AMALGA-NATURE

AMALGA-NATURE

Decelerating urban life by accelerating biophilic living

I would like to acknowledge the D’harawal, Dharug, Eora, Gaimaragal, Gundangara and Guringai peoples, among others that are the Traditional Custodians of this land. I would also like to pay my respects to the Elders both past and present and extend that respect to other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who are present here today.

“We will never be truly healthy, satisfied, or fulfilled if we live apart and alienated from the environment from which we evolved.”

- Stephen R. Kellert1

Expanding urban development

BIOPHILIC DESIGN DEFINITION:

“Biophilic Design is the practice of connecting people and nature within our built environments and communities”1

CONTEXT

5 minutes of a visual connection with nature it has shown a positive impact on mood and self-esteem.

After 20 minutes it can “return cerebral blood flow and brain activity to a relaxed state.”1

BAYS WEST

High trafficability Chosen site

BIOPHILIC DESIGN PRINCIPLES

NATURE IN THE SPACE physical

e.g plants, natural light

collaborative

BIOPHILIC DESIGN

NATURAL ANALOGUES

evocations of nature e.g materials, colour

NATURE OF THE SPACE

NATURE OF THE SPACE

spatial configurations e.g views of a distance, refuge

PROSPECT

An unimpeded view over a distance for surveillance and planning.

REFUGE

A place for withdrawal, from environmental conditions or the main flow of activity, in which the individual is protected from behind.

MYSTERY

The promise of more information achieved through partially obscured views or other sensory devices that entice the individual to travel deeper into the environment.

RISK/PERIL

An identifiable threat coupled with a reliable safeguard 1

LONG VIEWS + PROSPECT EXISTING VEGETATION + REFUGE POLLUTED SOILSMYSTERY

HARD EDGERISK/PERIL

FUNDAMENTAL ASSETS LONG VIEWS

PROSPECT

A prospect over 30m is preferred in smaller spaces as it provides a sense of awareness and comfort for the user particularly in an unfamiliar environment.1

SITE SPECIFICS

The new proposed The Bays Metro Station, which will be completed in 2028, will allow for thousands of new visitors to the site.2

SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURES FROM A DISTANCE

FUNDAMENTAL ASSETS EXISTING VEGETATION

REFUGE

Refuge areas can be created within vegetated areas as is seen through headland parks in Sydney’s Harbour.

SITE SPECIFICS

It can be assumed that Sydney Coastal Dry Sclerophyll Forests inhabit the site as it’s only remaining vegetation. However, there are successional ecologies that are a nice break up of the hard-scaped concrete expanse.

FUNDAMENTAL ASSETS POLLUTED SOILS

MYSTERY

Mystery of what is beneath the site is unknown to the public however above surface nothing can be hidden to create that mystery.

SITE SPECIFICS

Polluted Soil from past industrial use means a process of Phytoremediation will have to occur before any native planting to clean soil.

• A meadow mix will have to planted across the whole site which contains:

Common Rush

Indian Mustard

Sunflower

Marigold

Alpine Pennycress

Viola

Saltbush

Rapeseed

Wild Fennel

Braeckea dwarf

Field Mustard

Queen Annes Lace

White clover

Lucerne

White Lupine

Scrub Nettle

Sorgum

Paper daisies

Sea Lavender

• Sorghum mass planting for Nitrates

• Field Mustard, Pig Face, Marigold Starfire and Red Clover as a combination for Dioxins2

• Asbestos locations unknown and may have to be covered and not planted out

RISK/PERIL

Water can be dangerous and without proper safety precautions it can cause peril. However interacting with water can be the closest to nature a user can come.

- Contaminated water

SITE SPECIFICS

• Today’s edge has a 5m drop down to the water

• Biophilic design encompasses all interactions with nature including water

• Natural edge should be brought back to allow for proper natural processes to occur like tidal flow

In what ways can we Reimagine what connection to ‘nature’ looks like in the Bay’s precinct, as it transitions from a working port to space of dwelling and public interaction?

LARGER URBAN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

EXISTING VIEW CORRIDORS - LONG VIEWS

LEGEND

Significant structures in view Obstructions of view Site

BAYS WEST CONTEXT

Increased area for rewilding increasing biodiversity and minimising urban heat island effect

ROZELLE PARKLANDS (2023)

White Bay Power Station can become an indoor sport centre to connect to the proposed sport fields1

BAYS WEST PRECINCT

Best location for residential buildings as the topography already blocks long views

Glebe Island must remain low rise and vegetated to retain those long views

CEMENT AUSTRALIA

Provide over 50% of Sydney’s cement requirments2

Boatyards and Marina kept to service existing industry

ABIDING EVENTS

PRINCIPLES

1. Retain Long Views

Retain long views in future

2. Strengthen Existing Vegetation

Achieve at least 70% coverage of site

3. Remediate Polluted Soils

Achieve at least 70% remediation before strengthening of SCDSF

4. Naturalise Waters Edge

Reinstating the edge that existed before the colonial intervention on site

Site is closed for Phytoremediation process

Rozelle Parklands is opened in 20231

Viewing platforms introduced to continue/ improve views over new vegetation

Site is opened to public and so is the new Bays Metro in 20282

Vegetation is maintained to continue these views

STRENGTHEN EXISTING VEGETATION

0-2 years 2-20 years 20-50 years 50-100 years

The phytoremediation plants are planted in the corresponding polluted soils

Harvesting of the plants occur every year for 20 years to reach target1

SCDSF is planted after desired 70% remediation of soils

70% canopy coverage of the site is reached

STAGE 1

Excavate and Break

STAGE 2

Remediate and wait

STAGE 3 Rewild and connect

STAGE 4 Urban Forest

LOW

REMEDIATE POLLUTED SOILS

0-2 years 2-20 years 20-50 years 50-100 years

Soils have remediated above 90%

Some toxicity remains in soil but is still remediated by remaining phyto plants

Soils reach 70% remediation by end of stage

The phytoremediation process has begun and toxic soil is cleaned for mangrove introduction

STAGE 1

Excavate and Break

STAGE 2

Remediate and wait

STAGE 3 Rewild and connect

STAGE 4 Urban Forest

NATURALISE WATERS EDGE

0-2 years 2-20 years 20-50 years 50-100 years

Edge is excavated partially back to old waters edge before industrial use

Sea level rise of 300mm over 100 years has only pushed back each zone2

Intertidal zone well established maturing only 9 months after planting1

Mangroves and salt marsh planted and maintained

STAGE 1

Excavate and Break

STAGE 2

Remediate and wait STAGE 3 Rewild and connect

STAGE 4 Urban Forest

STAGE 1 - Excavate and Break (0-2 years)

Key Moves:

1. Concrete slab is broken up and retained for metro location and for entry points to site

2. Excavation to a depth of 5m and then replaced on a slope with mixed washed soil and new sediment for mangroves and salt marsh

3. Existing SCDSF vegetation retained and planted in areas that have no recorded pollutants.

4. Phytoremediation process has begun with the planting of specialised plants according to pollutants in the ground

5. Connection option to Rozelle Parklands completed in 20231

6. Tunnel excavated to connect to boatyards

Long Views: Obstructed

Canopy Coverage: 15%

Remediation of Soils: 5%

Naturalisation: Soil prep

PHYTOREMEDIATION PROCESS2

Fenced off with signs

Chimneys act as a way-finder

Entry is underneath road

Cement Australia Silos with Anzac Bridge behind

Pedestrian walkway introduced for new entry

BALMAIN ENTRY PERSPECTIVE

Entry opening into site, off the road, to get a glimpse of site

Nature strips hollowed and filled with soil to allow for successional ecology such as Cenchrus setaceus

STAGE 2 - Remediate and Wait (2-20 years)

1. The Bays Metro Station comes into the site in 2028 providing activity to the site1

2. Refuge seating in nodes along boardwalk with varying path network based off entry and Metro location/s

3. 1 area of phytoremediation plants harvested every 1 year. A festival called Harvest Fest occurs in these areas as the plants grow back

4. Mangroves and salt marsh planted and maintained

Long Views: Improved

Canopy Coverage: 25%

Remediation of Soils: 70%

Naturalisation: Seeding/Maintenance of Mangroves and Salt marsh

COMPACTED DRIED THERMALLY DECOMPOSED

COMPOSTED 20 x

PYTOEXTRACTION PROCESS1

PLANTING & MATERIALS

Avicennia marina (Field Mustard), Carpobrotus (Pig Face), Tagetes tenuifolia (Marigolds Starfire), Trifolium pratense (Red Clover)3

Meadow Mix

Including:

- Helianthus annuus (Sunflower)

- Medicago sativa (Lucerne)

- Nigella arvensis (Wild Fennel)4

Salt marsh

Including:

- Baumea juncea (Bare Twig-rush)

- Triglochin striata (Streaked Arrowgrass)

- Samolus repens (Creeping Brookweed)2

Sydney Coastal Dry Sclerophyll Forest

Including:

- Casuarina equisetifolia (Casuarina

- Ceratopetalum gummiferum (Christmas Bush)

- Leptospermum trinervium (Flaky-barked teatree)1

Design Details:

1. Goat tracks created by users

2. Markets on main walkway to not detract from experience or flow

3. Larger breakout space used for live music performances during Harvest Fest

4. Metro space reminiscent of existing site

HARVEST FEST IN ACTION

MODEL PERSPECTIVE OF HARVEST FEST

STAGE 3 - Rewild and Connect (20-50 years)

1. SCDSF introduced in areas that have been remediated by 70% and Phyto plants removed.

2. Areas that had possible asbestos in the soil are left to not disturb the soil

3. Mangroves are succeeding

4. Viewing platforms were added to uphold long views over canopy

5. Through test drilling a second concrete slab was found being 300mm under the White Bay Power Station so the phyto plants were retained1

Long Views: Retained

Canopy Coverage: 50%

Remediation of Soils: 85%

Naturalisation: Established Vegetation

MANGROVE DETAIL2

SOLAR PANELS

1 light requires 2-17watts

1m2 = 170 watts

25m2 = Area of Viewing Platform Area provides = 17 000 watts 1000 lights1

Concrete slab 300mm under White Bay Power Station

Solar Panels

Viewing Platform

Covered

Open seating area

EAST-WEST SECTION

1:500 @ A3

Experience of walking over the water and in the mangroves

New sediment for

PROSPECT

REFUGE

MYSTERY RISK/PERIL

STAGE 4 - Urban Forest (50-100 years)

Key Moves:

1. SCDSF and Grey Mangroves canopy coverage reaches 70% with the rest of the site vegetated by the phyto plants

2. Through maintenance, as the sea level rises a process of invasion and succession occurs with the different vegetation communities. 300mm rise in 100 years1 1m remains until Metro floods

Long Views: Retained

Canopy Coverage: 90%

Remediation of Soils: 95%

Naturalisation: Successful

EAST-WEST SECTION

1:500 @ A3

Introduction of Climber

Paths and vegetation height are maintained half-yearly for surveillance

Hedera helix (Common Ivy) transplanted from site

Key Moves:

1. Warm hue lighting to not affect fauna1

2. Main walkways lit to let fauna rest with no human interaction

3. White Bay Power Station recreation centre has competitions that run at night time

4. Metro seating left unlit to enjoy city lights like at Berrys Bay Lookout above Carradah Park

5. Refuge Areas can be seen from Western Distributor

• Lighting points to ground to not interfere with bats and birds

• Multiple exit points from refuge areas

• Security patrols the walkways at night

Humans

• Reside in refuge areas as it provides stress release

• Partake in physical exercise at the indoor sports facility as it releases endorphins

Native Bees

• Love the Phytoremediation Plants as most of them have bright flowers with pollen

Mud Crab

• Lives between roots of the Grey Mangroves

• Eats biofilm that comes from fallen detritus from mangroves1

HABITAT COMMUNITIES

Latham’s Snipe

• Prefers hiding in the reeds of the Salt Marsh or on the mud flats.

• Migratory bird that comes to Sydney from Japan for the summer1

Sea Hare

• Resides in inlet in the wall for the metro

• This space provides a habitat for them where they would normally not reside2

• Prefers Woodland areas with trees such as Casuarina equisetifolia (Casuarina Tree)

• Migratory bird that comes to Sydney in the spring1

Key Moves:

- Continue mangal zone cut into concrete fill

- Open residential buildings as explored in T11

- Green bridge connection to vegetation in Balmain

Key Moves:

- Extend mangal zone following 1860 edge1

- Change Cement Australia port to Pyrmont side

- Connect SCDSF to Pyrmont through Glebe Bridge

FUTURE OF URBAN FORESTS

GREENING SYDNEY

Plan for minimum of 27% tree canopy by 20502

GREATER SYDNEY Forested Areas

New parks, dilapidated industrial sites and Metro sites will be where urban forests can be planted

Between 40 000 and 80 000 contaminated sites in Australia.

$300 million is spent on managing and remediating them of which $10 million is spent on bioremediation1

BAYS WEST EXAMPLE

PROSPECT REFUGE MYSTERY RISK/PERIL

RETAIN LONG VIEWS

BIOPHILIC DESIGN PRINCIPLES

STRENGTHEN EXISTING VEGETATION

REMEDIATE POLLUTED SOILS

NATURALISE WATERS EDGE

BIOPHILIC DESIGN PRINCIPLES USED TO GUIDE PHYTO-REGENERATION PROCESS

THANK YOU