Design Context

Iceland is one of the most volcanically active regions in the world and the interaction between ice and fire has produced a diverse landscape.

This is the outwash plain of Skeiðarárjökull, formed by the accumulation of sediments brought by volcanic eruptions. Before human settlement it was once covered with extensive birch forests. However, as a result of volcanic eruptions, logging and grazing, the trees have been reduced and habitats have been gradually lost, making it difficult to see any trace of flora or fauna. Unpredictable glacial floods have also affected the land at any time and it is now a barren plain.

The glacial floods brought a crisis, but the consequent flow of sediment also brought life to the outwash plain. In the middle of the outwash plain a birch forest is growing naturally and the ecosystem is gradually recovering itself. However, with global warming, the environment of the outwash plain is also undergoing rapid change, with rising temperatures, retreating glaciers and more frequent glacial floods creating a potential crisis for the future birch forest.

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Project description

In recent decades, the seeds of plants have been brought back to the outwash plain by deposits from glacial meltwater. The initial establishment of the birch woodland provides an opportunity for ecological restoration. The restoration of the woodland can effectively contribute to the rapid development of the ecosystem and has an important role to play in the conservation of the soil, biodiversity and the reduction of extreme disasters...

The theme of the project is ‘enclosed garden’. The site is located at the outlet of the glacier, the source of the glacial river, which is most directly affected by the glacier retreat and has the greatest response to climate fluctuations, where birch saplings are beginning to grow. The outwash plain will experience rapid change over the coming century and the project is shaping the birch forest in the outwash plain through a series of human interventions to create a stable 'haven' in the end of next century, making it a cradle for a new ecological reality.

 

Project team

The project is divided into three stages, where artificial measures are taken to reshape the sediment, to restore and protect the fragile ecology of the outwash plain. And with time, the enclosed gardens have the capacity to withstand natural crises in the next century.

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As the glacier retreats and the glacial lake gradually expands, large amounts of sediment are accumulated at the bottom of the glacial lake, making it difficult to enter the river, resulting in the site becoming less able to store flood water. The first stage was to install filters at the mouth of the river to collect the sediment and increase the flood storage capacity of the river.And the collected sediment is used in subsequent stages of terrain modification.

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In the he second stage, we work on the outwash plain to transform the birch woodland into a nature conservation park that seeks to maximize the opportunities for regional biodiversity to thrive. The new network of rivers forms an integral part of the development's extensive sustainable drainage system, where birds will gradually colonize. A network of interconnected paths and natural trails open to the public and people can enjoy glacier views from the bird-watching tower, making this 'quiet place' accessible.

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The third stage is the modification of the terrain around the enclosed garden to improve the site's ability to withstand extreme crises. The first is to add garden dyke of sediment around the enclosed garden to protect the birch forest in its infancy from the destory of water in the event of a flood. 

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Secondly, the banks of the glacial lake were modified by shifting the sediment collected from stage 1 to create ecological embankment, which improves the flooding capacity of the river and creates habitat for organisms.

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