Jingyi He

Reshaping the Edge

Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (ESALA)

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Project Description

The project focuses on the confluence of the island edge of Faial and the urban edge of City Horta - the Conceição Rivermouth. The edge of the island refers to the place where the soil meets the seawater. While in this context, there is more than one concept of 'edge'. In general terms, the river is the boundary line of the city and the coastline is the boundary line between the city and the island. When focusing on a smaller scale, it is possible to find many hard edges on the site. These hard edges block the connection between the city and the river and are not eco-friendly. Consequently, the design of the project focuses on two main components. The first part is the softening of the edges. The river is replaced with a soft material and more water-friendly opportunities are provided. A 15-minute greenway along the river and shoreline links the two edges, creating a green corridor that supports urban development. The second component is a nature-based solution that protects the two waterways that run through the sports park as well as the Conceição River. In this way, the water quality of the shallow marine areas is improved. The native ecological habitat will be improved and the problem of urban flooding will be addressed.

Historical Changes of the Estuary

Existing Conditions

The area where the Conceição River enters the sea is one of the heaviest areas of the city of Horta. It is close to the port of Horta, the largest harbour in the triangle of islands, and is an important land transport centre for the city of Horta. The large amount of asphalt paving and the narrow hard river channel make this area a problem for flooding. The area of the natural beach has been affected by the construction of the wave breakers at the inlet and by marine erosion over a long period of time. The shoreline has become steeper from its initial gentleness and the size of the beach has been reduced.

The following models test the impact of river sediments, flood zones and wave barriers on the river respectively.

Test Model - Estuary

Proposal of the Estuary

The main design of the sports park focuses on the protection of the two waterways. The western water system flows through an area with new rock gardens and native flora, which protects the quality of the water flow. The original sports hall was made up of two buildings, the western one was removed to provide more space for the river. The eastern water system flows through an area that was originally flora, the new design scheme retains the original flora and enriches it to reduce erosion. The gently sloping areas of the sports park continue to be where the activity is concentrated. A number of new sports facilities have been set up with eco-friendly materials.

"15 mins greenway"

The further design concentrates on the river Conceição and the coastline. The original hard edges have been removed and replaced with a more environmentally friendly soft material. People can have more opportunities to get close to the water. The river also provides a new habitat for creatures. The uniform material of the walkway links the two boundary lines and forms a "15 mins greenway " that supports the development of the city Horta, which is also the revolution of '15 mins city".

A new ecological flood control zone has been added to the area where the river enters the sea to reduce the flood crisis. The original breakwater blocks have also been changed to a horizontal one, reducing the reduction of the beach area due to seawater erosion. The shoreline has been replaced with soft edge as well. New facilities have been added to serve human activities on the beach.