Sam Brown

ResearchThe New Dutch water defence line

Station of Solastalgia

RESPONSE

The New dutch water defence line

Station of solatalgia

Sam Brown 2011

This project is a response to an initial first hand study and exploration of an 18th century Dutch hydrological and fortified defensive landscape. By in-ducing an 85km line of water into the low-lying polder landscape through a network of dikes and sluices, the Dutch were able to isolate major cites from the rest of invading Eu-rope. By studying this landscape of defense, small towns were dis-covered that are at constant risk of flooding due to their low-lying topog-raphy. A new defensive line would predominantly become a warning system, highlighting and studying dangerous weather patterns, climat-ic conditions and reacting to them. A climate research station to the south west of Culemborg, the most recent town evacuated in 1995 due to the threat of major flooding, will become the main weapon in flood prediction and study.

By monitoring water, land, air and natural behavior within the land-scape as well as providing a buoyant repository of precious items for the town itself, the station will become a step to cure the effects of solas-talgia, the theory of home sickness within ones own home due to the uncontrollable consequences of cli-mate change. Like arks, a series of pontoon archipelago test bed’s will become autonomous, studied and monitored entities within the land-scape, offering not only the advan-tage of an early warning to the threat of flooding but shelter and a means of life and self sufficiency to citizens caught up within the possible future flooding. Natural behavior upon the archipelagos such as Dutch tulips closing and bee’s returning to their hives indicates the threat of on an oncoming storm.

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Research-The new dutch water defense line..........................01-20

Location Culemborg...........21-40

Station of solatalgia............41-80

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In 1815 a plan orginally drafted in the 1600’s was completed. The plan was to take advantage of the

Netherlands constant struggle with hydrology and use it to isolate itself from the the rest of Euroupe. Previouse

waterlines had been constucted around Amsterdam and had proved succesfull. Low lying tracks of land called polders were encouraged to flood through an intricate

series of dikes sluices and pumping stations. Across the landscape forts were constructed and constanly updated

through the years to protect the Netherlands. The full flooding scheme was never utilised and only succeded in parts. By WW2 and use of aircraft only the forts could be used to unsuccessfully hold back the German advance.

weaponised hydrology 1819-1940

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waterline location

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Once fully induced with sea and river water through a network of sluices,

important Dutch towns became cut off from the rest of Europe. After 26 days the polder flood basins were intended

to be full to a depth of 500mm, making the landscape treacherous and dif-

ficult for advancing enemies.

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The sluice induces water from rivers and the north sea, flooding the polder landscape by increasing the level in the canals that surround the fields. Once the level has reached the height of the protecting dike its over flows flood-ing the low lying polder

The polder is inundated to a height of 500-600mm, making land difficult to traverse. Once filled, de-fenses blend into the hy-drological landscape and are further masked by tree lines and earth works.

Forts protect the flooded landscape further from at-tack. Each fort is orientated in order to suit the landscape and to provide the best gun-fire range. Forts are further protected by earthwork bat-teries providing extra fire power. With the use of tree line masking and earth-works, forts further blend within the flooded landscape providing the element of surprise to any attacker.

sluice

polder

fort

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As well as the waterline itself the dutch defensive landscape is littered with small defensive works and large scale landscape forts. Each fortifica-

tion produced a series of defensive archipelagoes within the flooded

landscape.

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The waterline acts as a hydrologic barrier cutting the major Dutch cites off from the rest of Europe. Each sluice becomes a gear in a giant mechanism of defence. The model and diagrammatic illustrates the inundation of polders that produce a hydrological boundary as demosntarted by the device forcing itself apart.

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hydrologic isolation deviceOnce fully induced the flood water

over flows from the low lying pol-ders producing a flooded land-

scape, serparating and isolating vital Dutch towns.

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waterline fortification and hydrological survey

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Sluice’s allow sea and river water to flood excessively into canals surrounding flood basin polders along the water line.

Polders are low lying basins that can be easily flooded. Surrounding dikes protect the polder from flooding unless high levels of water are induced into the surrounding dike canal.

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Batterijen, werk and lun-netten are terminology for small earth work defensive gun positions along the waterline.Smaller than forts they are intended to protect vulnerable areas along the defensive line

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fortified town naarden

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fortification vechten

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In 1995 Culemborg was temporarily evacuated due to the risk of flooding from the river Lek. With the threat of rising sea levels and unpredictable weather patterns, the Dutch water-

line and landscape intended to pro-tect could refill with over flowing sea

and river water, flooding the mass urban sprawl that has occurred due to the waterlines decommissioning

in 1940.

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Solastagia describes a form of psy-chic or existential distress caused by

environmental change or the threat it could potentially cause. The model

illustrates the uncontrollable effect of flooding upon ones home and the distress caused from the loss of pre-cious memories. The model contains

my own memory from site, an item that could have been victim to flood

damage and a remnant of a previous entity within the landscape.

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To mirror the waterline defence network of forts works and batteries, a series of monitored archi-pelago’s of autonomous refuge shelters, fisheries, food producing and industrial pontoons scatter the landscape. Their form is taken from the polder landscape, producing areas that can be utilised to serve Culemborg in times of flooding and non flooding.

Each site lies just above sea level, however with the typically flat Dutch typography the landscape is easily flooded if the river Lek was to rise above

the two meter high dyke protecting Culemborg.

The climate research station sits in a low lying basin, becoming a center for climatic experi-

ments, monitoring the natural behavior from the network of archipelagos and housing labs that

monitor air, land and water. The station provides a safe repository for precious items of the people

of Culemborg and also acts as an early warn-ing system predicting dangerous flood inducing

weather patterns.

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A series of small autonomous archipelagos scatter the landscape providing refuge for a portion of the community

that may become stranded in the event of flash flooding. Like arks within the floodplains the shelters mirror the

historic landscapes use of defence works. When unoc-cupied the shelters become batteries storing energy that

can later be used or be distributed to the local community. The archipelagos also provide a chance for community’s

to produce their own food

Small platforms containing a series of weather predicting devices take influence from the polder landscape. Each

becomes a weapon against the threat of flooding. The main weapon acts as a large barometer measuring air

pressure. Once the pressure drops to a dangerous level storms can be predicted. Once predicted, kites raise upon the station and the dike itself warning the community of an low pressure front. Dike kites contain cameras and relay a stream to the monitoring station of the approaching storm

As an aid to the effect of solastalgia upon the commu-nity at risk of flooding the monitoring station will hold a

repository of treasured memories and items. By keeping the item safe within the repository, the feeling of loosing ones memories to the effects of environmental disasters

will diminish

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Nature is heavily effected by air pressure. Wasps will fly back to the nest in the event of an atmo-

pheric pressure drop. Dutch tulips close as a result of a drop in low pressure to avoid taking on to

much water from the predicted precipitation. An old wives tale states how cows will sense a drop in atmospheric pressure and lye huddled together on

the ground. Metals such bimetallics change form with changes in atmospheric temperatures and

also pressures.

passive climate prediction

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The flooded and monitored archi-pelago landscape. The industrial,

refuge and fishery platforms raise with flood waters producing a self sufficient community of which natural behaviors

become a basis of passive climate study for the research station.

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1. Low pressure weather pattern2. Dyke barometer warning balloon3. Dyke4. Polder landscape5. River Lek6. Night warning light7. Storm camera8. Horizon

A. Aneroid barometer triggers balloon inflationB. Warning balloonC. Self seal nozzleD. Camera and light housingE. Guide line reelsF. Guide line tubeG. Helium tubeH. Helium tankI. Helium refill tank

If a dangerous low pressure weather pattern was to occur balloons in Culemborgs dyke would inflate. The balloons would become a warning system to the town highlighting a probable flood early. A storm camera on each balloon streams a footage of the horizon back to the climate monitoring station to view the approaching storm.

Dyke flood warning system

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To prepare the Netherlands for a flooded future a lifting of the low ly-ing landscape would need to occur.

The Dutch have reached a point to where defence against the sea is becoming more difficult. A new floating landscape that could rise from the original terra firma could

supply everything the Dutch needed to continue living upon their artificial

constructed country

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The monitored archipelago landscape

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1. Monitored cow pontoon2. Monitored bee pontoon3. Monitored tulip growing pontoon4. Perforated gangways

1. Shelter pontoon2. Autonomous shelter3. Photovoltaics4. Food growing capsules5. Sluice water filtration6. VAWT turbines7. Winched refuge boats8. Perforated gangways

1. Moorings2. Zoo plankton runnels to en-courage fish habitat3. Runnel light4. Fishing pontoon5. Monitored fish keeps6. Fish market7. Monitored fish pools8. Perforated gangways

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The monitored archipelago landscape master plan from

the west of culemborg reach-ing to the dike to the north of

the town.

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landscape elevation

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Facades continually change upon the climate station with weather patterns. Biprongs react to changes in tempera-ture and atmospheric pressure open-ing rain collecting devices to service the building.

The climate research station is split into two sides. One houses a weather penetrative public repository for the people of Culemborg and analog weather station devices. The other holds labs that monitor and research climate within laboratory spaces, through the archipelagos in the land-scape and test beds housed within the station .

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The private labrotory section of the station becomes like an exploded fort. Separate labs are held in barrel vaulted pods and transitory spaces encourag a social aspect for the scientists working within the sta-tion. The public space is a simple pontoon gangway leading through the station past the repository and out into the landscape. In the event of a flood the gangway would raise itself and the repository.

A biclimatic fabric cladding contracts and expands with changes in temprature. The sack covers the lab spaces and increses the air gap between its two layers in a cold climate to trap air and isulate. Like the camoflage nets hung upon dutch forts the cladding acts as a dirup-tive pattern material keeping the labs private. The sack trails into the low lying water filled basin to attarct a natural fish habitat that can be further monitored by the station.

A large water barometer becomes a device for the station to predict atmospheric pressure and weather patterns. The barometer sits upon the surface of the lake and the water level inside raises and falls according to the atmospheric pressure. Low pressure means a storm is due and the water level will raises releasing helium warning balloons into the air visible to the town of Culemborg.

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The climate research station sitting within the landscape like a defensive fort monitoring over the archipelagos

and the natural behavior occurring upon them. The roof produces a dis-

ruptive pattern material upon the land-scape camouflaging itself like the forts along the waterline. Like an exploded

underground defensive work the polder inspired roof covers the interior

underground fort like spaces as well as harvesting water. A pontoon decks

splits the public from the private and leads the user out into the landscape

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1. translucent insulated tube flooring2. chilled/ warm beams

3. timber frame draught doors4. venting

5. lab service space6. glazed ceiling

strategies- 01.structural columns

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A. rubber lined and insulated solar panel housing with south facing con-

cave mirror amplifiers.B. shaded cool tank

C. storage and overflow reservoir

Within the apertures of the steel box section roof tanks are housed to col-lect, store and heat rain water. Warm

tanks are raised in order for the sun to warm their rubber insulated, lined sides with extra heat produced from concave

mirrored south facing walled interiors to ensure maximum heat is applied to the water heating panels. Cool tanks

are shaded by the raised warm tanks in order for them to remain cool.

Spaces within the research establish-ment take advantage of the warm or cool water by pumping it through the hollow steel beams that house each

space controlling the interior climate. Draught corridors enure the heat is

kept within each of the interior working spaces

02.passive solar beam heating and water cooling

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03. climate predictive / reactive facade

A. high tension steel cable reel amplifierB. brass stripC. exterior grade ply strengthening stripD. steel stripE. bimetallic prongF. spring loaded recycled rubber water harvesting troughG. collection troughH. prong fixing

The climate reactive water harvesting facade is affected by atmospheric pressure.

If air pressure is to drop, rain normally will occur. The drop in pressure causes the

atmospheric sensitive bimetallic prongs to bend outwards opening the water troughs

to collect rain water. Water collected in the trough passes through sand filters situated under the steel deck to provide clean water for the station. High tension reels mounted

upon the roof amplify the prongs move-ments. The facade no only collects water

but predicts and reacts to atmospheric weather patterns.

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facade detail

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04. climatic responsive insulative cladding

A. 25mm fire safe composite boardB. air gap

C. timber studD. 25mm fire safe composite board

E. bimetallic housingF. High tension bimetallic coil

G. fluoropolymer coated glass fabric

H. bimetallic fabric hook and sealI. fixing baton

J. insulative air gap

Each space within the climate re-search station is clad with a climate responsive skin. High tension coiled

bimetallics react to temperatures In cold temperatures the fluropoly-mer coated glass fabric is pushed

outwards by the bimetallic coils producing an air trapping insulative air gap. The opposite occurs when the temperature rises to ensure the

spaces keep cool. The bimetallics are tuned in order to keep a comfort-

able regular temperature within each interior working space. The system is inspired by the hooked

on camouflage netting used to hide landscape fortifications along the

original waterline.

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05. exterior climatic responsive insulative cladding

under heated interior climate over heated interior climate

A. cross bracingB. exterior steel upright

C. high tension bimetallic coilD. secondary fluropolymer coat-ed glass fabric air trap ( E-value

0.4, light transmission 10%)E. Fabric hook

F. primary fluropolymer coated glass fabric cushion

G. secondary air gapH. primary air gap

I. insulated secondary steel deck joist

J. insulative panelK. primary steel deck joist

L. service housingM. insulated cladding back panel

Like the spaces within the climate research station the exterior cladding

reacts to climatic conditions through high tension housed bimetallics. Each bime-tallic cushion increases and decreases its insulative air gap reacting to climatic

conditions. The bimetallics expand in cold conditions increasing the air gap

between the two fluropolymer glass coated fabric layers and decrease in over

heated temperatures allowing excess heat to leave the interior space.

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06. social and working structural decks

A. first floor raised deckB. second floor low social deckC. second floor high work deck

D. third floor low social deckE. third floor high deck

To encourage social interaction within the station, raised decks

on each floor hold spaces of work separating them from the lower

social decks.

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07. laboratory test beds

Land test beds monitor and research activity upon the stations

own land test beds by growing plant samples and studying the cli-matic affects upon them. The land

labs also study activity upon the agricultural archipelagoes, monitor-ing the natural behaviour occurring

upon them.

Water labs monitor sea and river levels via geo bead-

ing, collecting samples via inhouse pluvio meter test beds and also monitoring fish behaviour in the flood

basin below and also on the fishery archipelagos.

Air labs monitor and record wind speeds and atmos-

pheric/ climatic conditions

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east elevation

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west elevation

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south elevation

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north elevationsouth elevation

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A. Climate reactive bimetallic insulating facade B. Natural ventilation / lift shaftC. Insulated raised steel deckD. Rainwater sand filtersE. Flood datum postsF. Pontoon walkway deckG. Climate reactive rain water harvesting facadeH. Raised black water reed bed/ sand filtrationI. Analogue weather station housingJ. Sheltered seatingK. Water barometerL. Low pressure triggered warning balloonsM. Solar shading blindsN. Cor-ten dropped panel weather penetrative sub-roofO. Steel roof frameP. Water harvesting channelsQ. Pluvio-meters for water labsR. Wind socs for air lab test bedS. Shaded cool water collection poolsT. Solar water heating amplification tankU. Glazed roofing apertureV. Dropped shading roofing panels

1.top lighting and shading devices aviod direct solar penatration into labortory spaces.2. water heating/ cooling bay A3. water heating/ cooling bay B4. water heating/ cooling bay C5. The roof is formed to mirror the Dutch pol-der landscape complete with power generating windmills. Apertures allow light to penetrate deep into the structures as well as collecting and storing water for heating and services. 6. Draught corridors are utilised for each space to keep interior heat loss to a minimum7. Each space is cladded with the same climate re-active bimetallic insulation as the exterior facade. As the temperature drops the bimetallics expand within the two layers increasing the insulative air space between each layer and decreasing when temperatures increase.8. The water barometer sits upon the low lying basin. As atmospheric pressure drops a storm is imminent and the level of the water within the basin raises, raising the water within in the barom-eter. If the water was to raise above the critical level indicating a strong storm, warning balloons are inflated and elevate above the structure in full view of Culemborg.9. Fluoropolymer-coated glass fabric allows light to transmit into the interior as well as insulating. The bimetallic fabric facade mirrors the use of military camouflage nets used to hide fortifications along the waterline.

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Structural column and deck raisers/ pilling

1. fire escape stairs2. structural bay A3. structural bay B4. structural bay C5. sand filtration6. reverse osmosis filtration7. black water primary filtration8. harvested water storage tanks9. repository deck mount

1. water laboratory 022. water laboratory 033. laboratory services4. cloakrooms5. reception6. large item repository7. water barometer8. public deck9. black water reed bed and sand filters10. land test beds11. elevator12. pluviometer test bed uprights13. climate reactive water harvesting facade

ground

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1. land laboratory 022. land laboratory 033. W/C and pantry4. library and seminar room5. lecture preparation office6. lecture theatre7. medium item repository8. social area9. sheltered seating10. analogue weather station housing

1. senior scientist office2. air laboratory3. air test bed4. large store5. observation deck6. senior scientist office7. senior scientist office8. small item repository

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1. land test beds2. monitored fish habitat3. senior scientist office4. land lab 015. water lab 016. water table monitoring7. social space8. auditorium9. cloud observation deck10. bimetallic insulative facade11. hydraulic elevator

12. reed bed filtration13. flood datum markers14. landscape energy harvesting15. monitored pluvio meters16. monitored wind socks17. water barometer

section AA

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1. climate reactive water harvesting facade2. public pontoon deck3. analog weather station4. floor datum lamps5. weather penetrative roof6. pontoon mounted repository7. storm warning balloons8. cloaksrooms9. library/ seminar room10. glazed water insulated roof apertures11. warm heating solar panel amplifier pools12. reed bed and sandfilter black water filtration

section BB

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In the event of serious flood-ing, the pontoon mounted deck and repository float and raise up through the struc-ture, saving precious items stored within the repository’s

lock box’s

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Water and weather penetrate into the repository and public walkway altering sheltered seating roofs. The bimetalic pronged water harvesting facade creeks and moves as the air pressure chang-es. The repository provides small views through into the research stations main hall.Datum lighting glows along the walkway triggered by

drops in pressure

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entrance deck

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Light filters through glazed apertures within the roof and is diffused by transparent surfaces within the interior. Water is pooled, collected, harvested and studied. The water barometers level rises and falls with atmospheric

pressure.

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birds eye view of the air test bed and laboratory

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The New dutch water defence line

Station of solatalgia

Sam Brown 2011

final 10 shortlisted for RIBA presidents medals part 1 2011