The Salt Woods Landscape Architecture Design Thesis
905817
Zhehao Wang
I acknowledge the design is located on the land of the Kulin nation. There are debates over which cultural group of the Kulin nation belongs to the area. According to ACHRIS 2022, the area is a part of Bunurong Country. I pay my respects to the elders of the whole Kulin nation, the past, present, and emerging.
Stony Creek Backwash, Mangrove forest
The Salt Woods Design concept
As humans are intrinsic components of the Country and its care keepers, modern technologies need to be fused with ecosystems to enhance habitat value and climate resiliency. The designed multifunctional landscape will be rooted in mangrove ecosystems and provide a rainbow of different habitats.
BaysideAve Zones 1 The sunken wetlands (WSUD) 2 Artificial tidal mangrove ponds 3 Mangrove-shellfish breakwaters WestsideAve BaysideAve CentralBlvd The University of Melbourne Campus 1 Isometric
N 1 3 5 10 1:200@A1 LorimerSt LorimerSt Birrarung River Office building Office building 2 3 TrainTrack (PortofMelbourne-city)
Caring for Birrarung and the bay
Low-lying areas which are prone to flooding and inundation will be altered into floodplain ecosystems.
Fresh-salt habitat gradients
A fresh-salt habitat gradient will be constructed to support biodiversity and create diverse landscapes.
Strategies
Cyborg landscapes
Climate resilient landscapes
Engineering technologies will be hybridized with landscapes and strengthen the landscapes’ function and resiliency.
The landscapes will be equipped with ecosystems that cater to thrive and benefit from different climate change scenarios.
Surface water storage and drainage
Chains of wetlands along the low-lying streets and the waterfront will store and drain the water from rains and floods.
Blue-Green-Grey infrastructure
The landscape will provide flood protection and designed to be integrated with future raised roads or levee infrastructures.
Kulin nation
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxuumPxgi YI6GlMPAdt5suw
The saltwater people
Fishermans Band is a part of Kulin nation. According to ACHRIS 2022, the area is a part of Bunurong Country. The saltwater is Bunurong people’s important identity.
are entrusted to protect Nairm (Port Philip Bay). If humans don’t maintain a healthy balance of the Country, the sea level will rise.
The University of Melbourne Campus
Lorimer St
West Gate Park Greenline
Williamstown Rd
analysis
response Grey hatch:2m sea level rise inundation and flooding risk areas 0 100 300 500m 100 300 500m 1:10000@A1 N 1:200@A1
Stony Creek Backwash Mangrove forest
Site
and
Birrarung’s mangroves
Before the British invasion, the area was a rainbow of different wetland ecosystems including Mangrove shrublands, with different salinity levels. Many mangrove forests are camping and meeting grounds for Bunurong, with rich food sources such as oysters, fish and mangrove seeds.
West Gate Park
The Park has high ecological and recreational value but is disconnected from other green spaces.
Lorimer St
This low-lying street will be very expensive to be retrofitted with raised roads or a sea wall due to the massive pipelines underneath.
Greenline
The riverbanks of the Birrarung in the city will be built into a linear park, but the parklands do not connect to Fishermans Bend.
Williamstown Rd Conceptual master plan 0 100 300 500m 100 300 500m 1:10000@A1 N 1:200@A1
Education trail
The street wetlands and waterfront will provide a corridor for the education of Kulin nation culture, urban ecology and WSUD.
The waterfront will protect future development from waves during flooding events.
Habitat corridor
The project will connect West Gate Park to Greenline and allows wildlife movement.
Flooding defence buffer shared path corridor
Pedestrians and cyclists will be able to easily arrive in Fishermans Bend from the project.
Alternative vehicle access
After Lorimer Street being transformed, Williamstown Road will be utilized for future vehicle access.
Design challenges and responds
Challenge:
Erased floodplain habitats
The original habitats onsite were largely erased in modern time.
Response: Biodiversity
Mangrove ecosystems have a low number of plant species and support high animal biodiversity.
Challenge: Soil contamination
The soil on site is contaminated with a diverse range of pollutants, such as PCBs and heavy metals.
Phytoremediation
Many mangrove species such as grey mangrove (Avicennia marina) perform phytoremediation of PCBs and heavy metals.
Challenge: Warming Climate
The climate on site will become warmer and dryer over the century, due to global warming and urban heat island effects.
Response:
Heat-loving ecosystems
The same mangrove species typically grow faster and taller in warmer regions.
Challenge: Flooding
The area is prone to flooding. The flooding issue will worsen in the future due to sea level rise.
Flood protection
Mangrove forests lower the height of waves and protect the riverbanks from storm surges.
Challenge: Sea level rise
Global warming leads to rising sea levels, which means low-lying area inundation, higher flooding risks, and encroaching water salinity.
Sea level rise resilience
Mangrove forests accumulate sediments. This enables the ground level in the forests to rise with the sea level.
Challenge:
Encroaching water salinity
The seawater rises with the sea level. This pushes the saltwater boundary further inland.
Response: Water salinity adaptation
Mangroves can adapt to a completely different water salinity level if given one month of transition time, even from freshwater to hypersaline water.
gradient: Fresh to salt Different ecosystems will be constructed along the salinity gradients, from the east side of Bayside Ave to the waterfront. Water salinity habitat gradient The University of Melbourne and Birrarung waterfront Zones 1 Shellfish breakwaters 2 Mangrove and saltmarsh breakwaters 3 Bird-watch buildings (retrofitted from pre-existing concrete factory buildings on site) 4 Artificial tidal mangrove ponds 5 Non-tidal mangrove ponds 6 Mangrove plaza 7 Brackish floodable lawns 8 Sunken wetlands
Salinity
2 1
8
2.5m
3.0m 2.5m
2.0m Lorimer St Lorimer St
N 10 1:200@A1 0 5 20 50m 5 20 50m 1:750@A1
4 5 6 7 3 3 2.0m 1.5m 1.5m
Birrarung River Westside Ave Westside Ave Central Blvd Salmon St Average River water level: 1.75m AHD
The University of Melbourne Campus Building Train Track (Port of Melbourne - city) The University of Melbourne Tech Dock Office building Office building Data Centre Office building Bayside Ave
GST Group Bayside Ave
Office building 0 5 20 50m 5 20 50m 1:750@A1 N 1:200@A1
2 1 3 3 3 1.5m
St Lorimer St Bayside Ave
Birrarung River Average River water level: 1.75m AHD
Lorimer
4 4 5 5 5 6 6 0 5 20 50m 5 20 50m 1:750@A1 N 1:200@A1
Data Centre Westside Ave Westside Ave
Office building Office building Office building Office building Bayside Ave
5 5 6 6 0 5 20 50m 5 20 50m 1:750@A1 N 1:200@A1
Data
7 The University of
Campus Building
Ave Bayside Ave Westside Ave 8 The
Dock
Office building
Centre
Melbourne
Bayside
University of Melbourne Tech
Westside Ave 3.0m
Bayside Ave
Westside Ave
The University of Melbourne Tech Dock
Bayside Ave 8
8 8
3.0m 3.0m 3.0m 3.0m
The University of Melbourne Tech Dock
3.0m
0 5 20 50m 5 20 50m 1:750@A1 N 1:200@A1
* AECOM. “Fishermans Bend Climate Readiness Strategy.” AECOM, 2018.
Melbourne Water. “Planning for Sea Level Rise Guidelines Port Phillip and Westernport Region.” Melbourne Water, 2017. https://www.melbournewater.com.au/sites/default/files/Planning-for-sea-levels.pdf.
NGIS. “Coastal Risk Australia 2100.” Coastal Risk Australia. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://coastalrisk.com.au/viewer.
Saltwater Saltmarsh and mangroves Brackish water Mangroves Freshwater Swampy woodlands Legends Waterbody salinity Vegetation
Salinity
on site, in
types
gradient
different sea level rise scenarios in 2100*
+0.3m N 1:200@A1
+0.8m N 1:200@A1
+2m N 1:200@A1
Future grey infrastructure hybrid scenarios
Hammerhead roadways, raised roads and properties
U turn roads and raised roads
Mangrove seawalls
Ports among mangroves
2025 2040 2100, Storm event 135 1:100@A1 0 1 3 5m Bayside Ave The University of Melbourne Tech Dock container truck Car Car 3.00 3.00 2.25 2.25 2.75 Freshwater: The sunken wetlands 2.25 N 1 3 5 10 1:200@A1
Saltwater The landscape for Country The landscape for human only Brackish water Freshwater Coast Manna Gum Black Wattle Silver Banksia Common Heath Grey Tussock-grass Plants Location of the zoomed in areas Freshwater Brackish water Saltwater Mookitch Programming Surface materiality Legends Kayaking Fishing Cycling Sitting Outdoor dinning Lawn Grass Concrete pavers Salvaged Shell mulch Waterbody (Fresh) Asphalt Steel grating bridge Waterbody (Brackish) Waterbody (Salty)
Feeding relationships Feed on insects Feed on birds Feed on mollusks Feed on fishes Feed on crustacea Feed on plant materials Stratification Canopy layer Shrub layer Herbaceous layer Ground cover layer Aquatic Habitat creation water purification Insects’ habitats Bank stabilization Bioremediation Mollusca habitats Crustacea habitats Fishes’ habitats Birds’ habitats
Legends of species’ ecological functions
Silver Banksia Banksia marginata Coast Manna Gum Eucalyptus viminalis subsp. pryoriana Black Wattle Acacia mearnsii Plants Mookitch Solanum laciniatum
Freshwater swampy woodlands ecological communities
Plants
Fairy-wren
Superb
Malurus
Latham’s Snipe Gallinago
Grey
Poa
Common
Wildlife Epacris
cyaneus
hardwickii
Tussock-grass
sieberiana
Heath
impressa
2040 Perspective
Brackish water: Artificial tidal mangrove ponds 2.00 Bayside Ave container truck 2.25 2.25 2.25 1.75 2025, artificial high tide 2040, artificial low tide 2100 Office building Food Truck 2.00 2.25 1.75 0 1 3 5 1 3 5 10 1:200@A1 2.00 2.00 New mangrove forests 2.25 2.25 10m N 1 3 5 10 1:200@A1 Sea level + 2m scenario, high tide U turn roads and raised roads scenario
level + 2m scenario:
High tide: 2.25m AHD Low tide: 1.75m AHD
Saltwater
The landscape for Country The landscape for human only Brackish water Freshwater Sea
Heat waste-landscape mutualism
The heat waste from the buildings will be redirected into the ponds, which may facilitate plant growth and allow the introduction of mangroves from warmer climates. River water will be pumped into the ponds which are higher than the river. This allows the construction of wetlands on higher grounds and simulates tidal movements. The height of the ponds is based on the possible sea level rise height by 2100, which constructs floodplain habitats for the future.
Water pumps for the future floodplain
Plants
White Mangrove River Mangrove Milky Mangrove Red Mangrove Yellow Mangrove Orange Mangrove Seagrass mix
Mangrove
Plants
woodlands
River Mangrove Aegiceras corniculatum Red Mangrove Rhizophora stylosa White Mangrove Avicennia marina Milky Mangrove Excoecaria agallocha
ecological communities
Orange Mangrove Bruguiera gymnorhiza Yellow Mangrove Ceriops australis Tuberous Seatassel Ruppia tuberosa Dwarf Grass-wrack Zostera muelleri
Yellow-Eye Mullet Aldrichetta forsteri Bass
Trypaea australiensis Rufous Fantail Rhipidura rufifrons Sand Cockle Katelysia scalarina
Wildlife
Yabby
2040 Perspective
0 1.75 1.50 1 3 5 10m 1 3 5 10 1:200@A1 N 1 3 5 10 1:200@A1 2100, Sea level + 0.8m scenario 2100, Sea level + 2m scenario, high tide 2050 Saltwater: Mangrove-saltmarsh-reefs breakwaters 1.75 2.00 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.75 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.25 2.25 2.752.50 2.00 1.501.50 1.50 1.50 1.50 1.001.25 0.75 Bird-watch building 2.25 2.50 1.25 Train Track
Hairy Spinifex Lower wetland plants mix Shellfish reefs Prickly Tea-tree Truganini
Average river water level (Sea level rise<1.75m): 1.75m AHD Plants
Saltwater The landscape for Country The landscape for human only Brackish water Freshwater Sea level + 2m scenario: High tide: 2.25m AHD Low tide: 1.75m AHD
White Mangrove Woods Woods Woods Woods Red Mangrove Path Train Track Black Wattle Section, 2050 Shell mulch path Seagrass Seagrass
Coast Manna Gum
Woods Saltmarsh on embarkment Saltmarsh on embarkment Shellfish breakwater Shellfish reefs Shellfish reefs Lower wetland plants mix 1. +2m sea level rise storm surge level: 5m AHD 2. Current river flooding level: 3.4m AHD 3. +2m sea level rise tidal range: 2.25m-1.75m AHD 4. Current river water level: 1.75m AHD 1 4 3 2 1:200@A1 Shell mulch path 0 1 3 5 10m 1 3 5 10 1:200@A1
Designed
ecological communities Rakali Hydromys chrysogaster Plants
wetland zone Hairy Spinifex Spinifex sericeus Prickly Tea-tree Leptospermum continentale Truganini Atriplex semibaccata Wildlife
Upper
Lower wetland / intertidal zone (1.5m+ sea level rise) Beaded Glasswort Sarcocornia quinqueflora subsp. Quinqueflora Australian Salt Grass Distichlis ditichophylla Sea Rush Juncus kraussii ssp. Australiensis Common Spike-Rush Eleocharis acuta
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis Shiny Swamp-mat Selliera radicans Austral Seablite Suaeda australis Wildlife Plants Lower wetland / intertidal zone (1.5m+ sea level rise)
Black Bream Acanthopagrus butcheri Blue sea mussel Mytilus edulis Mud Olyster Ostrea angasi Variable Barnacle Amphibalanus variegatus Wildlife
shellfish reefs
Research plots
The plots will be designed to blend into the surrounding landscapes. The research aims to discover optimum species recruitment in relationship to plantings.The results will inform the future phases of the project.
Trees
Shrub/Tree
River Mangrove Aegiceras corniculatum
White Mangrove Avicennia marina Milky Mangrove Excoecaria agallocha Red Mangrove Rhizophora stylosa
1 tree species 3 tree species
1 tree species with shrub 3 tree species with shrub
Plots
1 tree species with shrub
2 tree species with shrub
1 tree species 2 tree species
Minor plots
Avicennia marina
Excoecaria agallocha
Rhizophora stylosa
Avicennia marina Aegiceras corniculatum
Excoecaria agallocha Aegiceras corniculatum
Shellfish reefs to facilitate mangrove performance
1. The shells will be salvaged from local restaurants and cleaned.
die off.
3. The shells will be mulched onto the riverbed or sea floor.
4. Free-swimming larvae of oysters, mussels, and barnacles will attach to the shells and form the shellfish reef.
Breakwater embarkment units
Not to scale
Unit as artificial reefs Unit as embarkment
The units will allow root penetration and serve as artificial reefs. The units will be made of salvaged broken concrete, covered in an Ecocrete concrete mixture. The breakwaters will reduce the height of waves.
1:75@A5
10 3m 0 1 3m
Perspective, waterfront, 2040
