bridges of hidden contaminants

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Bridges of Hidden ContaminantsOwhiro BayAbby Neill

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Like many sites along the cost of New Zealand the effect of erosion by the sea and waterways around the site has a large influence on how the landscape has evolved over time. The site at Owhiro bay is no different.

In particular, that of the ravine at the east end of the site, running from the Shaw line at Owhiro bay to the southern landfill. The elevation of this landfill in relation to the eroded ravine has caused a rundown affect – thus polluting the eroded catchment areas along the ravine. At present these polluted areas are at a small scale, but through further erosion and rising sea levels it is only a matter of time before these small polluted areas along the ravine become a much larger problem.

This thesis proposes that through architectural interventions along the ravine, the pollution that is currently happening from the landfills above the site can be better outlined. It argues that through creating ways of inhabiting the polluted site, people will more likely care for what is happening, and what will happen in the future if no changes are made. This while still being able to inhabit the site while polluted.

Abstract

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Abstract ......................................iii

Introduction ............................. 1

Site Analysis ............................ 2

Literature Review ................... 5

Project review .......................... 7

Preliminary Concepts ......... 9

Preliminary Design .............12

Developed Design ..............14

Figures ......................................24

Contents

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Research Methodology Diagram

Problem - Thesis Question

Problem and parameters

Site analysis

Case study analysis

Waterside Clubhouse The Vertical Landscape

Site 1 - Valley Site 1 - Hinge

Literature

Of Other Spaces Narrative Architecture

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Introduction

Contamination from the southern landfill north of the Owhiro bay has become a problem for the site. Due to the altitude of the landfill centre and the East ravine connecting it to the bay, pools of contaminated water have begun to appear along the ravine.

This thesis aims to tackle this problem by introducing an intervention to make people aware of what is happening to the bay.

Through research and analysis of the site, the aim is to design ways in which to draw people to the site, to outline what is happening and introduce ways in which people can help to fix the contamination.

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Site Analysis

Owhiro bay is found on the south coast of the wellington region. The site can be identified by the cut outs in the rock face, and the ravines that surround it. From the coast of the site, looking towards the south you are able to see some of the mountains of the south island.

This site analysis will focus on the erosion around the site, the ravines and the visibility of the south island.

Fig.1.1 Owhiro Bay Site

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The coast lines of the site give a representation of the erosion that has happened over time. These costal lines are important to show on what parts of the site are you able to view the mountains of the south island and what parts are blocked by the hillscapes.

The hilltops and the ravines show a relationship between the two that reveal a circular shape. This relationship could help to give insight to how the ravines will continue to erode over time, which will then influence the architectural intervention placed on site in terms of how it will work in relationship to the site in the landscapes current state, and how it may interact in the future.

Expanding the curves into full circles once again shows what may happen with future erosion, but also identifies the centre point in which this erosion is happening, intentionally or not.

Fig.1.2 Site Coast Lines

Fig.1.3 Site Ravines and Hilltops

Fig.1.4 Site Centres

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North of the Ravine is the southern landfill. Do to its altitude and its proximity to the north end of the ravine, any water that runs down it, becomes mixed with water run off from the landfill. As the ravine runs straight from the landfill to the coast - the ravine becomes a connection for waste to get from the landfill to the ocean.

The largest curve of erosion along the east ravine is at the coast. The centre point of this curve appears on the hillside on the west side of the ravine. This point gives views along the ravine to the north as well as a clear view of the south island to the south.

Fig.1.5 East Ravine

Fig.1.6 Ravine Site

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Michel Foucault - Of Other Spaces

Michel Foucault talks about there being two main spaces in which we design architecture. The first is the Utopian spaces with no real place, a representation of society in its most perfect form. It is ultimately an unreal space.

The second are the ‘real places’ - places that do exist - it is possible to ‘indicate their location in reality’ (Foucault, 24). They are seen as a contrast to utopias - thus can be simply called Heterotopias.

There is then this mid point of the two - a sort of mixed experience - the mirror. The mirror is seen as a utopia as it is a placeless place. When looking into the mirror you see yourself where you are not - the reflection becomes an unreal virtual space. You see yourself where you are absent, thus this is the Utopia, (Foucault, 25).

But while being a Utopia, the mirror is also a Heterotopia as the mirror does exist in reality. What is seen as the reflection is seen as the other side of the glass that both exists and does not. (Foucault, 25)

In this sense the mirror can be anything in which you are able to see your reflection in this case the water. But the water is a step further as when looking in a reflection in the water there is a deeper feeling that what is being seen can be accessed through diving into the water, but when this is put into practice this moment of diving into water - the moment the body moves in the utopia it disappears.

Is there a way of keeping that utopia there - not as what you expect it to be - but rather not what you expect - hidden architecture?

Within the context of the Owhiro bay site where Owhiro bay is the heterotopia, the ocean is the mirror and the south island is the utopia. With the landfill moving its way down to the ravine, threatening to overtake the natural beauty of the ravine, the south island is seen as the utopia - the point where this damage cannot reach.

Literature Review

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Nigel Coates - Narrative Architecture

Narratives do not always come from the architect, even though there may have been a story or meanings behind every step of the process in design, each person who interprets the architecture will read it in a different way. This is due to each person having a history, memories and stores of our own, thus we can find narratives everywhere.

Narratives are seen to arise at the point between our own experiences and the complex signs that the architecture reveals. We do not understand architecture because we have created it but because we have experienced it.

Narratives found in architecture are not found sequentially, but rather an array of ‘signs’ that are subtly revealed to the viewer as they move around the space.

Narrative should be hidden and not reveal itself to the user until the optimal point. Though the narrative for the architecture from the architect should be apparent in the design - the design should also leave opportunities for the viewer to have his or her own interpretations and thus create their own narrative (Coates).

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Project review

Gymnasium Bridge across the Harlem River

New YorkSteven Holl

1979

Steven Holl’s Gymnasium Bridge across the Harlem River not only shows a connection between the two sides of the Harlem river, but the slight twist of the secondary bridge, moving it from being perpendicular to the main bridge to parallel to the left shore of the river. This twist between the two angles (the perpendicular to the Shoreline) creates a movement and a depth not usually seen in elevation.

Fig.3.1 Gymnasium Bridge

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Riverside Clubhouse

The waterside Clubhouse on ocean bay works with the boundary of exterior and interior. With the inner ring of the building being outside - the building itself gets 360 views of the exterior. The movement of the building with the landscape, creates a connection and implied response while looking as if it is floating.

Yabcheng Ocean BayTrace Architecture Office

2010

Fig.3.2 Riverside clubhouse

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The placement of Dustin Wheat’s Krob into the beginning of the ravine shows the potential of the intervention on site creating its own hillscapes, and filling in the ravine. The top of the building acts as a reflection of the many hill tops around the site, while the structure below is burrowing itself into the ravine.

Preliminary Concepts

Fig.4.1

Fig.4.2

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BanQ’s drawing of their office in Boston photoshopped in into the water at Owhiro bay creates a dominance of the building over the hillscape is facing. The higher angle of the building facing the land creates a strength in the building compared to the landscape.

Fig.4.3

Fig.4.4

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Interaction between land and the structure - either emerging from the land burying itself into it. How this could be connected to other parts of the structure underground that could be seen after the rocks have been moved or the land had been eroded

Fig.4.5

Fig.4.6

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Preliminary Design

Fig.5.1

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The preliminary design stage looked into the view shafts discovered in the site analysis. The intervention at the centre point was the addition of the sleep huts and the viewing rooms looking towards the south island and down the ravine. The second lot of interventions were along the ravine and were eroded bridged to catch the contaminants as they move down the ravine for observation.

Fig.5.2

Fig.5.3

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Developed Design

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Fig.6.2 Bridge 3 Level 1 Plan 1:500



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19Fig.6.8 Bridge 3 Section 1

21Fig.6.9 Bridge 3 Section 2

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Fig.6.10 Bridge 3 Hallway

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Fig.6.11 Bridge 3 West stairwell

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References and figures

References

Foucault, Michel, and Miskowiev, Jay. “Of Other Spaces.” Diacritics: A Review of Contemporary Criticism 16.1 (1986): 22-27. Web.

Coates, Nigel., and Ebooks Corporation. Narrative Architecture / Nigel Coates. (2012). Print.

All Figures not attributed are author’s own

Fig.3.1. Holl, Steven. Gymnasium bridge across the harlem river, 1967. Hudson, New York. 16 June 2016. < https://lebbeuswoods.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/tumblr_l3v4vnsnqw1qcp8t5o1_1280.jpg>

Fig.3.2. Trace Architecture Office. Riverside clubhouse, 2010. Yabcheng Ocean Bay. 16 June 2016. < http://www.archdaily.com/204840/riverside-clubhouse-tao/5005950528ba0d0779000a6a-riverside-clubhouse-tao-photo>

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