B.A. - Year 3 - Lower Bredbury Heritage Wind Park

//scenario:

// a Changing stockport: Extreme weather is becoming a commmon site in England. As part of Year 3 Landscape architecture my task was to investigate Extreme wind. The staring point to research when we can expect to see this extreme, how it will come about and what we can expect to see because of and in response to..

The year is 2050; the rising global temperature due to climate change has melted a significant part of the polar ice caps. The flow of fresh water into salt water has affected the jet-streams. Which in turn has caused more severe weather around the globe.

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Although the UK government has attempted to reduce their carbon emissions by 80% the world has not.

It appears the weather in the UK is affected by the global climate. This suggests that the global ignorance to reducing carbon emissions will affect the weather in the UK, regardless of whether we achieve our targets or not. Extreme weather in the UK is a product of extreme weather across the globe, which can only be addressed with a combined international effort.

TEXT

The increasing temperature in the sub-tropical Atlantic, which has been rising for nearly a hundred years, has resulted in more intense storms forming within the tropics. These have lead to an increased number of cyclone-like storms in the UK; storms which are remnants of the greater and more intense tropical cyclones.

Our scenario predicts the weather conditions that will occur in 2050. This date is of interest to us because many of the projections found were focused on the period between 2040-2069.

The year was then chosen because it interestingly features in the government s policy to reduce the UK s greenhouse gas emissions by 80% . (Climate Change Act, 2008) The date seems to be relevant to The up-stream perturbations to today s scientists who are predictthe jet stream over North America (Met Office, 2014) have been strong- ing weather conditions and setting ly related to stormy, extreme weath- emission targets therefore the date er experienced in the UK. These jet seemed relevant to our research. streams encourage the movement and intensity of the storms, which can force them in the direction of the UK, specifically towards the North.

Decreasing polar Ice caps 1984

Earthobservatory.nasa.gov, (2014). Visualizing the 2012 Sea Ice Minimum : Image of the Day. [online] Available at: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=79256 [Accessed 5 Oct. 2014].

2012

Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet, (2013). Home. [online] Available at: http://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/global-temperature/ [Accessed 20 Sep. 2014].

Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet, (2014). The relentless rise of carbon dioxide. [online] Available at: http://climate.nasa.gov/climate_resources/24/ [Accessed 13 Oct. 2014].

Department of Energy & Climate Change, (2014). The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan. Norwich: TSO (The Stationery Office), pp.4-7, 21-26,.

Rising co2 level

CO2 reduction target

Rising Global temperature (ËšC)

5 year mean Annual mean

5 year mean Annual mean

Rising Global temperature (ËšC)

Nsidc.org, (2014). Patterns in Arctic Weather and Climate. [online] Available at: https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/arctic-meteorology/weather_climate_patterns.html [Accessed 22 Sep. 2014].

Artic oscillations

scenario 1

Timeline 2

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How storms will increase in frequency 4

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This timeline shows how storms have appear more often because the meth occurrence of storms which we are p

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A secondary contribution to some storms which will be a factor in creating more extreme weather in the UK is the change happening to the Polar Vortex. The Polar Vortex is a strong wind which occurs around the North Pole. As the polar ice caps are decreasing in size the temperature in the area rises. This is when the high pressure caused by the Polar Vortex is affected and released colder winds to the rest of the globe.

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The main cause of these tropical storms is shown in the diagram (below, right). This shows that the rising temperature of the sea creates more clouds which contribute to the rain and

also enhance the temperature gradients which lead to faster winds.

Positive phase

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//the facts: Information from the Met Office has allowed us to understand the movements of pressure and current across the world. Remnants of tropical cyclones hitting the UK are not unheard of because they are pushed towards us by the jet streams. The stronger the storm to begin with is then the stronger the remnant will be affecting the UK.

Negative phase

Tropical Cyclones hitting UK

180 170 Met Office, (2014). Tropical cyclone facts. [online] Available at: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/tropicalcyclone/facts#occur [Accessed 4 Oct. 2014].

160 150 140 The summary of the timeline is between ,the current day and our chosen date of 2050, we can expect to see the historic equation of time to intensity carry on. This means storms and high speed winds will become more frequent and more destructive. This will lead to a number of changes in Human behaviour.

130 120 1891

110 90 80 70 60

1881

Fund, E. (2014). Climate change: Weather on steroids. [online] Environmental Defense Fund. Available at: http://www.edf.org/climate/climate-change-and-extreme-weather [Accessed 11 Sep. 2014].

Category of storms expected in scenario

scenario

ce 2011 since 2011

How will extreme storms impact our basic human needs

e become increasingly moreTEXT frequent in the UK. It is important to understand that perhaps the storms hods for recording storms have become more advanced. The right side of the timeline shows the predicting to happen as a result of our scenario.

Extreme winds and storms in the area of Manchester will put pressure on many social, cultural and political institutions. The risk of damage to housing and infrastructure is definitely of main importance. Inhabitants homes will be lost and the initial challenge would be to provide refuge for those citizens until the storm calms. In addition, this would lead to the council having to address rectifying the damage. The cost of this immediately strains the government s resources creating political tensions. We can also look at the risk of shortages of food and clean water, and the build up of general waste.

the government s resources creating political tensions. We can also look at the risk of shortages of food and clean water, and the build up of general waste.

supply of the customary local services such as the police force and the health service. How will the day-to-day running of Britain be affected by the on-going battle with extreme weather?

scenario

However, these only suggest the immediate problems of an extreme storm. We also have to look at the complications that arise from a continuous sequence of storms, and how these affect things such as farming-conditions, power-generation and the supply of the customary local services such as the police force and the health service. How will the day-to-day running of Britain be affected by the on-going battle with extreme weather?

Basic needs effected by extreme weather

Effects of Storms

Storm surge

Flooding

Heavy rain

High winds

Crop Damage

Infrastructure Damage

Nhc.noaa.gov, (2014). Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. [online] Available at: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php [Accessed 23 Sep. 2014].

2050

Researchhistory.org, (2012). Maslow s Hierarchy of Needs : Research History. [online] Available at: http://www.researchhistory.org/2012/06/16/maslows-hierarchy-of-needs/ [Accessed 4 Oct. 2014].

Year of scenario

20212040 2015 2020 2013 2005 1953

2 events per year

1989 1987 2006

1990

2012 2013

2001

2008

2014 2011

3 events per year

2041 2050 4 events per year

//agenda & territory:

As knowledge of Stockport and the climate changes evolved, the creation of a successful and appropriate programme for the town could be developed.

-Stockport MUST use THE wind and other opportunities to increase the production of green energy.

-Stockport NEED to implement a smart energy infrastructure, on a series of scales.

-Stockport SHOULD manage vegetation to increase biodiversity and function over aesthetics.

- Stockport HAVE A DUTY to conserve the industrial heritage through adaptation.

using the agenda as a guide sites is stockport will be revealed as potential areas for development within a selected territory area.

Eventually this should lead to a final site and small programme design

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Developing from the group agenda I believe that sheltering and using the wind and other natural forces, to generate energy, taken from many acts of tropism researched is the greatest form of intervention for this extreme. My focus will be upon the creation of new green energy, grown from the storms including the high winds and flood surges. The potential energy from these extreme events will create the opportunity for Stockport to unburden itself from the national grid and make bold strides towards a self-sufficient entity. Within these steps they would have to abandon many old pieces of infrastructure and industrial heritage, which in turn I wish to re-appropriate for useful and unique public spaces working with the structures left and re-introducing nature.

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//Agenda & Territory:

ENERGY SPACES Potential Power Generation spaces areas suitable for Wind Turbines areas suitable for Hydroelectricity

FINAL DECISION

VEGETATION DIVERSITY 2 2

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Vegtation Diversity Areas Poor Diversity (mainly functional and aesthetic)

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High Bio-Diversity

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INDUSTRIAL SPACES

Selection of sites by overlaying selected

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Demolition risk of Stockport Industrial sites No risk At risk Demolished (empty site) No risk ( due to Adaption)

territory

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Craig Rd Demolished Railway

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Yew St. Demolished Railway Sidings

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//tERRITORY:

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Once the territory had been selected elements such as vegetation to appear within the spaces, management and small programmes had to be devised.

Craig rd was to become a wind farm, Yew st an urban farm,Mersey st a hydroelectricity plant and Stockport road was to have multiple functions including a successional

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Town Centre 1

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VEGETATION

KEY Wind Breaking Plants Ruderal Successional Aesthetic Water filtration

Mersey St. Gas Holders

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Stockport Rd west Sub Station

Agriculture

MANAGEMENT

KEY Community Liverstock grazing Highway sevices Zero mangement

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Service Blocks

CONNECTIONS

LANDFORM

// A g with masses of vegetation to be added to improve biodiversity and windbreaking within open spaces. The splashes of eneregy production is a positive step forward to stockport becoming a sustrainable town

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//plan for stockport:

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with the creation of individual communities with stockport. tasks to try and gain sustainability can be delegated across the lancashire town. this variation on a smart energy infrastructure Differs from convetnional systems, there has been a large dependence but on people and scoial interaction, this decision was made in order to try and create a stronger communicative environment around the town.

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//smart systems

Community C

Community A

Community B

Community A Urban Farm (Community B)

Collection by surrounding community (B)

Wind Farm (Community A)

Stockport Central Energy Bank d

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Collection by surrounding community (A)

Hydroelectric Plant (Community C)

equal amounts of the 3 types of energy in community A

Collection by surrounding community (C)

Community B

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equal amounts of the 3 types of energy in community B

equal amounts of the 3 types of energy in community C

Any remaining energy left sent back to central bank

Sustainable Stockport

central bank

//Lower bredbury heritage wind park

The generation of an agenda and arrangement of spaces for the entirety of Stockport combined to form the need for a singular detailed designed space. This Heritage wind park is to act as the central bank for the social smart infrastructure to hang upon.

Open expanses revealed through the analysis meant a green light for many planned activities to be involved in the development, such as wind turbines and other energy producing solutions.

However despite its many flaws the site had already many established trees close to both mills. These established shelter belts were a key product within the project.

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As you can see from the site analysis large roadways, buildings build up key areas of the site. A virtually forgotten about site in many eyes.

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Site analysis is a crucial part of any scheme, due to privatisation and security parameters around areas within my site access to all elements was difficult. However this set back was inspirational in the schemes eventual development.

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//site analysis:

Routes

Materials

Orange Primary Routes (M60 and Stockport Road) Yellow Secondary (Small Residential Streets)

Brick, Steel, Wood (Recycled Pallets) Concrete and Tarmac

Buildings

Shadows

Majority Small Residential (6m) Two Large Mills (Welkin and Pear New)

Large Shadows Cast by Mills. Winter sun may cause Residential areas to be in Shadow due to density.

Levels

Wind exposure

Flat Open spaces near Mills. More intensity approaching and in Residential areas.

Mainly Exposed. Some existing vegetation in place for windbreaks.

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Like the patterns that built Stockports golden industrial years, the “bricolage of areas� with my site became more entwined and intertwined with development. The final outcome carries characteristics of all plans gone by. With large open areas remeniscent of a simple plain weave for the wind turbines over a pong to a more satin like arrangment for the combition of industrial grid paths over large mixed planting beds. The Product of the industrial history of stockport not only informed elements within the site but the design of the complete masterplan.

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//development:

PLAIN

Twill

satin

“COMBINATION”

//final plan: Adding more elements into the energy infrastructure of the heritage park gives the space a greater reliability to produce useable amounts of energy. The Turbine blades are an idea taken from The grassland planting implemented on site and turned into a possible energy solution. Unlike the ideas precedent these pieces will be tall and an interactive piece for visitors to the site.

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turbine blades

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Combining the two elements of a pond and energy generation through wind turbine allows a open piece of field be turned into a biodiverse aquatic section of the site. This is a bonus on an area such as this due to extra type of planting that couldnt be achieved in the existing water courses.

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turbine pond

substation

Reclamining and not restoring to the open field that once sat there, the substation, gives the site more interesting useable space. the conservation of the piece with inform, educate and entertain users of the site whilst keep the post industrial aesthetic.

water wheel

water wheels were A Common sight in industrial age stockport. Another element of “Bricolage� to a varied infrastructure of energy generation and involving the towns heritage.

water wheel

turbine pond

turbine blades

substation

The implementation a body of water within the Welkin fields area of the heritage park allows multiple benefits including increased biodiversity the open expanses needed in order to implement a small wind farm and another point of interest for users.

The structure of the space lends an element of formality to Welkin mill. The conservation of geometries allowing it to sit comfortably and become a more integrate part of the fabric which surrounds it.

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//perspective:

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//wind turbine pond:

//Pear shadows: //1:500: Pear shadows is the side of the scheme dominated by the industrial archictecture of the great mill.

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Other precedents included the different range in sizes and heights of rocks upon the beach front (see image right) yet again applicable to the windbreaks this controlled heights the slabs were to be. they attempt to create a narrative, growing bigger in the middle to show the golden age of stockports industrial heritage to a low level at the edges of the group, signifying stockports production levels of today.

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due to the main elements of the space being introduced with the masterplan for the park at 1:1250 modifications were needed in order to make in functional and more interesting. The introduction of the corten windbreaks were the main creation. Taking inspiration from nature and how trees are able to burst through boulders.

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//development:

studied randomness

Other features of the development with Pear shadows includes the subtle narrowing of the path in order to climitise people tp the small spaces within the substationn (concrete forest)

breaking through

Two styles of paths can be seen Concrete and steel grid. the main boulevard central to the plan, has recycled brick aggregate from the demolished houses building the concrete of the primary routes. the second are smaller industrial grid style walkways that penetrate the differeing types of Vegetation.

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The final plan for Pear shadows (1:500) in a mixture of formal routes, linear in nature, and waves of vegetation that lead the user through a narrative as they are drawn into the site further. The main route of Pear Shadows also becomes more congested as the journey continues. The climatic moment of reaching the substation or concrete forest where the spaces are much narrower and intimate.

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//site plan:

Both breaking the wind and the breaking of old concrete and tarmac can be seen within the perspective. Both have equally as important roles within the scheme. The concrete creates different micro-ecosystems from step to step, where multiple different plants and wildlife can inhabit.

The tarmac ribbon also is a fun way to experience the site from another potentially more interesting viewpoint than from the boulevard like pathways.

The perforated corten steel windbreaks are a signature of the site. Offered protection from the wind they also reinforce the industrial feel. They are placed with in the site looking towards the mill to signify the thousands of people who would have flocked there to work

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//Perspective:

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//breaking down:

//the concrete forest: //1:200 The concrete forest is a decomissioned substation within pear shadows. The area includes multiple event spaces and instalations to entertain and inform

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//site plan: A look under the canopy reveals history and art zones along with a playground. Caters to all the concrete forest is a unique semi-enclosed space designed to entertain and encase users from the wind.

//under the canopy: visual showing the internals of the conrete forest. Covered in parthenocissus quinquefolia and other climbing plants throughout spring and summer the colour variation over the year gives a point of interest for returning visitors. Under the mass of the foilage the space is lit by a red thread entwinning its way through the substation.

//1:200:

A cross section through the concrete forest showing the lead up to the bursting building. The old control building for the substation with an intensive green roof it hosts a range of medium sized trees

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//building a bursting :

//the mess: //1:100:

The mess refers to the planting on site. a mixture of grasslands, wetland and ruderl planting the combination of aims to improve biodiversity within the park. Named “the mess� in Homage to the text Messy ecosystems.

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Despite the majority of the existing site being ruderal vegetation this is an element I was to encapsulate and manipulate within distinctive areas of my design. Apparent post industrial schemes at the forefront of landscape architecture use heavily managed clinical planting. This seems to have a cleansing effect on the area. But through keeping and implementing ruderal vegetation to show hardship and suggest subjectively a sense of stories played out within the boundaries of a site. This type of vegetation also increase the possibility of creation, adaptation of areas from the introduction of wildlife, in turn making a healthier eco-system.

This informality is an element I want to carry out throughout the site. The one object that truly symbolises this is the inclusion of the broken concrete and tarmac placed within the large vegetation beds. The undulating planes contrasted with the open voids beaneath these raised-palms of broken hardstanding implies a distinct possibility that the influx of wildlife could be a natural stepping stone for the scheme. I personally see these small cave like structures becoming habitats for small mammals and insects, as well as this obvious benefit the experience of walking on the changing surface gives a greater sensation for the user.

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//planting:

//annable hill: //1:50:

Annable hill is the northern entrance that deals with a harsh gradient of slope. The site is to the north of the concrete forest.

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//site plans:

These annable Hill site plans show the final product. The combination of industrial aesthetic and functionability have come together to create an open space either for overspill events from the concrete forest or alternatively as a large entrance to the area.

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//green stairs:

section showing implementation of greenstairs, sUDS and corten structures upon annable hill. the stairs flanked by corten steel lead to the northern entrance of the concrete forest.

//on the blink: //bespoke:

On the blink is the reactive windbreak bespokely designed for this scheme. the series of iris act as an early warning system to inform the users of the increasing wind speeds. the iris would open and close to allow more wind through in order to protect the site. These action would almost make the piece look alive and blinking.

//green //on thestairs: blink:

section showing implementation of greenstairs, constructed from corten steel and standard 152 I beam sUDS structures around northern stands onand the corten south of annable hill.

The the series of iris g substation space. openentrance and closeof inthe order to dealevent with different weather

ms the unique windbreak give it the ability to r conditions

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//model: modeling the mechanism for the windbreak in an oversized scale (for the gears) allows to physically see the drama that can be created from the action of simply opening and closing.

//on site: As the image (right) shows the windbreak creates a substantial visual impact and when paired with the surrounding standard perforated windbreaks creates a perfect family of elements.