Progressive Future(s) Portfolio Simon Meade s3201379 Shibitachi, Japan, 2012.
This book has been made to document my design studio work and time spent in Japan over the July holiday period of 2012. In total, 14 students from RMIT University spent 3 weeks working in collaboration with students from Tokyo University and Ota Lab, working both off-site in Tokyo and in Shibitachi, our design site. The book documents my design process from humble beginnings in Melbourne, stark realizations on site, working with the local residents and finally established ideas and refinement, following returning from Japan.
Simon Meade
PAGE 2
page
4 6
linkages of work Shibitachi course guide extract
8 12 14 16 20 22 26 32
Tokyo: Megalopolis notebook images Meiji Shrine Yokahama Port Terminal Tokyo University: Ota Lab Workshops Shibitachi: design site site panoramas hand drawings
43 44 46 48 50 51 52 53
Melbourne: further refinement project manifesto 10 ideas for 100 years Japan infographics Landschaft Park precedent study Marine Youth House precedent study other precedents Tohoku Cotton Project
54 62 64 66 68 71 72 73 74
salinity removal table site planting sections site collage masterplan(s) new housing typology oyster reef system design timeline system mapping design presentation panels
76 78
after landscape studio students appendix
PAGE 3
Linkages of Work YOKAHAMA PORT TERMINAL PLAN
MEIJI SHRINE, TOKYO
SECTIONS
HOUSING
WORK WITH TOKYO STUDENTS
MODULE MASTERPLAN ROOFTOP PLAN
COLLAGE
CHANGE OVER TIME ITERATIONS
MASTERPLAN
STAGES DIAGRAM
SALINITY REVEGETATION LANDSCHAFT PARK PRECEDENT MARINE HOUSE PRECEDENT PATRICK BLANC PRECEDENT
PAGE 4
TIMELINE
SECTIONS
DATA TABLE TOHOKU COTTON PRECEDENT PLANTING STAGES DIAGRAM
SYSTEMS DIAGRAM
SALT TOMATO PRECEDENT
OYSTER REEF SYSTEM
REEF RENDERS NEW YORK PRECEDENT OYSTER CROSS SECTION
Akihabara: Electric City, Tokyo. PAGE 5
“Shibiatchi is the site of a joint design research project undertaken by Hiroshi Ota Lab at Institute of Industrial Science at the University of Tokyo and Marieluise Jonas RMIT University, who is a research fellow at Ota Lab. Shibiatchi a 450 year old small fishing village is situated approximately 12 km east from Kessenuma City, approximately 500km north of Tokyo. On March 11 2011, 16 people of previously 86 inhabitants were killed and all low lying buildings, the port and the main road were destroyed. The land mass has sunk by approx. 75cm. The project works with the local community leaders and has conducted a number of design workshops with the community that aim to re-build Shibitachi’s infrastructure, port, roads and evacuation network. Since June 2011 Ota Lab Tokyo University has been involved with a number of machizukuri (lit. town making) workshops. These workshops are conducted with members of the community and work as a bottom up approach to rebuilding the village’s road and port infrastructure as well as public amenities. Key tasks of the project team have been so far to generate new map data, specifically terrain data and topography maps. Only very little topographic data existed previous to the earthquake which now has become unusable. Further, the design of evacuation routes is a key project now underway. Steep and narrow slopes proved as a trap for the mainly elderly population in the tsunami. 18 months after the devastating earthquake and tsunami a RMIT Upper Pool Design Studio in Landscape Architecture will engage with the medium of time as a predominant factor of contingency in design. Exposing students to the effect of the event, moment, contingency and uncertainty the studio will offer immediate experience and involvement in the Shibitachi project. 15 RMIT students will travel to Japan in June and July 2012 to work on site in Shibitachi and with the project group in Ota lab in Tokyo.” - taken from RMIT course guide.
PAGE 6
Shibitachi Minato Machizukuri Brochure, Tokyo University
PAGE 7
Tokyo is an overwhelming city of immense size and variation. Having studied particular planning strategies in an Asian Urbanism Research Seminar, I was well aware of the miss match of all different types of housing and building typology, with little or no apparent order present. Even so, I was still blown away at the scale of the megalopolis and the complexity for which it was made up of. The city is a buzz with electricity and in a place full of millions of people, creativity and ingenuity is all around. Everywhere I looked it was a feast for the eyes, bright colours everywhere, something interesting and different lurked around every corner. It is this with this intensity of population where new trends are born, new styles adapted and new inventions take flight. The shear size of the population of the megalopolis is daunting, close to 2.5 times the size of Melbourne, the city is in a constant state of caution from natural disaster, mainly earthquakes in the cities. It is this common threat which all Japanese are aware of; and generally speaking are perhaps the best prepared for any such disaster in the world. It is with that thought in the back of their mind that they go about their daily lives with such gusto. Precision and detail is everywhere, nothing matches yet somehow everything works. Tokyo is unlike any city I have ever experienced before. Tokyo exudes vibrance and exudes life. It challenges conceptions and starts new opinions. A feast for the senses, it was a life changing experience.
PAGE 8
government building viewing deck, Tokyo.
“This city is a process, not an artefact.”
PAGE 9
Shibuya pedestrian crossing, Tokyo. PAGE 10
““Tokyo is an experimental field where every urban trend appears for the first time, to be copied years later in other world cities.” PAGE 11
notebook images from time in Japan
PAGE 12
PAGE 13
The Meiji Shrine in Tokyo represents a welcome rest from the sprawling city engulfing it. Located in a large park/forest, it covers an area of 700,000 square-meters. The evergreen forest consists of 120,000 trees and almost 365 different species, which were donated by people from all parts of Japan when the shrine was established. Our visit to the shrine was a welcome relief to the intensity of the city as well as the stifling summer heat. Although the Meiji shrine did not facilitate any techniques or ideas for the final design in Shibitachi the experience of being at the sacred temple was enough to gain an understanding of the connection which people can have with particular significant places. The design of the temple was such that it was first and foremost, surrounded by a very large evergreen forest, centrally located within the sprawling city, close to Shinkuku station. Once you reached the temple it was divided into 2 very distinct spaces: a large square surrounding building, enclosing a large courtyard. Inside this courtyard was 2 very large sacred trees, with ritual adornments hanging in between the 2 trunks (signifying a god/sacred-like status) and under this particular space was large frames where personal prayers from visitors could be written down on wooden squares and hung for the monks to burn each day in the hopes of the prayers eventuating. Secondly was the inner sanctum where the monks went to pray, closed off from the public.
Meiji Shrine, Tokyo PAGE 14
The design of the park in conjunction with the temple was such that almost all of the paths lead to the central temple and whilst approaching the temple select elements were designed to lead visitors into the temple. Pavers, roofs and even seating were placed within the site to entice people into the inner courtyard. Although once a visitor had followed all the visual cues to venture into the central courtyard there was no particular object or designed element which signified the end of the journey into the space. I believe this established a contemplative mindset for the visitor, something which is important in Shinto religion.
PAGE 15
“An International Design Competition was held between 1994 and 1995. This was to ensure that the design of the Terminal would be recognized as a symbol of the Port of Yokohama and a potential source of pride for Yokohama. A total of 660 submissions came from 41 countries (336 from Japan and 324 from overseas), making this the biggest-ever international competition held in Japan. The Grand Prize was won by Mr. Alejandro Zaera-Polo and Ms. Farshid Moussavi, an architect team operating in the UK, calling themselves OMA. The construction work was carried out, using various detailed engineering studies based on their prize-winning design. With abundant curved surfaces, its unique form and a massive column-free space, this design was proving to be one of the most innovative projects ever constructed. The building attracted attention not only domestically, but also internationally, receiving the Worldwide Award in 2004 for architectural designs excellence.� -taken from Yokahama Osanbashi website This particular design has been shown as an example of how terrain can be developed through the use of materials year in and year out since starting the course in the first year of the bachelor program. Going to Japan as a student of RMIT Landscape Architecture program and missing this particular site would be a great shame for any student, so when the opportunity to travel to Yokahama on a daytrip came up, it was always going to be one of the highlights of the trip.
Yokohama Port Terminal, Yokohama. PAGE 16
Upon arriving at Yokahama Port Terminal many of us had preconceived ideas of what it would be like and the systems and programs which developed around it. These ideas were vastly different to the occurrences, which we witnessed on site, something of an unused space which, although had the vast amounts of infrastructure needed for such a large infrastructure terminal was left almost
dormant. The form and use of materials was incredibly rich and inspirational, yet the usage had fallen by the wayside and seemed to lack the enthusiasm for which we had for the site. Again this site visit didn’t play any real, major role in my final design for Shibitachi, yet seeing the way in which a system-based design could play out on site was very motivating for how a conceptual idea of cross-programming came into fruition. My final design outcome was framed in a similar context to the way in which the terminal was forged through an overlapping of systems and programs coming together in one centrally located node. I believe the most successful aspect of the project was its mimicing of typography and contour mapping techniques. The way in which the framework beneath the form was designed was something which began to become apparent whilst walking up and down the sloping surfaces above the terminal. The weathering process of the timber seemed as if it could have been a mistake/budget cut, yet it makes for one visually striking and interesting form, something which potentially could have been very different in other circumstances.
point of no return, circulation diagram:
PAGE 17
ce
pa ps
to
f roo
rst
m
tto
bo
Yokahama Port Terminal axonometric
PAGE 18
oor
oor
Yokahama represents how a conceptual idea and program/system based design can work on a real-time scale. It allows for massive influxes of people at all periods of the day and although it may not be used to its full potential, the form is visually striking and iconic, something which can be held as a tourist and local-alike destination for Yokahama.
PAGE 19
Tokyo University: Ota Lab workshops PAGE 20
Working with the Tokyo University students was an experience, which at times was challenging but extremely rewarding and inspirational. We teamed up with students from the Ota Lab, where many of the students are doing their research for thesis and masters within the spatial laboratory. After the language divide was overcome, we were able to communicate ideas freely between the 2 parties. These discussions involved: what our design hunches could be, closer identification of on-site conditions as well as gaining valuable pre-visit information on the current situation with the townspeople, current and previous work which had been undertaken in the township as well as future predictions. The students provided us with valuable insight into what was expected of our visit within the isolated community as well as being able to provide extremely valuable translating for the townspeople to communicate their ideas with us also. The Ota Lab also provided a fantastic space for us to do our work within, both before leaving for Shibitachi and also the follow up work after returning from the site visit. In the middle image we can see both the TUS (Tokyo University of Science) and RMIT design studios with their respective tutors and the head of the Shibitachi village with his wife. Below this is a photo following the final presentations at Tokyo University, Civic Landscape Architecture Lab presented to Prof. Nakai. To the left of this image is one room the Ito Lab where some of the students worked whilst studying at Tokyo University.
PAGE 21
Japan, Miyagi Prefecture.
PAGE 22
Karakuwa Peninsula.
Kesennuma City.
Shibitachi, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. しびたち,シビタチ,鮪立 N 38° 53’ 26’’ E 141° 38’38’ post tsunami condition
lives lost on 3/11/11: 16 people population: 797 people major economy: fishing (85%) 95 buildings in total = 270 households.
PAGE 23
Shibitachi: TUS+RMIT community workshops PAGE 24
PAGE 25
“The environment makes our characters.”
PAGE 26
informal memorial site, Shishiori-Karakuwa station.
PAGE 27
PAGE 28
proposed fish processing plant, Shibitachi.
temporary community gathering marquee, Shibitachi.
“You can’t do anything without risking something.”
PAGE 29
PAGE 30
lookout point and restaurant, Shibitachi.
personal belongings, Shibitachi.
PAGE 31
PAGE 32
Because of limited resources in the village we did the majority of our work hand-drawn and scanned/ took photos of the documents to present via projector to the townspeople in Japanese (with the help of our new TUS friends). The work to the left of the page documents some of our earlier work in Shibitachi, questioning production of the town and if food security was possible in a quickly diminishing town. Following a meeting with one of the leaders of the community, Mr. Suzuki we were impressed with a large iron pot, which he had located within his traditional house, overlooking the bay surrounding the village. Mr. Suzuki explained to us that the pot had been used by his family and the townspeople for close to 200 years, in times of crisis when key infrastructure and services such as hot water or food were cut off from the town, the townspeople would congregate to Mr and Mrs Suzuki’s house to obtain these provisions (see p.36). The pot was a fool proof system which in times of disaster, when all known modern services such as electricity, gas, road networks etc. were cut off, it would come into its own and be able to supply the small township with vital supplies of boiling water and rice. This ritual was engrained within the local residents, passed down from generation to generation so that in times of crisis the small isolated township could stand a chance of survival. Even in the most recent disaster, the pot was used to provide boiling water for people who were effected by the tsunami, to at least provide them with a hot bath, to limit the exposure from the freezing conditions which they were suddenly thrown into, thus proving that even PAGE 33
hand drawings for presentation in village
PAGE 34
in modern day times, an age old ritual of disaster and evacuation processes were relevant close to 200 years following the pot’s inception. Our initial design was based around the notion of this pot, using it in a metaphorical sense. The process of the pot was such that in times of a disaster an input was introduced (water/rice), an event took place once in the pot (boiling/ production) and an outcome was generated (hot water/food). We used the model of this practice and the idea of self-sufficiency as an ideal outcome for the township (looking at food production and supply) and questioned how this could be achieved in a town devastated by the 3/11 tsunami. The challenge of working within the town and presenting our design ideas was that showing the local townspeople complex mappings or speculative approaches to these issues would be incredibly hard to put across and gain valuable feedback, making any real in roads into a positive and thorough design rendered hopeless. Thus, many of the images produced were sketched perspectives or very simple diagrams which showed how each project worked and the way in which it would benefit the town for future disaster events. The following pages document this work produced from our time both in Shibitachi and also the follow-up work back in the Ito Lab, Tokyo.
PAGE 35
Mr.Suzuki with his cast-iron pot, Shibitachi.
PAGE 36
PAGE 37
6:00AM
12:00PM
6:00PM
Mon
月曜日
Tue
火曜日
Wed
水曜日
Thurs 木曜日
Fri
金曜日
Sat
土曜日
Sun
日曜日
PAGE 38
Park Market Playground / Event Oyster
公園 商店 遊び場 / イベント 牡蠣養殖体験
after landscape shibitachi reconstruction
yokohama port terminal
oyster farming
1. Shiso
- centralized node
6:00AM
12:00PM
master plan
6:00PM
Mon
月曜日
Tue
火曜日
park
2. Daikon radish sprouts
- dispersal
Wed
水曜日
Park Market Playground / Event Oyster
Thurs 木曜日
Fri
公園 商店 遊び場 / イベント 牡蠣養殖体験
金曜日
Sat
community gardens
3. Small Japanese turnips
- decentralized sorting stations
土曜日
Sun
日曜日
tourism
4. Japanese greens
- centralized node
event
5. Japanese eggplants
- centralized node
the pot restaurants
6. Shishito chili peppers
- precincts
market
7. Green onions
- centralized node(s)
PEDESTRIAN ENTRY
VIEW POINT
VIEW POINT
CARPARK
CAFE / RESTAURANT
EVENT / GALLERY
VIEW POINT
FERRY
evacuation routes
8. Japanese squash
- centralized dispersal nodes
VIEW POINT
CARPARK
CAFE / RESTAURANT
EVENT / GALLERY
VIEW POINT
Y
FERRY
road infrastructure
programs
people
re-appropriation
production
distribution
9. Daikon radish
re-invention/ownership
10. Burdock root
collages community garden plots
road + pedestrian boardwalk
11. Japanese cucumbers existing pine plantations
COMMUNITY SPACE PEOPLE SYSTEM PROGRAM
land used for agricultural uses
PROGRAMS:
- market / restaurant - event space - park - oyster - waterfront
EVACUATION
existing/new housing typologies
MEETING PLACE
12. Bonito
CONNECTION TO WATERFRONT / RESIDENTIAL 13. Oyster
NODE A RESIDENTIAL GARDEN PRODUCE TIME
PROGRAMS: - sorting - categorized - food
SELLING - LOCAL
market + pedestrian boardwalk
new buffer zone
- EXPORT FOOD FOR HOMES
NODE B
mixed use space
reclaimed shoreline
charlie allen + simon meade
shibitachi presentation panels, simon meade + charlie allen.
PAGE 39
The time spent in Shibitachi was extremely beneficial for all involved. Being able to speak to the local people, who in reality are the ones who could potentially be effected by our designs the most was daunting and exciting at the same time. Working via satellite images and personal accounts, whilst attempting to connect with the site is near impossible. The experience of dealing with these townspeople was one which I will never forget and although at times the language barrier was challenging I believe the end result was something which reflected their aspirations for the town. The following pages document my time back in Melbourne and the design development, which the project went through to its final point at the end of the semester. The design changed drastically as the work produced in Japan was of a reasonable standard yet needed refinement and requestioning of the potential outcomes.
PAGE 40
continual demolition work, Karakuwa.
PAGE 41
small-scale community intervention, Shishiori-Karakuwa station.
PAGE 42
Coming back to winter in Melbourne was a shock to the system to say the least. Having spent the final 5 days in and around Tokyo it was hard to come back to reality and face going back to uni and work, let alone the terrible weather, which greeted us upon arrival. After doing so much with our time in Japan, both work and play-based, it was tough to get back into the appropriate mindset to continue on with our projects. Again, we were back to working via satellite, yet we had all shared the same experiences and met with the inspirational locals, helping to establish the first initial tweaks of our proposals, in hope of taking the projects further than they were at presentation stages in Shibitachi and Tokyo.
Melbourne: RMIT University. PAGE 43
Progressive Future(s) production in salt-soaked landscapes. “Progressive Future(s) is an adaptive set of critical designs, which tackle the changing set of pre/post and predictive conditions, which ensue in the township of Shibitachi. Working in 3 distinctive applications, the first and largest intervention is a planting scheme, which works with the current salinity within the soil, slowly removing this whilst allowing for the larger revegetation of the tsunami impact zone. The scheme works to regenerate the soil conditions on site, allowing for the eventual replanting of agricultural vegetation, which can then be used for production and ultimately selfsufficiency for the town. The second intervention reacts to the need to push current housing types further up the hillside away from potential later impact zones. A new housing typology is devised, which places itself within the steep slopes surrounding the town, not only catering for the current predicted population increases in the future but also establishing new, connected public and private spaces, emergency housing and vital meeting areas in the event of a disaster. An underwater reef barrier is the third and final design intervention within the township. Using local fishing knowledge and an adaption of current practices, a natural buffer zone is placed outside of the harbour. This artificial reef system grows over time, firstly with oysters and eventually more established corals, which thrive in the water system. These underwater structures act not only as a tsunami energy dissipation device yet more so as natural bio filters for the water ecosystems that surround the peninsula. Although we cannot stop the ultimate occurrence of the tsunami hitting this particular area of the peninsula, these designs react to the current conditions and are design to adapt to the changing circumstances following a major tsunami. By working with the forces at play the town can change its current measures of defence and ultimately save lives in the event of the next major tsunami.� - taken from RMIT After-Landscape Publication. PAGE 44
Underwater Series, Gary Parker.
PAGE 45
10
100
1. BABY BOOM IN JAPAN: combatting its negative growth for the past few decades a baby boom will occur, following a falling from grace as an economical leader/centre of the East. 2. RETURN TO RURAL: people will leave the city in search of traditional and agricultural ideologies. Looking for space following the baby boom mass movements to rural centres will occur as the city again begins to expand. 3. USE OF REEF SYSTEMS AS TSUNAMI BARRIERS: using floating/ fixed reefs submerged below the surface, tsunami barriers will act as energy dissipaters for the force of the tsunami. Borrowing from oyster farming technology the new reefs will help replenish the vital fishing grounds, acting as both filters and habitats for the ocean ecosystems. 4. PRODUCTION CENTRE/MARKET PLACE: linked via an aerial system, it will maintain a safe distance from the tsunami zone yet be connected with the port which has to stay centred on the water. It will also serve as a storage space for the agricultural plots which now occupy the waterfront. 5. AGRICULTURAL/REFORRESTATION OF OLD RUINS: adaptive planting and techniques to change with changing salinity levels within soils. 6. SHIBITACHI/KARAKAWA PENINSULA REVIVAL: following exodus from the cities people will look for traditional gastronomic and craft regions of Japan, bringing life back into the once dying centres. 7. TSUNAMI PROOF/ADAPTIVE FISHING/OYSTER PORT TERMINAL: road infrastructure will become dormant as people forgo their cars and look towards the sea as a means of transport: re establishment of ferry system between Kesenuma City and Shibitachi. PAGE 46
8. DETAILED MODELLING OF AT-RISK AREAS AND PLANNING STRATEGIES FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITHIN THESE AREAS.
9. NEW ADAPTIVE OCEAN FARMING TECHNIQUES: complemented with reef safety systems.
10. TERRACED HILL SIDE HOUSING TO NEW TOWNSPEOPLE, MIXED USE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SPACE THROUGHOUT.
8. DETAILED MODELLING OF AT-RISK AREAS AND PLANNING STRATEGIES FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITHIN THESE AREAS. 9. NEW ADAPTIVE OCEAN FARMING TECHNIQUES: complemented with reef safety systems. 10. TERRACED HILL SIDE HOUSING TO NEW TOWNSPEOPLE, MIXED USE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SPACE THROUGHOUT.
PAGE 47
1898
1918
1935
1955
1975
851,210
954,571
1,234,801
1,725,065
1,955,267
90%
87%
80%
63% %
40 40%
*population
1995
2005 2009
2,328,739 2,360,218
34 34%
12%
(%) urban dwelling (%) rural dwelling *for Miyagi prefecture
Miyagi prefecture
+550k people
*Japanese population
+354k
+1,012k
+1,061k
+1,242k
+297k
-119k
-183k
japan’s shrinking population, infographic
The infographic I designed above, documents a serious problem which Japan is facing at the moment. Currently the growth rate in Japan is sitting at around -0.5% each year, thus small towns such as Shibitachi, where close to 80% of the population are elderly are struggling significantly economically. The pie charts attempt to document the change from rural centres to city centres over time, denoted with green: rural and grey: city. We can see from the data set that the population is steadily decreasing yet the move to from rural centres is also having a massive effect on small towns such as Shibitachi.
PAGE 48
SHRINKING SHRINKING
61.6%
WORKERS (commercial + household) 1990: 7, 790
farmer aged over 65 years old (2010)
po po
current cities
1995: 6, 791
SHRINKING
2000: 6, 228
sapporo 1.9 million
2005: 5, 316 2010: 4, 237
OUTPUT: Y BILLION 2005: 10, 529
HIGHEST YIELDS: Y BILLION 1. potato
2, 459
2006: 10, 371
2. japanese radish
1, 593
2007: 10, 353
3. cabbage
1, 385
2008: 10, 539
AGRICULTURE
4. onion
1, 161
5. sweet potato
1, 026
tokyo 8.5 million
2009: 9, 938
yokohama 3.6 million
osaka 2.6 million
nagoya 2.2 million
possible future population movements
current cities
HIGHEST YIELDS
27%
sapporo 1.9 million
1. nori
FISHING
2. yesso scallop 4. japanese amber jack
2005: 10, 529 2006: 10, 371 average amount of fish consumed per person, per year : 32 kg.
17%
5. red sea bream WORKERS (total)
2007: 10, 353
2000: 260, 000
2008: 10, 539
2005: 222, 000 2008: 222, 000
2009: 9, 938
20%
3. oyster
OUTPUT: Y BILLION
2009: 212, 000 2010: 203, 000
6. sea mustard
tokyo 8.5 million
osaka 2.6 million
yokohama 3.6 million
12% 5%
nagoya 2.2 million
www.stat.go.jp/english/data/handbook
japan’s production, infographic
This infographic looks at production within Japan, which again is on a rapid decline. Green denotes the agricultural sector, whilst blue its fishing economy. We can see that 61.6% of farmers are now over the age of 65, a staggering fact. The 2 maps of Japan to the right of the infographic map out current and my own predicted population shifts in 100 years time. We can see that it is common place at current for mass migrations towards city centres where many jobs are located. My hypothesis is such that in 100 years time, a rural revival will occur and people will begin to move back to isolated rural and very traditional centres such as Shibitachi. PAGE 49
Landschaft Park “Landschaftspark is a public park located in Duisburg Nord, Germany. It was designed in 1991 by Latz + Partners, with the intention that it work to heal and understand the industrial past, rather than trying to reject it. The park closely associates itself with the past use of the site: a coal and steel production plant (abandoned in 1985, leaving the area significantly polluted) and the agricultural land it had been prior to the mid 19th century.� - taken from wikipedia.com Landschaft park represented a very real way of working with a tainted site and adapting it with a program which could change the future of the once industrially polluted site. The planting scheme used in this site was a direct reflection of the planting scheme which I developed within my design for Shibitachi to remediate the soil affected by salinity following the tsunami of 3/11. The design of this particular precedent was so successful that it stands as a model for post-industrial site usage and remediation within Landscape Architecture, winning many awards since its inception in 1991. I have used both of the following precedents as a basis for my design, but in very different lights. This project should stand as an ideal model, a site where the designers have dealt directly with the conditions at play and are attempting to regenerate the site to get it back to an acceptable standard. Landschaftspark: Latz + Partners
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Maritime Youth House “Located in Copenhagen, Denmark the building was built on a wooden deck that avoided digging out the polluted topsoil on the site. The structure is shared by a sailing club and a youth centre. The building’s form came out of the conflicting needs of the two groups, the sailors need space to store their boats, while the children need outdoor play space. The resolution was an undulating surface which allowed docking space and a workshop for boats, covered by a deck that was usable for the children.� - taken from designboom.com This precedent would stand as an unideal example for dealing with the conditions on site. The designers have overlooked the ecological conditions at play and have separated the people from the ground plane by introducing an undulating surface, separating them from any interaction with the ground or waters edge. Using these 2 precedents, I could formulate my design around the idea of the towns peoples connection with the waterfront (something which really particularly stood out to me on site in Shibitachi). By establishing some planting scheme or system which could remediate the salt-tainted earth, the design could work to get the land back to an agricultural state, establishing the beginnings of a self sufficient future for the small town. The following pages document further precedents which are working with similar conditions: some real, some conceptual, but as further justification for the design decisions I made regarding a planting scheme.
Maritime Youth House: BIG
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0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5
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OYSTER-TECTURE, scape studio. OYSTER-TECTURE, scape studio. MAX JUVENAL BRIDGE, patrick blanc. OYSTER-TECTURE, scape studio. MAX JUVENAL BRIDGE, patrick blanc.
OYSTER-TECTURE, scape studio. OYSTER-TECTURE, scape studio. MAX JUVENAL BRIDGE, patrick blanc. MAX JUVENAL BRIDGE, patrick blanc.
0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9
The Tohoku Cotton Project represents a very real program, which attempts to begin to start bringing farmers back to the productive soils of the Tohoku region. By adapting current agricultural lands, which have been affected by salinity, with new salinity-tolerant strains of cotton the program hopes to develop a new cotton industry in the Tohoku region. This in turn would kick start a series of new jobs for the current farmers whilst also bringing in a new economy to the region. This precedent, along with the salt-strain tomato precedent (right) showed me that people are beginning to work with the current situations and make the best possible outcomes with the current circumstances they may be faced with, something which is central to my design.
PAGE 53
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
CATEGORY A
300
100
+
+ +
+
50
CATEGORY B
removal of salinity
200
+ +
A
+
S
O
CATEGORY C
N
D
CATEGORY D
+ +
+
+ +
tolerance to salinity
d S/m
mm -1 planting schedule for salinity removal
This table represents the core element of my design intervention: the recovery of the salinity effected soil, which surrounds the harbour. The scheme was such that I was working with a variety of changing salinity levels and needed vegetation/crops that could tolerate or remove salinity from the soil. Rainwater is a key-determining factor in salinity removal, so average rainfalls were also put into the data set. By using this changing program of plantings on site it would be possible over a period of time to recover the soil to a point where agricultural prospects would be possible. The final goal of the design was to gain food security for the town, through production of vegetables and fish. This program would begin to work with the current conditions on site, changing on a cyclic system PAGE 54
puccinellia cilliata
farming
prosopis pubescens removal of salinty from soil
storage
sesuvium portulacastrum
emergency event
production + produce
selfsufficiency
rosmarius ocinalis: Rosemary
sesuvium portulacastrum
puccinellia phyloganodes
euonymus japonicus
brassica napus
punica granatum/Pomegranate morianthochloe litoralis
puccinellia phyloganides
batis maritama
triticum: Common Wheat
cucurbita pepo: Pumpkin
to eventually remove the excess salinity, which hindered growth of agricultural crops. The table to the left documents how these particular plantings would change over a period of time. The planting forms were derived from the contours on site, also developed through an understanding of how salinity mappings work and the way in which the wave left water and salt both on site. The changes in colour denote the different intensity classifications of salinity on the site. We can see through the diagram on page 52 that the higher the contour level was, the less of an effect the salinity penetration had on the soil. Thus meaning that a higher number of plants are able to grow further away from the waters edge, compared to relatively few close to the harbour.
beta vulgaris: Beetroot agropyron cristatum
distichlis spicata
morianthochloe litoralis
adaptive planting schedule
PAGE 55
11.03.11
intertidal zone
salinity sepage into soil
natural water table
highest level of salinity from stagnant sepage
We can see from the diagram above and to the right of this page, that the water seeps through the soil and makes its way into the water table, deep below the surface, leaving behind vast amounts of salt just underneath the surface. It was the stagnant water and sludge left behind following 3/11 which caused the most damage for the farmers as weeks went by before plans to remove the toxic left overs were established. By designing and implementing my salinity removal scheme on site, the damage caused following the events of the tsunami can be slowly removed from the tainted landscape, eventually returning to pre-disaster agricultural conditions.
PAGE 56
PAGE 57
distichlis spicata
puccinellia phyloganodes
CATEGORY D
punica granatum
rosmarius ocinalis
sesuvium portulacastrum
prosopis pubescens
puccinellia cilliata
CATEGORY B
CATEGORY E
CATEGORY C
planting schedule seperated into intensity classiďŹ cations
PAGE 58
RUIN SITE.
NEW RAISED WALKWAY.
WATER TABLE.
RUIN SITE.
SOIL SALINITY.
TSUNAMI LINE.
CATEGORY A
CATEGORY D
J
A
M
J
1 2 puccinellia phyloganides
year (following tsunami) 3
agropyron cristatum
distichlis spicata
atriplex nummularia
atriplex amnicola
brassica napus
atriplex nummularia
morianthochloe litoralis
batis maritama
sesuvium portulacastrum
punica granatum
M euonymus japonicus
rosmarius officinalis
puccinellia phyloganodes
O
triticum
S
sesuvium portulacastrum
puccinellia cilliata
prosopis pubescens
N
beat vulgaris
cucurbita pepo
A
puccinellia cilliata
month of year D
F
J
4
planting year by year schedule
PAGE 59
PAGE 60
semi-private mourning space
site ruin
We can see that from the plan on the left a number of path networks would be established on site, connecting people visiting the site, to the ruins scattered around the site. The paths were developed to not only facilitate connection with the ruin sites but also with the people who would be working on planting and maintaining the recovery-planting scheme. The paths were devised to be relatively close to the ground plane, showing them the recovery process and connecting with the landscape, which is being gradually recovered. In certain moments along the pathways, around ruins the path would open to a larger space that is divided by walls that rise from the decking. (Seen on plan in red circle area). These walls would allow for people to mourn and view the temporary memorial sites in a personal way and connect with it in a very individual way.
PAGE 61
section A : planting recovery stage
section B : planting recovery stage
section B : farming stage
PAGE 62
section A : farming transition stage
PAGE 63
planting recovery collage
PAGE 64
PAGE 65
future farming condition
post-tsunami condition
pre-tsunami condition
PAGE 66
The Masterplans on this spread document a series of changes over very different timescales. On the top left we can see the final farming stage of the Masterplan, something, that can only happen following many years of regeneration from the Planting Scheme Masterplan on the opposite page. You can see that some paths still remain but these will be used primarily as access for farmers and machinery, yet visitors will still be able to walk along and see memorial sites where houses once stood and ruins now remain. The second Masterplan on the left shows just how far the 3/11 tsunami reached inland, the precise area where the salinity recovery project will be taking place. The third shows the previous condition with pre-existing housing and now ruin sites, which were washed away following the tsunami.
INFORMAL MEMORIAL SITE/ SITE RUIN
A
POTENTIAL GROWTH FARMING AREA
B
NEW HOUSING TYPOLOGY
EXISTING FARMING PLOT B EXISTING HOUSING A
POTENTIAL HOUSING GROWTH AREA
PAGE 67
On the following pages you can see the second and third iterations of the design intervention for Shibitachi. The second stage entails a new housing typology, which will accommodate for the influx of people to the town. This new housing typology will work with the current landform conditions of steep hills and cliffs and situate itself high above the tsunami danger zone. The new typology will incorporate mixed-use public and private spaces whilst providing a formwork for people to situate themselves within the town. People living in this new housing typology will be able to change and adapt their own modular house, fitting out the interior and making what they want with the outdoor roof space (within reason). This new adaptive housing will change with the people that it houses, standing as an iconic place for people to congregate in times of disaster well above the 12m contour line (where 3/11 reached). Below this text lies a graphical diagram of the different stages of the Masterplan from the pre-tsunami conditions to the initial stages of the design.
PAGE 68
insertion of new typology increase in rural population
storage facility for produce
recovery process
green space (public/private)
disaster event safe meeting place/ housing
housing typology working diagram
housing typology perspective section
PAGE 69
RICE PADDIE(S) FOR PRODUCTION OF RICE (SELLING)
+
+
GARDEN BEDS FOR GROWING FOOD
+ BLUR BETWEEN PUBLIC/PRIVATE SPACE
CONNECTED SPACE BETWEEN HOUSING MODULES LINKS PUBLIC/PRIVATE SPACE TOGETHER
new housing typology detail
changed housing stock plan
PAGE 70
+
The opposite page documents the third and final aspect of the design for Shibitachi. By using local knowledge into oyster production (now common place in the surrounding areas) a reef system will be set up amongst very large submerged infrastructure. The reef system will gradually grow over time, entangling itself within the underwater structure and eventually growing around it. The reef system will work not only as a tsunami buffering zone, dissipating the kinetic energy of the wave but also as a natural biofilter. The Oyster works as its own biofilter removing pollution and other organic matter from the harbour. Examples of these particular systems can be seen on page 48 (Oyster-tecture project) where it is potentially being used within the surrounding bays of New York as its own biofilter. For placement of these buffer reefs, see page 63.
fishing stock
insertion of reef system
pericardium digestive gland
ventricle intestine
growth of reef ecosystem
anterior adductor muscle
bio filter
recovery process
anus
stomach
- algae and plankton - detrius - nitrates
siphons
oysters
tsunami event
+ cleaner water
mouth
kidney foot labial palps
gill
posterior adductor muscle
discipation of tsunami’s energy
oyster reef working diagram
stage 0.1 : reef wall system
stage 0.2 : reef wall system
stage 0.3 : reef wall system
stage 0.4 : reef wall system
PAGE 71
new evacuation routes established mass plantings
2nd round of mass plantings
building of new processing plant (fishing)
road infrastucture cleared
FARMING ECONOMY BUYING PROCESS: BOATS
waterfront precinct
first substantial crops occur
increase in fishing boats to the area PROCESSING PLANT
WATERFRONT
MARKET TRADING NETWORK
tsunami
5 years CLEAN UP EFFORT
housing debris removed
SHOPS + REBUILDING
storage sheds built for farming plots
10 years
20 years
fishermans quarters built
WIDER DISTRIBUTION
memorials established produce distributed for larger distribution + sale market space implemented
path networks established
TOURISM ECONOMY farming plots established
design timeline
PAGE 72
FISHING ECONOMY
productive and self-sufficient town
regeneration process
tsunami event
ideal system tsunami event
regeneration process
x
productive and self-sufficient town
tsunami event
possible system A possible problem with the design I have developed is that the system could seem to be to focussed on the fact that major tsunamis work on approximately 38 year cycles, thus the design is developed to adapt to this timeframe. Because the system is in actual fact not fixed, adaptable rather, the system is developed such that if an unpredicted disaster struck the system can simply start over again with its regeneration process beginning back from a similar starting point.
PAGE 73
simon meade s3201379
progressive future(s)
farming removal of salinty from soil
storage
stage 0.1 : planting scheme
production + produce
emergency event
selfsufficiency
海塩再起 J
F
M
A
planting recovery collage
M
J
J
A
CATEGORY A
300
+
+ +
200
100
+
50
CATEGORY B
removal of salinity
+ +
S
O
CATEGORY C
N
D
stage 0.2 : planting scheme
CATEGORY D
section A : planting recovery stage
+ +
+
+
+
section A : farming transition stage
stage 0.3 : planting scheme
section B : planting recovery stage
+
tolerance to salinity
d S/m
mm -1
stage 0.4 : planting scheme
5
INSERTION OF REEF STRUCTURE
design presentation panels
PAGE 74
RECOVERY FROM SALINITY
10
FARMING PHASE BEGINS
SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH OF REEF
15
FIRST SUBSTANTIAL HARVESTS
20
SHIBITACHI SELF-SUFFICIENT (VEGETABLES)
EXPANSION OF FARMING
25
INCREASE IN JOBS
REEF FILLS ENTIRE FRAME SYSTEM
EXPANSION OF FARMING
REEF ACTS AS BUFFER, HOUSING ACTS AS DISCIPATES ENERGY TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR HOMELESS
HOUSING ACTS AS EXTRA STORAGE ZONE
30
INSTATEMENT OF NEW HOUSING TYPOLOGY
PREPARING FOR EVENT (STOCKING)
35
SCALING BACK OF FARMING
+
PLANTING PHASE 1
section B : farming transition stage
major tsunami
40
INCREASE IN HOUSING TYPOLOGY
RECOVERY PROCESS OF REEF BEGINS
45
PLANTING PHASE 1
SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH OF REEF
50
RECOVERY FROM SALINITY
insertion of new typology
RICE PADDIE(S) FOR PRODUCTION OF RICE (SELLING)
increase in rural population
+
storage facility for produce
green space (public/private)
+
INFORMAL MEMORIAL SITE/ SITE RUIN
GARDEN BEDS FOR GROWING FOOD
+ BLUR BETWEEN PUBLIC/PRIVATE SPACE
recovery process
disaster event
future farming condition A
safe meeting place/ housing
POTENTIAL GROWTH FARMING AREA
SHRINKING SHRINKING
B
NEW HOUSING TYPOLOGY
61.6%
WORKERS (commercial + household) 1990: 7, 790
farmer aged over 65 years old (2010)
possible future population movements
current cities
1995: 6, 791
SHRINKING
EXISTING FARMING PLOT B
+
CONNECTED SPACE BETWEEN HOUSING MODULES LINKS PUBLIC/PRIVATE SPACE TOGETHER
2000: 6, 228
sapporo 1.9 million
2005: 5, 316 2010: 4, 237
EXISTING HOUSING A
OUTPUT: Y BILLION 2005: 10, 529
stage 0.1 : reef wall system + heaped heshen bags of organic matter and oyster shells are put within framework underwater. stage 0.2 : reef wall system
POTENTIAL HOUSING GROWTH AREA
1, 593
3. cabbage
1, 385
4. onion
1, 161
5. sweet potato
1, 026
nagoya 2.2 million
ventricle
4. japanese amber jack
2005: 10, 529 2006: 10, 371
anus
stomach oysters
pre-tsunami condition
tsunami event
17%
5. red sea bream WORKERS (total)
2007: 10, 353
2000: 260, 000
2008: 10, 539
2005: 222, 000
6. sea mustard
tokyo 8.5 million
2008: 222, 000
2009: 9, 938
osaka 2.6 million
2009: 212, 000
yokohama 3.6 million
12% 5%
nagoya 2.2 million
www.stat.go.jp/english/data/handbook
2010: 203, 000
anterior adductor muscle
recovery process
20%
3. oyster
OUTPUT: Y BILLION
average amount of fish consumed per person, per year : 32 kg.
pericardium digestive gland
2. yesso scallop
FISHING
intestine
bio filter
27%
sapporo 1.9 million
1. nori
+ fish and aquatic life thrive within the reef structure, divers study the complex ecosystems filtering material passing through to the harbour. in the event of a tsunami, the structure is now big enough that it can discipate some of the kinetic energy coming into the harbour, acting as a buffering system for the new waerfront precinct.
growth of reef ecosystem
possible future population movements
current cities
HIGHEST YIELDS
stage 0.4 : reef wall system
fishing stock
yokohama 3.6 million
osaka 2.6 million
stage 0.3 : reef wall system
insertion of reef system
tokyo 8.5 million
2009: 9, 938
+ the coral continues to grow forming around the large structure which surrounds it. the system begins to act as a bio filter for the harbour.
post-tsunami condition
2, 459
2. japanese radish
2007: 10, 353 2008: 10, 539
AGRICULTURE
+ spores attach to the bags and begin to start to produce the reef structure.
HIGHEST YIELDS: Y BILLION 1. potato
2006: 10, 371
- algae and plankton - detrius - nitrates
siphons
+ cleaner water
mouth discipation of tsunami’s energy
kidney foot labial palps
REEF FILLS ENTIRE FRAME SYSTEM
INCREASE IN HOUSING TYPOLOGY
55
FIRST SUBSTANTIAL HARVESTS
60
SHIBITACHI SELF-SUFFICIENT (VEGETABLES)
EXPANSION OF FARMING
65
INCREASE IN JOBS
EXPANSION OF FARMING
70
posterior adductor muscle
REEF ACTS AS BUFFER, HOUSING ACTS AS DISCIPATES ENERGY TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR HOMELESS
INCREASE IN HOUSING TYPOLOGY
PREPARING FOR EVENT (STOCKING)
75
SCALING BACK OF FARMING
+
FARMING PHASE BEGINS
gill
major tsunami 80
stage 0.1 : reef wall system
stage 0.2 : reef wall system
stage 0.3 : reef wall system
stage 0.4 : reef wall system
INCREASE IN HOUSING TYPOLOGY
RECOVERY PLANTING PROCESS OF PHASE 1 REEF BEGINS
85
RECOVERY FROM SALINITY
90
FARMING PHASE BEGINS
95
FIRST SUBSTANTIAL HARVESTS
100
SHIBITACHI SELF-SUFFICIENT (VEGETABLES)
PAGE 75
After-Landscape Studio
PAGE 76
Japan After-Landscape Studio: (left to right) Marieluise Jonas, Emi Hinago, Chris Armstrong, Stephanie Kumar, Sonam Sherpa, Simon Meade, Charlie Allen, Matt Barbary, Keny Nichols, Danny Brookes, Suzie Nguyen, Nick Jenkinson, Ben Kronenberg, Emma Hicks.
PAGE 77
Appendix
Salinity Tolerance: crops, plants + grasses
rhodes grass
couch grass
trimmed wheat grass
jap millet canola barley
puccinellia
sugar beet
crested wheat grass buffel grass (N)
wheat
phalaris
fescue
sunflower
fig date
olive
green beet millet zucchini safflower
tomato
cucumber
broccolli
dS/m category A
PAGE 78
category B
category C
category D
EX-JAPAN (after-landscape) exhibition + film night friday 20th july from 6.00pm RMIT building 8.11.68 + Work from after-landscape studio + Tekkonkintreet + Tokyo Sonata + Tokyo!
work recovery (planting)
farming
production/ produce
income Y
emergency stores
tsunami event
storage facility
PAGE 79
IMPORTANT INFRASTRUCTURE LIES WITHIN THE 12M CONTOUR ZONE, MAINLY FISHING RELATED PROCESSING PLANTS ETC. AS WELL AS RESIDENTIAL HOUSING
pre-tsunami
ALTHOUGH THESE HOUSES LUCKILY WITHSTOOD THE FORCE OF THE TSUNAMI MANY WERE STILL VERY BADLY DAMAGED.
FOLLOWING THE TSUNAMI THE PORT AREA SUNK DUE TO THE WATER PRESSURE EXERTED ON THE STRUCTURE. THE 2M SEA WALL WAS NO MATCH FOR THE WAVE WHICH DESTOROYED THE TOWN.
TEMPORARY DISASTER HOUSING/EMERGENCY CENTRES WERE QUICKLY ESTABLISHED AS PLACES WHERE LOCALS COULD GATHER AND DISCUSS THEIR IMMEDIATE CONCERNS.
post-tsunami
A PARK SYSTEM WILL BE IMPLEMENTED, USING RUINS FROM THE TSUNAMI, DOUBLING AS A MEMORIAL SITE FOR THE LOST TOWNSPEOPLE. TEMPORARY BUILT INFRASTRUCTURES WILL BE BUILT TO ALLOW FOR THE FISHING INDUSTRY TO REBOUND, BRINGING MONEY BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY.
section AA
REDESIGNING THE WATERFRONT WILL CONNECT THE TOWNSPEOPLE BACK TO THE SEA WHICH SUSTAINS THEIR LIVES. ONCE VITAL INFRASTRUCTURES ARE ESTABLISHED IT WILL ENTICE FISHERMAN AND THEIR BOATS BACK INTO THE AREA.
PAGE 80
SELECT RUINS WILL BE TURNED INTO NEW AGRICULTURAL LANDS.
5 year plan
NEW HOUSING WILL BE DEVELOPED WELL ABOBE THE 12M CONTOUR LINE, OVERLOOKING THE PORT AND NEW WATERFRONT.
A NEW WHARF WILL CATER FOR AN INFLUX OF BOATS WITHIN THE PLENTIFUL FISHING GROUNDS. NEW PROCESSING PLANTS AND A MARKET PLACE WILL FURTHER THIS INCENTIVE TO COME TO SHIBITACHI.
ONCE TEMPORARY INFRASTRUCTURES ARE REPLACED, NEW INTERPRETATIONS OF PROGRAMS WILL OCCUR. RESTAURANTS AND AN OYSTER-DRIVEN TOURIST CENTRE WILL BE BUILT TO CATER FOR VISITORS AND LOCALS ALIKE.
SOME REMNANT INFRASTUCTURE WILL REMAIN, BUT NOT AS HOUSING, REINTERPRETED TO ADAPT TO THE CHANGING SYSTEMS/PROGRAMS ON THE WATERFRONT.
THE AGRICULTURAL PLOTS WILL BE EXTENDED, COENCIDING WITH THE NEW MARKET PLACE, GIVING SHIBITACHI BOTH AN AGRICULTURAL AND FISHING/OYSTER BASED ECONOMY.
20 year plan
A1
B1
C1
D1
51.00m 52.55m
53.25m
54.46m
55.38m
56.18m
56.83m 59.93m 59.84m
60.31m
61.03m 61.67m
A2
B2
C2
D2
62.55m 63.73m 64.83m 65.71m 66.58m 67.38m 68.02m
72.29m 68.10m 69.02m
65.70m
71.71m
69.90m 64.28m
A3
B3
C3
70.82m
D3
PAGE 81