Landscape Architecture - Bachelors
The project proposes a new river edge with original factory buildings to create a flood resilience park in Anthropocene on the land of Kurilpa point. The new park illustrates Kurilpa point “the condensation of Brisbane history” while restoring freshwater habitats and reducing the impact of floods in the future.
Kurilpa point locates on the top of the Kurilpa peninsula; a wetland initially belonged to indigenous people who met and taught their children there. After the European colonisation, people dredged the river in order to provide transportation for people and resources; Kurilpa point logically transformed into an industrial site that entirely changed the land and river’s culture and function. In the early twenty-first century, gentrification starts on this land. Radical groups and politicians want to take out the industrial activities and the nearby workers instead of building new apartments for young professionals and white-collar workers for their ‘riverside’ life. This movement threatens the diversity and social justice on this site. In other words, Kurilpa point witnesses the change of society and history.
1841, 1893, 1974, 2011, four times large floods in the historical record tell people that Kurilpa point belongs to flood and water. Therefore, the project proposes a new river edge with original factory buildings to create a flood resilience park in Anthropocene on the land of Kurilpa point. The new park illustrates Kurilpa point “the condensation of Brisbane history” while restoring freshwater habitats and reducing the impact of floods in the future.
The design site on Kurilpa point locates on the top of alluvial soil, which means loose and fertile. The map tells the design site is a flooding area, including overland flood. The stormwater pipe and gully are not enough to support sustainable urban water management. The huge reinforced concrete sewage pipes on the riverbank again prove the problems. The existing few mangroves grow on the rocks along the hard river edge, and they are vulnerable to flood. The current river edge is not friendly to freshwater habitat, and floods can quickly come into urban areas and damage infrastructures, bringing sediment and pollution into the river.
Photographic Almanac 1: A nature plaza
The new design turns the exposed sunlit turf into a shady native forest to provide ample space for human activities while stabling riverside soil to decrease sediment and pollution runoff. The native plants also highlight the indigenous culture which initially belonged to this land.
Photographic Almanac 2: The promenade
Demolish the hard concrete river edge and recreate a gentle natural slope to restore freshwater habitat by planting mangroves and other wetland plants. Build up a promenade in the middle to create a beautiful walkway, immersing people inside of nature, river, and surrounding urban setting.
Photographic Almanac 3: Revitalize the industrial heritage
Keeping some of the factory buildings on-site to ensure the site living in Anthropocene. Remove impervious cover to pervious, and minimize the generation of stormwater runoff. Plantings will bring to the site where none existed beforehand, increasing the site’s biomass. The design will reuse the architectures for human activities and community engagement.
Base on the first section, plants will replace the original factory buildings. The hard river edge will transfer into new mangrove area. The new river edge will adapt to the tidal change and future flood events. The topography and vegetation can build up a new mangrove ecosystem and all habitats can easily find a place to stay.
Base on the second section, the original under-bridge space will transfer into an ecological and traffic corridor, providing space for both humans and non-human. Mangrove still grows along the river. The trees will slow rainwater runoff, reduce flooding, erosion and pollution.
PLAZA, PLAYGROUND + RESTAURANT + CAFE
URBAN FOREST + BRIDGE
WETLAND AND TIMBER DECK
The spatial and material performativity will be changed through the growth of plants and the increase of biodiversity. The change of the material will change the spatial experience, such as the view and the movement. By proper management, human and nono-human spaces will be well-balanced in the future.
Ritchie Tang is a third-year landscape architecture student who is passionate about biophilic resilient design in both urban and regional areas. Ritchie participated in multiple international design events and visiting schools, from Venice biennale to transborder landscape design on US/Mexico border. He is also interested in parametric design in Rhino, Grasshopper, GIS and Houdini.