Hybrid Thresholds, Redefining the Don River’s Edge

Ecology;Public work;Infrastructure;recreation;water"s edge;Don River;Water remediation;Architecture

Amini, Saba

University of Waterloo

关键词: Ecology;    Public work;    Infrastructure;    recreation;    water";    s edge;    Don River;    Water remediation;    Architecture;   

Others  :  https://uwspace.uwaterloo.ca/bitstream/10012/9729/1/Amini_Saba.pdf

瑞士|英语

来源: UWSPACE Waterloo Institutional Repository

【 摘 要 】

My proposal envisions the threshold between thebuilt urban fabric and the natural environment at thewater’s edge. It focuses on the development of publicspace at the water’s edge, and tries to transformthat space into a new interface that can be experiencedas a valued and essential part of urban life.Rather than subscribing to the conventional understandingof infrastructure as a service-based utility,this thesis intends to weave infrastructure and publicworks at this threshold. It addresses the questionof how might urban groundwater filtration, normallyconsidered a toxic function requiring separationfrom the public, be integrated within low-densitypublic recreation areas involving full immersion andexposure to the environment.Specifically looking at the Lower Don River, this thesisoffers a new vision for this area and is compatiblewith the new generation of thinking about how landscapecan not only restore natural area but also bevisibly productive and socially accessible. The proposal’sinterest in doing so aligns with the ideas ofarchitects and landscape architects such as MichaelHough, Mohsen Mostafavi, Elizabeth Mossop, PierreBelanger, and Douglas Farr. The design proposaltackles existing environmental and ecological issuesof the Don River by envisioning a series of three programsalong the Don that offer dynamic communityinteractions, and foster the discourse on social andenvironmental responsibilities. These three programsare all defined by the same design strategy,which relies on a hierarchy of water systems with differentvolumes to develop a corresponding architecturalprogram. The water is absorbed, retained, andpurified through different basins, water remediationcells, and soft landforms during its journey to theriver, while people have the opportunity to enjoy thatprocess within the system of boardwalks, elevateddecks, and seasonally accessible walkways. Thesehabitable landforms provide room for different publicrecreational activities which could foster a uniquecharacter and renewed experience of a public workalong the water’s edge.