KELHAM ISLANDURBAN SUCCESSION

site survey and analysislandscape master planecological designstorm water managementsocial bondingeconomic vision

pop art studios and gra�ties’ square productive landscape

Chi Kong, YEUNG & Xiaoyan, JIAO

Site Location & Evironmental ConditionsSite Survey and Analysis

UK

She�eld

Site Extent River Don Direction of Runo�

Topography

High

High

Lowa valley

Source: Google Earth

She�eld City

Centre

She�eld Railway Station

Important linear habitat for wildlife

�e University of She�eld

She�eld Hallam University

River Don

Site Extent

City Parks and Green Spaces

Connectivity of Habitats is needed

Northen Expansion of City Center is proposed by the City Development Plan

Fallopia japonica (le�) and Impatiens glandulifera (right) - both abundant along river bank

Buddleja davidii - commonly found in derelict spaces and car parks

Source of Noise & Air pollution

High Flood RiskSource: Report of Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA)

N

N

Colonisation of Invasive Plant Species - long-term management plan needed

i

Statistics

6751060

Crime

Medium

16-240-15 25-49 50-64 ≥65

Perc

enta

ge (%

)

Age

65%

30%

Source: (1) O�ce for National Statistics, UK (2) UK CrimeStats

History Land Use Strengths

Weaknesses

Opportunities

�reats

Characters

Site Survey and Analysis

an industrial district famous for making steel in the past

1900 -1919

Semi-Public Open Space Existing ‘Little Kelham’ Residential Development

Listed Buildings Rich of historic buildings

Poor Interface with watercourseLack of quality public open spacesLack of a strong character of this districtLack of visual cue for the coming destination Dangerous cycle lane

Medium rate of crime

Invasive plant species

High �ood risk along the south of the goit

�e demolition of the central space o�er chance of design alternative to Little Kelham

Valley that increases chances of �ooding

A post-industrial site Male more than female in this neighbourhood Mainly inhbitated by youngsters, i.e. students

Kelham Island Museum bringing in tourists Many nice view points along river �e river is a valuable landscape feature

Derelict Space

Not Well-used Space

Museum

(Currently Car Park)

(Currently Car Park)

Weir

Brid

ge

Brid

ge

Derelict

Derelict

Residential

ChurchPub

Cycle Lane

Key View

Poor Interaction with watercourse

Source: http://www.pictureshe�eld.com/

Source: https://www.�ickr.com/photos/djbp/10335112433/sizes/z/in/photostream/

View 1

View 2

Poor Interaction with Watercourse

Design Strategy

Residential

Mowbray Street

ii

Urban Sucession

I

A

B

C

D

E

Kelham Island used to be an active industrial area that manipulated the energy from River Don to produce countless quality steel and cutlery. As globalisation has been growing quickly, its role of the production house of steel in the UK has gradually faded out. However, the good qualities of this area remain. �e most obvious ones are the intimate space along riverbanks and the historic buildings which subtly remind people how energetic Kelham Island was.

Inspired by the ecological succession happening along River Don, it is believed that by undergoing multiple aspects of succession, including the green infrastructure, the stormwater management, the social bonding, the economy, the emerging industries and the greener life style, Kelham Island will move on to another stage of succession which will comprise a more complex structure of community. It will be home for long-established and new residents and a place for relaxation, production and research and development.

Eco-Ribbon (River Don)

Children Water Play Area

Flood Control Park

Urban Farms and Nurseries

Central Ramble

Kelham Island Square

Memory Avenue

Skateboarders’ and Bikers’ Park

Gra�ties’ Square

Main Car Park

Rain Garden Green Road Semi-public Open Space

ABCDEFGH

Scenic BridgeKelham Island ResortCra� and Art StudioKelham Island LibraryFelicity EstateAgriCentreAlgal Power ColumnsPop Art Studios

I Eco-Boardwalk

N

1:3000 @ A4

Landscape Master Plan

a

b

b’

a’

iii

Ecological Design

“To us, Mother Nature is the most powerful landscape architect in the

world. By offering as simple as a boardwalk along River Don, people can

once again walk along the riverbank whenever they want to appreciate the

stunning, provocative and ever-changing landscape created by

Her.”

Heron

Information Source: The Riverlution, Environmental Agency, UK and Sheffield Local Biodiversity Action Plan

Sectional elevation a-a’ 1:500

As the watercourse has already been establishing a ecosystem, minimal intervention to it is intended to encourage further ecological succession. It is believed that the animals listed below which has been identified within the site will benefit from this approach of design.

The current riverbank is extensively colonised by invasive plant species, such as Himalayan balsam and Japanese knotweed. A long-term management plan (e.g. 10 years plan) that gradually introduces diverse, native riverbank flora is proposed. The selection of plant species will take account of both aesthetic and ecological values. During the course of time, the populations of the invasive species is expected to gradually reduce to a unharmful level. The diversity within plant communities will further support the local fauna as both a shelter and a food source.

Daubenton’s Bat

Alnus glutinosa Dryopteris filix-mas Lysimachia vulgaris Iris pseudacorus Lythrum salicariaSalix purpurea

Daubenton’s BatGrey Wagtail

Water Vole

Kingfisher

Brown Trout

Proposed Key Native Plant Species

iv

Storm Water Management

Before

Extensive - mainly composed of Sedum spp.

Semi-Intensive - range of herbaceous plants

Intensive - more shrubs and trees

After

Section b-b’1:200

Hard paving removed for a wider bioswale that detain more water

Edge of cycle path is defined by bioswale for greater comfort and safety

Bioswales, storm water planters and green roofs are applied to the whole site to form a network of green infrastructure and also to make a significant cumulative effect on storm water management. The main road that wraps around the site is identified to be a key site for installing these features because they can reduce the runoff going towards the internal area of Kelham Island. The plant materials and the water detained can trap the pollutants emitted from vehicles, so a better internal environment can be created.

Since most of the buildings in the site have pitched roofs, it is expected that extensive green roofs will be more common in this area, but occasionally some roofs are flat that can accommodate more complex or heavier green roof systems, especially for the new buildings. The different types of green roofs will also contribute to provision of diverse habitats for wildlife, other than detaining storm water.

Stormwater is detained in bioswales and green roofs. Then it is transferred to other sinks

Green Roofs

Pitched Roofs

Flat Roofs

Flat Roofs

“Together with the intertwining green infrastructure, storm water management, especially for Kelham Island which is located in a valley, will make it a more liveable place.”

Storm water planter

run off to the next sink

run off to the next sink

run off to the next sink

Storm water planter

Storm water planter

Suitable fornew buildings

v

Social Bonding

Pa, our tree is growing amazingly well. See? How strong it is now!

Darling, do you still like my artistic, trendy, phenomenal, futuristic, exploratory, modern, post-modern and contemporary sculpture?!

P-P-PP-Pa...Pa...

Kid, see that tree? It’s planted by your pa and your grandpa.

Memory Avenue

Semi-public Open Space

Hey, where are you, mate?

Really?! I’m coming now!

I’m at the Foster Works! There’s a bloody rock band!! Abi, this week’s band is

so much better than last week’s 8D

Many Semi-public Open Space

Memory Avenue

Central Ramble

One of the weaknesses identified in the site is lack of quality public open spaces for people to socialise and build up bonding to this community, although there are constructing, newly built and old residential buildings. In order to address this issue, two schemes are proposed.

Social Sculpture The idea is adapted from the German artist called Joseph Beuys. In Kelham Island, planting of saplings by local community is kept, but companying the trees are sculptures with a theme of steel to commemorate that Kelham Island used to be a industrial site producing quality steel and equipment made of it. The concept is to encourage the local community to “sculpt” their living space and making their memory together. While taking care of their own trees, they will experience the process of changes year by year and making the cityscape a common memory.

Semi-public Open SpaceMany open spaces surrounded by buildings on the northen side of the site (south of Mowbray Street) has not been fully utilised, so it is proposed to collaborate with land owners, local bands, musician and other arts associations to hold events every weekend in these spaces, so as to provide a platform for the local artists to interact with the local communities.

Let’s make our environment a better place to live in.

This sculpture is lovely <3

Oh ya, Babe! But can we go to the adjacent yard for some folk? :-/

vi

Potential Buyers of Produce and Art Work

Families Tourists Markets C a f e s

Economic Vision“We envisage that Kelham Island will be a hub in Sheffield holding events ranging from local community, national to international functions, and advancing urban agriculture and art industries, through which the local economy can be stimulated.”

REGENERATION OF DERELICT BUILDINGS AND SPACES

Phlegm

vii

Sheets of external structures are placed in Graffities’ Square. Some are interacting with the derelict building and the others are free-standing or twisted. These

abstract sheets act as art boards of the graffiti artists as well as a good site for skateboarders and bike riders. These sheets are meant to

blur the boundary of the building, so that the space and itself

will function as one system, providing a

common ground for artists and

sports enthusiasts.

Pop Art Studios & Graffities’ Square

Existing Frontage of the Proposed Pop Art Studios

Visualisation showing how graffiti injects vibrancy to the derelict building.

Although the main function of Graffities’ Square is for artists to create their art work, it also serves the need of skateboarders and bikers. The difference between Graffities’ Square and Skate-boarders’ and Bikers’ Park is that the former capture more the urban quality and the latter will have more naturalistic features in countryside..

“We treasure the quality of existing post-industrial buildings and wish that by taking a sympathetic approach to regenerating these buildings and their associated spaces will give people a brand new experience while the younger generation can still see how their parents and grandparents lived in the past.”

Reference has been made of Kunsthaus Tacheles in Germany which became a hot tourist spot till its demolition.

Photo depicting tourists roaming inside Kunsthaus Tacheles(Credit: http://www.fotocommunity.de/pc/pc/display/26569099)

Pop Art Studios & Graffities’ Square

Memory Avenue

viii

Productive Landscape“Not to mention the therapeutic benefits of farming and gardening, what food can be healthier than those grown by yourself, your lovely families and neighbours?”

Flood Control Park People can sit beneath the goit enjoying their refreshment and hanging out with

friends. Ones can also fish in here.

Kelham Island Resort It takes less than 5 minutes for tourists to

reach the central open space

Chemical Extraction

Urban Farming Fields Organic farming and permaculture will

be practised in this open field. Contrasting with the indoor productive environment

in AgriCentre, local Communities are expected to get more involvement in this.

Localised Nurseries Gardening is deeply rooted to the British culture, so the demand of

horticultural plants is high. Making localised nurseries can meet the

demand while saving carbon footprint. The native saplings will be

the material for Social Sculpture.

AgriCentre A hi-tech centre, adapted from a derelict

historic works, combining both food production and R&D of urban agriculture

and biofuel

Urban Orchard Fruit trees are planted to be part of the

landscape of the central green space and form a botanical garden featuring edible trees.

Algal Power Columns A futuristic landscape feature that showcases

the prototype of using algae to convert photon to energy-bearing chemicals which eventually

will be converted to biofuel and fertiliser supporting the AgriCentre and farming fields

respectively.(See visualisation and illustration on the left)

The G

oit

Prot

ein

Lipid

NPK

Photosyntheses

Biofuel

Alg

al P

ower

Col

umn

Algal Power Columns act like not only a tree that fixes CO2 and releases O2, but also produces fertiliser and biofuel via chemical harvesting process

Information Source: Mascarelli, A.L.(2009) Algae: fuel of the future?. Environmental science & technology. America, American Chemical Society, 43(19), pp.7160–1.

Alg

al P

ower

Col

umn

Algae cell

The Algal Power Columns will be the future landmark of Kelham Island

CO2

O2

Fertiliser

Existing Conditions of AgriCentre ix