stabilisation of shifting landscapes via soft ecology
program components / massing
an application of recursively generated geometry responding to a rolling dune environment
thomas draper, digital tectonics iteration 5 piece
creation of a tesselated grid of low iteration dragon curves that stretches over the extents of the sand dunes.
1
coastguard station
undulate the grid to overlay with the terrain beneath like the Chinese example.
the use of the dragon curve in the prevention of sand dune movement and desertification. Looking at the adaptation of the digital pattern to ‘soft’ engineering methods.
according to the sand movement rates iterate the dragon curves to higher and denser iterations in order to create a grid that directly responds to the site’s needs.
2
bird observatory
spurn head’s future current theory by the university of hull is that Spurn head will break into several island segments due to the erosion and slowly reform over time.
perform soft engineering of the grid using appropriate vegetation.
high iteration segments correspond to high erosion risk areas
3
residential accomodation
hard engineering / soft ecology
analyse the sand movement and sections of erosion.
my proposal could act as an element to relink the soon to be disjointed spit. its components could help improve erosion rates and relink the site whilst being inhabited by the important functions housed on the site.
a theoretical area of undulating sand dunes,
protect and stabilise for regrowth, adapt to continue use during the time of transistion.
model of analysed ‘ideal’ dune system
ground pH level
ground stability
site ecology across a dune system based off spurn head’s present fauna and flora
a blow-out
fig. 1.1 Sporobolus virginicus
fig. 1.2 Leymus arenarius
fig. 1.3 Ammophila
fig. 1.5 Calystegia soldanella
fig. 1.6 Carex arenaria
sand couch grass
lyme grass
marram grass
sea bindweed
sand sedge
deep rapid growth that can handle up to one metre of sand deposition a year
more acidic low pH plants with rapid growth that smoother the lower species
fast horizontal spread creating a carpet over the unstable sand
shallow root systems ; can handle high alkaline pH levels erosion rates
fig. 1.7 Pilosella officinarum
mouse ear hawkweed
fig. 1.4 Oryctolagus cuniculu
fig. 1.8 Hippophae
biological / human interference
sea buckthorn
interference from human activities or animals - such as rabbit warren’s can cause the established dune to collapse.
fast horizontal spread creating a carpet over the unstable sand
high
cohesion
deposition
removal
alignment
deposition
seperation
deposition
bird flocking studies
removal
deposition
in the model an overhanging frame recreates the dragon curves in response to erosion risk and casts shadows on the terrain below.
removal
deposition
removal
deposition
removal
foredunes would receive middle iterations of the fractals indicating moderate levels of intervention.
removal
low
dissimulation