Adaptive coastal living

Our aim is to create a robust and flexible development framework that can adapt to changing market requirements. Using the existing infrastructure as a base we establish an urban grid that is open for redevelopment after the harbour activities have moved eastwards. Due to the size of the developable land and because market requirements are unpredictable, we do not propose a linear development approach rather we aim to embrace a series of transformation moments to inform the final development outcome. Central to our approach is the establishment of an online 3D urban environment, where future and existing stakeholders can test new development scenarios, establish a market identity or help programming each urban block. The online digital environment is setup in stage 0 and will evolve parallel to the real life transformation allowing for future residents to take an active role in the development of the new coastal living community.

 

Productive coastal living

Young families play a key role in establishing strong and engaged communities. Through the development of large interconnected car-free urban blocks designed around the needs of children and the elderly, we aim to create an environment that is attractive for young families to establish themselves. The urban blocks have integrated carparks, workshops and greenhouses and anticipate on changes in climate, society, mobility and economy. The productive living blocks can provide a wide range of housing typologies and can be developed in a variety of densities and programmatic mixes.

 

Resilient coastal living

With rising sea levels and an expected increase in heavy rainfall, water management has become a key factor in developing a new coastal community that is resilient. Through a system of water-squares, wetlands and reed-bed islands we aim to retain, filter & collect rainwater before discharging it into the sea. The development as a whole has been raised to a 2.75m level while allowing for the lower parkland to flood allowing for river water to be retained and slowly released into the sea in extreme conditions. The sea-winds can be harsh and unforgiving therefore we use the buildings to break strong sea-winds and create a protected urban environment in the interior of the productive block.