyard with a high level of soil contamination, a mixture of organic and inorganic contaminants. Thus, this project seeks a comprehensive way to restore the waterfront area by pollution treatment process and reshape the relationship between ecology and urban system.

The surface runoff in current situation brings contaminants from factories, urban traffic and residential areas to the waterfront area where there is no hardscape to prevent the bare ground from being polluted by these contaminants. The contaminants in the soil are hard to be filtered or degraded with a very low level of vegetation density in the site. While treating the polluted soil, we need to dig out the hot spot and cap the polluted soil. It is a chance to generate a new landform by fully utilizing the brown earthwork.

There are three main strategies in this project, namely, mitigating soil pollution, utilizing nature succession, providing potential for habitats and social programs. The strategy of mitigating soil pollution happens on the whole site with the application of two tactics for this strategy: cutting and filling brown earthwork and using phyto-techniques. On the cut shoreline, the strategy utilizing nature succession is aiming to generate a new shoreline by sediment baffles, which will be set in the water edge and cutting out area for the tide to work for it. Additionaly, the project provides potential habitats and social programs that locate in different types of elevation, slopes of the new topography that is generated by the new brown earthwork.

By introducing these strategies, the proposal integrate Pandan waterfront to a vibrant and active place by dealing with the brown earthwork, so that it can provide the potential for both habitats establishment and people’s need for safe and stable waterfront space, and additionally adapt to the extreme weather.

Landuse Analysis

exisTing Landuse neW deVeLopmenT Landuse hoW To deCide size of The neW park

In new development, residential area: 1750793 m2

Residential FAR: 2.8; Ratio of green space: 26%

Total green space area: 1750793 * 26% = 45.52 ha

Existing green space area: 31.4 ha; So the new park need to be 14 ha

Soil Condition Analysis

hoW To deCide Lo of The neW park soiL ConTaminaTion eVaLuaTion soiL ConTaminaTion eVaLuaTion

From the historic map, we can know that this area has the potential to become habitat.

Comprehensi V soiL ComprehensiVe eVaLuaTion siTe biodiVersiTy eVaLuaTion

The area with worst soil condition and lowet biodiversity level is chosen to be the design area, which is working as a shipyard in current stage

The storm runoff brought the mixture of contaminants to the shoreline area, we need to modify the landform thoughtfully by cutting and filling brown-earthwork.

Framework

frameWork of ConsTruCTing LandsCape based on broWn-earThWork

STRATEGY 1: MITIGATE SOIL

CONTAMINATION

STRATEGY 1: MITIGATE SOIL

CONTAMINATION remediaTe soiL poLLuTion by managing sTorm runoff

Rainfall: mm

The annual rainfall: 2700mm

Potential treated area: 30ha

Depth of wetland: 2~3m

Goal: Control 80% of annual rainfall

The dimension of wetland need to be: 2.1 ha.

Source: Data.gov.sg

STRATEGY 2: UTILIZE NATURE SUCCESSION

STRATEGY 3: PROVIDE HABITATS& PROGRAMS

The park will work as an eco-connector between the two patches, and provide ecological services for the surrounding areas.

RESHAPING COASTAL EDGE LANDSCAPE IN A HIGH-DENSE TROPICAL CITY

Yao Haomu

Due to urbanization and land reclamation, Sungei Pandan, once the largest mangrove habitat in Singapore, has witnessed a dramatic change of shoreline condition, which caused intertidal habitat loss and fragmentation. With current land use function and edge condition, the lifestyle around Sungei Pandan is detached from the original coastal characteristics, which leads to lack of public awareness for coastal habitats conservation. The project aims to revive coastal habitats under high-density urban context, by shaping a more diverse coastal edge along the Pandan River at the most representative and critical site of the whole area, the middle part between two canals, as a coastal park to benefit the whole community.

The project applies three strategies to reshaping the coastal edge landscape. Firstly, to diversify landform and shoreline, a shallow branch of water is introduced into the site where both shoreline and waterfront are redefined into natural forms. This creates a heterogeneous hydro condition such as brackish pond and riverine estuaries which expands the intertidal zones.

Secondly, by accommodating various habitats, the whole site is divided into active/passive recreation and restoration zone. Coastal, freshwater and urban habitats are then placed to accommodate the hydrological conditions which engage urban with natural area.

Lastly, the project integrates development into coastal habitats with both education and recreation activities that are arranged closely with nature based on habitats distribution. Community activities happen mostly in the northern part of the site, while housing and passive recreations are placed in the southern part. Mangrove restoration project is mainly placed on the new island. Jogging and biking tracks connect the whole site and implementation of boardwalks, treetop walk and aerie tower allow people to go through these coastal habitats.

The project provides a showcase of coastal habitat for public, in which human activities and coastal landscape are integrated together. A biophilic lifestyle would become widespread while people are unconsciously influenced here.

Background

How To Arrange Spread Image

Strategy 1

Diagram for edge treatment

Mean

Mean

Mean sea level(sea level:1.7m)

Mean low water neap(sea level:1.2m)

Strategy 2

aCCommodaTing Various habiTaTs

Habitat Map A

Zonation Map 25 m N seCTion b

Ardisia elliptica

Callisia repens (Jacq.) L

Diospyros blancoi

Acacia avriculaformis

Avicennia alba

Avicennia officinalis

Talipariti tiliaceum

Lumnizera razemosa

Calophyllum inophyllum

Cerbera odollam

Excoecaria agallocha

Eryngium maritimum

Hibiscus tiliaceus

Lumnitzera recemosa

Lumnitzera littorea nummularia cultivar tectorius cordata amazonica mudflat mangrove coastal forest riparian scrub

Cyrtostchys lakka

Homalomena

Licuala spinosa

Ardisia elliptica

Callisia repens (Jacq.) L

Diospyros blancoi

Ficus Lyrata

Mangifera indica

Tetragonia tetragonioides

Grevillea baileyana

Pentadesma butyracea Sabine

Habitat Condition

seCTion a

Lysimachia nummularia

L Nymphaea cultivar

Pandanus tectorius cultivar

Pontederia cordata

Victoria amazonica

Acacia avriculaformis

Avicennia alba

Avicennia officinalis

Talipariti tiliaceum

Lumnizera razemosa pool lawn riparian scrub riparian scrub pond stream mudflat mangrove coastal forest riparian scrub

Rocky shore intertidal area with solid rock strech up to spray zone narrow and steep in nature

Sandy beach formed by loose deposits or artficial 0~4.5m 50-100m

Sea grass meadow muddy, rocky or sandy sadiment minus10 - 0.8m up to 1km

Mudflat coastal water front/ gentle slope 0.8m - 1.3m 41m

Freshwater marsh wet muddy area with low oxygen level non-tidal area 10-30m

Seasonal wetland saturated with water, low topographic relief non-tidal area 20m

Riparian scrub interface between land and river,on floodplain 30-53m

Pond closed or more steady waterbody varies

Albizia saman

Cassia surattensis

Livistona Chinensis

Medinilla speciosa

Pandanus sanderi

Veitchia merillii

Avicennia rumphiana

Avicennia marina

Leucaena leucocephala

Rhizophora apiculata

Talipariti tiliaceum

Aegiceras corriculatum

Metrope angulate other urban green roof lawn rocky shore sea grass mangrove

Acacia avriculaformis

Avicennia officinalis

Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (L.) Lam

Cocos nucifera

Lumnizera razemosa

Nypa fruticans

Rhizophora apiculata

Rhizophora mucronata

Talipariti tiliaceum

Shrub:

Acanthus ebracteatus

Pluchea indica

Groundcover:

Chaetomorpha

Salicornia europaea L.

Tetragonia tetragonioides other urban green roof lawn rocky shore sea grass mangrove mangrove mudflat salt-marsh coastal forest pool

Acacia avriculaformis

Avicennia officinalis

Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (L.) Lam

Shrub: Acanthus ebracteatus

Strategy 3

inTegraTing

School with wetland and rain garden

Community centre with tidal pool and green roof

TraffiC

This semester’s studio gave me a new perspective when approaching design. We were taught about the importance of site research and how it helps and informs the progress of our design. Detailing the issues about the site helps to make the project more personal, in my opinion. That is why tackling the problems I saw on site encouraged me to make a change in the urban fabric. I had enjoyed being on site and studying the faunas and their behaviours. It was an eye-opener for me, as previously birds and other animals were never taken into consideration as part of the landscape. Although it was a struggle at first, I loved how the studio encouraged each other and pull it through until the end. It was a bittersweet victory, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us in the future.

Nur Azilla

The studio has been a fruitful and memorable experience as my first learning exposure through the design process of landscape architecture. Thanks to all the teamwork, guidance, and sharing from studio colleagues, experts and practitioners, I was enabled to derive more comprehensive and consolidated perspectives concerning coastal habitats and their compromised condition incurred by high-dense urban development, simultaneously, exploring into ecological potentials that we could leverage on for resolutions of such tensions. Through this studio, I start to be inspired by dealing with diversified opportunities and challenges, as our role of being landscape architects, in creating social and ecological impacts in progressive ways, and to really think critically for achieving the optimisation of both sides (urban and nature) of values, through design interventions.

Though it is not an easy journey understanding the phenomenon of our depleting coastal landscape of Singapore, it was fulfilling to discover, investigate and imply on our gained knowledge to create different solutions that tackle critical issues of the site which other parts of the tropics are potentially facing. The importance of landscape architecture is apparent particularly on how we strive in balancing the ecology, economics and social aspects of Sungei Pandan, in both the existing and new development conditions to create various design proposal that serves as alternatives which our highly-advanced country can adopt when responding to such valuable sites with great ecological attributes. Overall, this experience has taught me to be courageous in exploring new landscape design ideas, pushing my creativity and analytical skills which is an essential attitude that I will carry throughout my design education and career.

Victor Kuan

This module aims to restore the coastal landscape in a future high-dense residential area by following the natural process which is an important concept for landscape architects to learn. Since uprising spread of hard surface in the modern urban area, the natural resource like the lake, soil, grassland, mudflat, marshland are all replaced by the concrete and steel, where natural succession is no longer familiar to urban dwellers and the species habitats are disappearing dramatically. It’s the call of duty for landscape architects to remind people what’s the natural environment looks like by mimicking the natural process. And meanwhile, dealing with environment issue and mitigate the conflict between human and nature is exactly what we are doing. I hope I can find more innovative way to build more ecological, vibrant and safety urban environment in the future.

Kong Lingchang

This module gives me a vital experience in engaging issues related to landscape architecture in super urban cities. It pushed me to learn the land, people and vegetation in this dense environment. It helps me to know how intensive site research is and how it forms our design. Also, I have gained a new perspective on landscape design by learning to design ecologically.

Liu Xiaolei

This first MLA studio gave me a quite different learning experience, and I have learned a lot. Firstly, this studio taught me the importance of the way of thinking. Critical thinking was needed during the whole design process and keep asking myself why made my design more logical. Secondly, this studio focused on ecology, which I did not pay much attention before. It was meaningful to learn how to coordinate the relationship between nature and human, and it is also a new angle for me to see problems. Thirdly, I tried to use geodesign method during the design process and learned lots of knowledge about the constructed wetland with the push of the tutors. Also, I think my presentation skill still need to be improved, and I believe that everything I learned will be useful for me to explore in the future study.

Wang Hanfeng

The first studio in MLA is quite different from what I learned during my undergraduate period, and it really gives me a new way of thinking and designing.Moreover, this studio mainly focuses on ecological landscape design, which is a new field for me, and I found it is quite tricky in the beginning. Facing the conflicts of habitat loss and high-density urban development, I learned to find out the most suitable strategies based on site researchers. What I focused on in this studio is brownfield restoration. As I attempted to utilise the remediated brown earthwork to manage storm runoff while to provide potentials for habitats and recreation programs, I began to know that landscape does not just mean beautiful things, we should add more values and functions to it. Lastly, I believe these gains will help me explore more knowledge in the landscape field in the future.

Xu Lin Xin

This is the first design studio in MLA program, which mostly focuses on ecology. After we found our issue, we tried our best to find a new harmonious relationship between human and nature, with a hope of contributing to Sungei Pandan. In this studio, I learned how to fully utilise the existing resource in our hands, how to make full use of the data we have and how to think critically, then we can turn the constraints into opportunities and do a more innovative design. Not only in Singapore, we need to do like this, but also in the world with an increased acute contradiction between human and nature, we still need to do this, this is the responsibility of a landscape architect.

Wang Zhe

Undergoing the very first MLA Ecological studio which is very relevant in today’s’ Singapore context, gave me a wider scope of lens on how I could view, think, process and design landscape critically in a holistic manner. was intrigued by how important our coastal landscape is in Singapore, on how it has morphed and depleted. Most importantly how we as landscape designers could do our part to preserve, enhance and enrich our evolving coastal landscape which is in the phase of depletion. The site visits were beneficial and refreshing as it allowed myself to experience the coast, get immersed in the atmosphere and environment and stay connected with the people in the district. The process of this studio was the most important to me as it showcases the consistency, progression and development through the various mediums such as specific research, site study and essay reading. I would apply what I’ve learned to the upcoming studios in the next few semesters.

Raymond Yong

This semester’s experience was to me a definite ‘culture shock’. It has broadened my horizon by letting me peek into the world of landscape. It is mind-blowing to me regarding how much intricate details and data go into the whole planning process. Previously thought that landscape was all about design and that having the artistic sense would be fundamental to its success. Having gone through one semester, however, realised that the logical and practical aspects of it matter so much more. Its multi-faceted thinking required for a thorough planning stretched me beyond what would have imagined. I have come to appreciate and respect the fact that humans do not lord over nature. In fact, the wildlife is very much an essential part of the ecosystem, and hence we should take special care to share the same space in harmony, and this is precisely where landscape design can play such a vital role in finding that delicate balance in dividing the area between wildlife and human.an.

Swan

Lam

This studio gave me a new understanding of ecological design. The completion of the design does not mean that the project is completed, whether it achieves the desired goal and the ecological evolution in the process is also something that we need to focus on. The ecological design should be a process of science, and science is to find the characteristics of a general rule, so regarding design results, a reasonable design should include a complete set of ecological design evaluation standards. Also, our design should adapt to the site over time. Therefore, the ecological design should be based on the site, not just stay on the papers.

I’m glad that survived since there were so many challenges throughout the studio. It’s the first time that nature becomes the main priority where green spaces are no longer simply labelled as green visual like my previous learning experience of urban planning. By understanding the site condition in numerous dimensions, we learned how the natural process works in the high-density urban context. Based on these analyses, we formed individual narratives in imagining a new Pandan Coast. It’s quite tricky to implement measures to coastal landscape due to its dynamic tidal conditions and changes. As I try to prove with my design that it’s possible for us to accommodate with the natural process and blurred boundary rather than separating the coastal nature and our daily life by putting a solid seawall everywhere. In all, this studio expanded my understanding towards nature and design, I’m expecting to explore more detailed environmental issues in the following semesters.

Yao Haomu

The first MLA studio is a challenge for me, and it gave me an entirely different view towards landscape architecture. We started with the research of the site by kayaking in the pandan river, and I never feel such close to the nature like this before. think it is a good experience from which we can learn the natural process, the animals, the vegetation and feel the relationship between them in ourselves. What I also learned from the studio is that ecosystem must be emphasised and considered when we start our design because even a small area can affect the system and people are also as a part of the system. Moreover, the critical and logical thinking has always been emphasised during the studio process, I try to express myself in every presentation, and through this, I become a little confident to express myself. All in all, although the study process may be a hard challenge for me, will keep on going.

Gao Chenchen