yn nofio Gerddi [floating gardens] : Bute East Dock
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Disconnected from the sea, the Bute East Dock remains a near stagnant water body, undervalued and under used. Once part of the world’s largest coal port, bustling with boats, cranes and trains, few visible remnants of its history remain above the waterline: a lone crane and a redundant barge. Used only by fishermen, walkers and occasional dragon boat racers, we are warned to “Keep away from the water’s edge - contains high levels of toxic algae”. The 1987 redevelopment sought to improve the quality of the quay side, and access to it; now it is time to reclaim the water. key 1 mid cross section (1:500 scale)
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2 ornamental crane (de-commissioned 1987)
3 remnant quay side materials
4 panoramic view from North end of dock
5 dock location, Cardiff Bay (not to scale) 5
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yn nofio Gerddi [floating gardens] : Bute East Dock 6 floating gardens
a. fibreglass vessel
b. walkway, tool storage beneath
c. galvanized steel cage frame
d. geotextile membrane
e. 250mm depth topsoil
f. recycled plastic decking
g. service columns
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floating gardens are inspired by Chinampa, an ancient Mesoamerican agriculture method, which used small islands of fertile arable land to grow crops on the shallow lake beds in the Valley of Mexico. Each floating garden is equal to one 25sqm allotment ‘perch’ contained within a fibre glass catamaran vessel. A grid of pontoons provides mooring for 423 perches (sufficient for 200 families). Service columns provide filtered dock water for watering plants, solar-powered night-time lighting, and underwater agitators, connected by wind turbines that help to keep the dock water healthy and flowing.
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The Floating Gardens project provides Cardiff city dwellers with a place where they can grow their own kitchen produce, as well as enjoy a reclaimed waterscape. The masterplan supports leisure and entertainment uses such as swimming, fishing, growing, pedaloing, dragon boat racing and other public events. The
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masterplan civic swimming pools 1 event space 2 dragon boat racing lane 3 relocated crane 4
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5 Atlantic Wharf pedalos
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6 floating gardens
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7 nature reserve
i. Chinampas, Valley of Mexico
8 lagoons
ii. giant water lilies (Victoria Amazonica species)
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