River. © David Garcia Studio.
The Challenge
The Netherlands, and by extension Rotterdam, is in danger of being covered by water due to multiple causes: sea level rise, river discharge, rainfall and ground water levels. If this is to be a serious undertaking, one must plan for the worst case scenario, that major sea coverage in the distant future can be a reality. The heightening of dikes or the raising of land with sea sand is inflexible and, per definition, bound to be covered at some time. We propose planning for the worst case scenario, while offering solutions for the short and medium term. These solutions are aimed at the new residents of the harbor area as well as the community of Rotterdam and beyond.
The Landscape
The industrial harbor area is topologically transformed to engage with the water environment. Instead of negating its surroundings, it embraces it, by allowing water ponds to show the current water level and take extra water in during serious flooding. This works as a dynamic landscape and as a visual flood alarm.
The Core
Taking advantage of the shipping culture in the harbor, and the innovation and design centers on site, the technology and know-how is invested in the construction of elevated housing and working units, these structures are raised to be able to cope with up to 8 meters of flooding. Crowned by cranes, they are able to gather emergency living units in case of extreme scenarios.
The Floating Plugin Services
By using traditional barges or FLEX FLOAT systems, floating services surround the shore and offers parks, recreation, sport activities, energy systems or even agricultural /greenhouse vegetable production. Due to their mobility, they can be exported, rented or sold to other harbors, but more importantly, they can be reshuffled locally to cater to special events, such as the Olympics or mergence scenarios. As a collective, they allow for new urban cores to grow in the harbor with a close understanding of the dynamics of the riverbed, while offering the know-how to the local community and abroad.
The Netherlands from mild flooding to worst case scenario. © David Garcia Studio.
The Cores
Existing environment. © David Garcia Studio.
Shoreline is 5 times longer than the quays, offering extensive water contact. © David Garcia Studio.
Static cores offer housing and work space. © David Garcia Studio.
Floating plug-in units can move according to demand, in Rotterdam or beyond. © David Garcia Studio.
Landscape Strategy
The landscape embraces the medium it lives in, by offering pools which show the existing water level. © David Garcia Studio.
If the water level rises, the pools take in some of the water while becoming a silent signal of the change. © David Garcia Studio.
Connection to the housing and work units is always maintained by a raised landscape well above the norm. © David Garcia Studio.
In case of major flooding, they become islands of their own, offering emergency platforms and access to the plug-in units. © David Garcia Studio.
The Plan
Plan. © David Garcia Studio.
Habitual environment, plug-in services are varied, and offer cultural, sport and recreation services as well as energy and production platforms. © David Garcia Studio.
In extreme situations, such as flooding, the platforms can focus on energy and emergency services. © David Garcia Studio.
Eventual major events can gather mono-thematic platforms, for example, a major sporting event like the Olympic Games . © David Garcia Studio.
The Sections
© David Garcia Studio.
© David Garcia Studio.
© David Garcia Studio.