nature in the city - britannia urban design project

8/7/2019 Nature in the City - Britannia Urban Design Project

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Nature in the City Design or Britannia Community Services CentreDaniell

Farz

VisionAn ecologically ocused redesign o Britannia osters an educational environ

enhancing student and community interaction with nature in the city. Britan

buildings, grounds, and programming provide an abundance o educationa

tunities about urban ecological living. A new inormation centre with expos

space welcomes visitors and showcases the centres unique ecological chara

Four other buildings and an improved landscape, all designed with ecologic

priorities, urther establish Britannia as an exemplar o green living, especial

the realm o ood, water, waste, and energy. A variety o urban ood product

education spaces demonstrate that agriculture is not exclusive to vast elds arms. Britannia collects, stores, and treats rain and stormwater on site to ens

continued viability o urban agriculture and lessen the impact o water runo

watershed. Energy requirements are supplemented by solar photovoltaic po

waste. Overall, the interaction o ood, water, waste, and energy systems is g

the principles o permaculture: that each ecological unction is supported by

elements, which, in turn, provide a diversity o unctions in order to create a

resilient and sustainable built environment.

GoalsEstablish Britannia as a1. centre or ecological learning and living

Integrate multiple elements o ood systems into Britannia, rom2.

ional opportunities to production, processing, and market spac

Utilize rainwater harvesting, cisterns, and stormwater managem3.

techniques to collect, store, and treat water on site

Supplement energy requirements with solar photovoltaics and 4.

rom waste

Improve pedestrian circulation and provide nodes or socializing5.

Foster support or each ecological unction by providing multip6.

elements (redundancy)

Assure provided elements perorm multiple unctions (stacking7.

Vision

Napier Street

Venables Street

William Street

Charles Street

CottonDrive

WoodlandDrive

McLeanDrive

CommercialD

rive


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FarzProgram Requirements

Facility Existing Gross (m2) Net Change

Gymnasium D 1,356 --

Elementary School 2,500 --

Library 2,649 --

Pool 1,157 --Gymnasium C 1,137 --

Ice Rink 2,692 --

Inormation Centre 595 + 405

Secondary School 8,900 + 1,835

Grandview Woodlands Family Place 311 --

Eco Housing -- + 2,412

Community Food Centre -- + 1,308

Solar Aquatic Centre -- + 168

Net Change (m2)

Total: 6,128

Community 1,881

School 1,835

Residential 2,412

Buildings SummaryOur design or the Britannia site keeps most existing acilities, creating a net gai

area. The main design eatures are greenspace and public space improvements

New Inormation Centre1.

Natural Playground2.

Garden and Agricultural Spaces3.

Community Food Centre4.

High School Addition5.

Solar Aquatic Centre6.

Natural Pool7.

Eco Housing8.

Legend

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FarzNaturalized Spaces

Landscaping

Rootop Bird Habitat

Pollinator Garden

Natural Playground

Natural Swimming Pool

Ethnobotanical Garden

Legend

DescriptionIn this design, each intervention is aimed at creating positive change or both the com

the environment: deepening our understanding o ecosystem processes; increasing

taking greater responsibility or soil, plant and human health; reducing energy input

output; reducing our pressure on the local water system; and, strengthening connect

ood.

The re-integration o nature into the urban landscape provides the community and t

with spaces to eat, learn and play - such as a natural playground or the elementary s

Olympic-sized natural swimming pool, outdoor learning space, and numerous garde

taneously, the design responds to the needs o other living beings by beginning to in

pockets o habitat space, including pollinator gardens and rootop bi rd sanctuaries.

In these reimagined spaces, ecological unctions are supported by multiple elements

in turn, provide a diversity o unctions in order to create a more resilient and sustain

environment. Opportunities are available to provide rootop b ird sanctuaries while a

rainwater and producing solar electricity.

Component Gross m2

Roo top B ird H abit at 6, 53 4

Pollinator Garden 400

Natural Playground 1,900

Natural Swimming Pool 1,937 (incl. lt

Ethnobotanical Garden 500


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FarzFood Systems

DescriptionA primary objective o this design is to integrate multiple elements o ood systems o

rom educational opportunities to production, processing, and market spaces.

The design integrates ood production and education gardens to oster a strong sens

in Britannia. The ocus on ood is based on the assumption that ood is one o the mo

and eective ways that an individual can connect to other people and to the environ

connect, because ood provides a common linkage on which we all depend and prov

with a catalyst or engaging with local ecology and sustainability concepts. At the sam

diversity o ood and ood systems encourage cross-cultural sharing and the generati

ideas.

As opposed to ocusing on high agricultural yields, this is a garden-based design. Gar

provide a variety o experiences to dierent people throughout the day and seasons.

can be places or exploration and imagination, or observation and examination, or s

and contemplation, or community interaction, or play, or nursing the spirit, and o c

growing.

The dierent gardens in this design, which include vegetable gardens, herb gardens,

tanical gardens, orchards, and pollinator gardens, provide a variety o educational o p

or students and community members, as well as habitat or pollinators and creature

pests. A large agricultural area in ront o the high school serves a s an outdoor classro

as space or more intensive growing and experimentation. In additio n, space is provid

Community Food Centre or an i ndoor/outdoor pocket armers market, small-scale ca

and other processing initiatives, a ood bank, and oce space. A community k itchen

incorporated into either the existing caeteria space or the new high school addition.

The agricultural yield rom the available growing space could potentially range rom 80,000 lbs o produce annually. Based on current average consumption, this could pr

and vegetables to between 70 and 200 people.

Component Gross m2

Window Farm 16

Elementary School Vegetable Patch 224

Farmers Market Space 180 (outdoor), 282 (indoor)

Community Gardens 5,057

Community Food Centre 1,308 (includes indoor Farme

Herb and Showcase Garden 340

Bake Oven 2.6

High School Agricultural Space 1,750

Edible Landscaping 200

Chicken Coop 32

Espalier Orchard 250

Orchard 1,536

Window Farm

Elementary School Vegetable Patch

Farmers Market Space

High School Agricultural Space

Community Bake Oven

Community Food Centre

Herb and Showcase Garden

Orchard

Chicken Coop

Edible Landscaping

Espalier Orchard

Community Gardens


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Farz

Rain Water Collection

Cisterns

Permeable Articial Tur

Permeable Pathway

Solar Aquatics

Rain Garden

Legend

Water Systems

DescriptionIt is undeniable that water is an omnipresent element o lie i n Vancouver. Currently, V

receives 1,117 mm annually in rainall. However, as British Columbia is expected to be

er and drier with climate change and as more people move into Vancouver, it is impo

water more consciously and integrate water p rocesses into the built environment.

Rainwater harvesting absorbs excess runo and thus occurs across the site with appr

placed rain gardens and bioswales to collect rainwater rom streets and playing elds

dens, green walls, and cisterns collect and store water rom the roos o community ce

ings. Beore entering the cisterns, the rainwater is ltered through rain gardens on th

side o high school building and another garden southwest o the i ce rink. Increased

suraces, created by renaturalizing areas and improving suraces. The gravel eld and

elds inside o the track are resuraced with all-weather, sand-based tur. The renaturground west o the elementary school has been bermed to recreate the contours. Bio

placed on the new gradient to manage runo. Walkways along Napier Street and Par

paved with spaced grass paving, proving more attractive as well as more permeable.

The solar aquatics centre lters black water rom residential buildings and the new hi

building through a process that uses living organisms to puriy water. Solar aquatic sy

be sized to process 22 to 4,500 m3/day, which can serve rom 100 to 20,000 people. T

aquatics centre rst screen solids, passing reclaimed water through living systems tha

the water. Reclaimed water can be used or heating and cooling, as reclaimed water i

mately 17 C, which is ideal or keeping the greenhouse warm enough or the living

ltered and treated water is used or irrigation o playgrounds and growing areas.

Component Gross m2 Yield / Capac

Rootop Rainwater Harvesting 7,185 8.03 million L/yr

Rain Gardens & Bioswales 1,100

Cisterns 892 4-month rainal

Solar Aquatics 168 up to 600 peopl

All-weather tur 2,847 4 micro soccer

Spaced Grass Paving 2,774


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Farz

Legend

Energy & Waste Systems

Solar Photovoltaics

Solar Hot Water

Composting

Biodiesel

Legend

DescriptionImproved management o waste and energy on site at Britannia can help the centre s

and insulate itsel against rising energy and waste disposal costs in the uture. Given

and location o Britannia, solar photovoltaics, solar hot water heaters, biodiesel produ

composting, and educational programs oer the best opportunities or Britannia.

Solar photovoltaic on the roos o the Community Food Centre, high school building

rink placed due south at a 49 degree incline (equal to latitude) can generate approxim

watts DC per square oot. Annually, this solar array with a capacity o 1.14 megawatts

1,184,536 kilowatt hours (kWh) o electricity annually ater accounting or inecienci

average BC Hydro customer used 11,260 kWh in 2009, this array could support the av

electrical consumption o 105 households. Solar hot water systems use the suns enerwater. Solar hot water systems are located on top o all the new b uildings, as well as o

the swimming pool, to reduce water heating costs.

Biodiesel is a uel created by transorming waste vegetable oil or animal at into a die

a process o transesterication. Biodiesel can be made on a small scale with little train

capital cost. First, the waste oil is ltered through a screen and piped into a conventio

water heater. The oil is heated. Then, an alcohol and catalyst are added to the heated

lated. Usually, the alcohol is methanol and the catalyst is sodium hydroxide, potassiu

(lye), or potassium chloride (potash). Ater, the mixture settles and a glycerin (soap) b

is removed. Finally, the resulting biodiesel is washed with water to remove nal impu

whole process requires approximately 48 to 72 hours a cycle. While the process involv

hazardous chemicals, the entire process is quite sae i the chemicals are stored prope

introduction into the process is supervised by someone with chemicals experience.

Composting acilities are located in the community gardens and take ood waste rom

caeteria, homes, and garden trimmings. The compost can then be applied to commubeds. Combined with an educational conservation, reuse, and recycle program, the e

waste systems provide many learning and training opportunities or community mem

Component Gross m2 Yield /

Solar Photovoltaics 6,534 1.14 MW

MWh (10

holds)

Solar Hot Water 8,750 Water he

indoor p

homes

Biodiesel 100 200 L ca


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FarzCirculation

Britannia Commons1.

City View Corner2.

Britannia Knoll3.

Butterfy Park4.

Market Square5.

Pedestrian Path

Bike Path

Node

Legend

DescriptionCommunity members have expressed a desire or a more p leasing and accessible pat

to navigate Britannia. By creating a diagonal path rom Grandview Park to Napier Stre

high school, Britannia is more connected to the community rom the south, and the w

the Britannia campus becomes more accessible.

The ve nodes will be social areas that highlight Britannias green community ocus. B

Commons denes a new entrance or the site and central gathering space i n Britanni

Centre is the main eature o Britannia Commons, with a window arm and activity sh

provides a revolving educational exhibit o Britannias ecological eatures. Britannia C

begins at Commercial Drive, with the retail alleys blocked by trees and planters, and e

library. The Commons is a semi-permeable surace with a central ountain and seatingThe next nodes along Napier Street heading west, are City View Corner and Butterfy

View Corner eatures a raised vegetated planter bed with seating that overlooks the p

and vegetable patch, the all-weather elds, community gardens, and the city. The Bu

is adjacent to the high school buildings and eatures a f ower pollinator garden. The n

play area and year-round tur eld rame the area, also. The node serves as a way poi

Napier Street and Grandview Park to guide pedestrians next to the historic high scho

towards Venables Street, guiding community members to the Community Food Cent

Farmers Market.

Market Square is ramed by the Community Farm Centre and Farmers Market area. M

osters social interaction through a ocus on ood. A community outdoor oven anchor

the corners, with plenty o shaded and open seating provided. The Community Food

contains indoor market area, an industrial kitchen or canning and ood preparation,

or biodiesel processing on the ground foor with space on the second foor or a ood

oces or ood business management.

Britannia Knoll invites people to enter Britannia rom Grandview Park. Continuing the

meanders diagonally through Grandview Park rom Commercial Drive, the Britannia

opens up the view to downtown Vancouver and the ecological eatures o the Britann

Pedestrians can watch people playing in the natural playground and year-round recre

drawn downhill into Butterfy Park and Napier Street.

The bike path responds to a desire rom the community to have a bic ycle path throug

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FarzPhasing

Phase 1Build a new showcase Inormation Centre1.

Transorm surace parking into multi-use space2.

Capture and store rainwater3.

Improve aades, entrances, landscaping and paving4.

Begin high school agricultural space on north side o library5.

Capture solar energy6.

Phase 2Establish a Green Ribbon through Britannia7.

Create Year-Round Sports Fields8.

Create ood education inrastructure in Britannia9.

Create a waste management system in Britannia10.

Build additional high school space, including art alley11.

Heat exchange between pool and rink12.

Resurace rest o Napier with semi to permeable suraces13.

Phase 3Build Eco Housing on remainder o parking lot14.

Natural Pool15.

Legend

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 3


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FarzSections & Detail Plan

Section o Britannia Commons (Napier Street) looking West

Section o Running Track, Fields, and Garden looking North

Detail Plan o High School Garden and Market Square

Site Section looking South


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FarzShadow Study

21 December, 3pm

21 December, 12pm

21 March, 3pm

21 March, 12pm

21 June, 3pm

21 June, 12pm


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Farz3D Views

nature in the city - britannia urban design project

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