Finalist 2010

Full submission available to download here...

OVERFLOW CAR PARK

The discourse surrounding the city and second nature have often overstated landscapes of recreation, here we re-imagine the way we surface our city to provide productive landscapes, and propose one that is led by landscape rather than one which merely incorporates it. Based on the ridge and furrow land formations arising from the feudal land distribution patterns of the Middle Ages, our proposal is an attempt to mitigate storm water run-off and flooding within London, caused largely by groundwater mismanagement.

The planted gullies and connected cisterns of the Overflow Carpark act as reservoirs in the management of storm water and river and tidal flooding. The implementation of surface bladders allows storm water to filter slowly back into the system, and also acts to accommodate excess when the drainage system reaches capacity levels. This strategy helps to prevent London痴 sewer system from flooding whilst creating microhabitats for wetland plants and animals.

Produced entirely from locally-sourced, reclaimed materials, the intervention serves as an exemplar in sustainable building. The proposal explores the possibility of a managed flood plain, and stresses the importance of functional ecological infrastructure within the city. The legible scale of this infrastructure project is important in the canon of urban design as invisible macro scale projects