Brussels Hills on the Beach
Brussels Hills on the Beach Project
Revitalisation of the former Tour & Taxi Area
INTRODUCTION
In our Brussels Hills on the Beach Project we have proposed the principles of the far eastern gardens, where the natural landscape surrounded, by traditional squared architectural forms, recreate the nature in miniature version.
1.1 On image of the soft lined and subtle forms of a Japanese garden, we have proposed to realize an urban organism based on optimal parameters, indispensables for the sustainable development, through:
- A - Realization of a high population density without turning to the typical box-like sky scrapers of the last XX century, by application of the mountain like terraced superstructure.
- B - Creation of an environment without car traffic noises and air pollution.
- C - The autonomy of the proposed ensemble based on the solar, wind and combustion of trash energy.
1.2 HUMANIZATION OF THE SITE Recreation of a natural landscape respecting existing urban facilities and infrastructure, through the application of the ancient techniques of ‘fou sui’ and through the environmental approach, in short, through application of whole accessible and convenient technologies respecting the environment and following the sustainable development principles. The terraces of the sloped elevations forming the dominant characteristics of urban composition are planted with mountain greenery, aiming the birds and all kinds of butterflies will become a future reality, where the use of natural light and more fluid spaces will result in spaces that are both technically more efficient and also pleasant to rest, study and work.
1.3 REVITALIZING FUNCTIONS FOR THE SITE Our proposal brings a new and attractive work and live environment created above the former transport and communication infrastructure. The interconnection of educational, industrial and office functions are done without loosing the necessary links with the commerce and services, stratified with leisure, sport and cultural facilities. The whole is superposed by the residential facilities. See the Functional Section
1.4 URBAN ENVIRONMENT AND LANDSCAPE DESIGN The existing surrounding architecture, testimony of architectural thinking of the past XIX and XX century, will face gentle forms of this kind of town garden, created through the new, soft and harmonious morphology of hills. Through this principle the surrounding existing constructions and urban equipments has been integrated in this organic volumetric. But the true integration is created by the composition of the program for the new created function and through the communication solutions in connection with underground ways network, car road network and water way of the existing canal.
1.5 ELIMINATION OF THE POLLUTING FACTORS:
- A - Noises coming from underground traffic and car circulation will be reduced through covering them, creation of noise protecting belt and through the soft texture of the greenery terraces as bio-filters.
- B - Elimination of the polluting installations for energy production. Maximal use of the natural light even for the internal galleries spaces, by the introduction of the sun light through the “sun-light ducts”.
2. STRUCTURE
Light timber structure above a channelled RC media - distribution slab.
2.1 The use of the wood, contrary to the other construction materials, is consuming and not producing carbon dioxide during its ”production” process, thus contributing to the reduction of the air pollution.
2.2 The RC slab is done by the re-use of the reinforced concrete from demolished constructions.
3. THE ENERGY
3.1 Thermal inertia will be done through the use of this recovered concrete filling in the media distribution slab and some construction elements such as floors and external partitions.
3.2 The healthy Building Concept will be ensured through:
- a- The night cooling
- b- The green terraces and roofs acting as bio-filters.
- c- The wind energy produced by the wind mills, for example the WARP-wind mills.
- d- The solar energy collectors (heat and photovoltaic)
- e- The heat pumps bringing the calories from the canal waters and from the sewage system
- f- The waste treatment and combustion for energy production
- g- Reduce the use of personal car transport by concentration of the services and various functions on this area.
- h- Enable the skin of the created hills to the “green” energy production, bio-filtrating and protecting role.
- i- Through the attractive aspects of the proposed activities create an ensemble of the living body on the image of a bee hive or ant hill but with whole the respect of the human values.
4. FLEXIBILITY OF CREATED SPACES
Modulated living facilities have been created in aim to create the adaptable modules according to the individual and collective evolution – the family growing process and it’s decreasing during the life period. For the other urban-generating functions see the Functional Section.
5. NEW CONCEPT FOR THE FUTURE GENERATIONS
In our project of “The Hills on the Brussels Beach” the landscaped “buildings” as suspended gardens have been created in the form of inhabited hills and applied the principle of re-creation of the previous integrity and harmony of the natural landscape. Through this approach we would like to reactivate the coexistence of the inhabitants with the natural world. The first “ecologists”, the builders of the far eastern cities since millenary were creating in harmony and respect of the nature. Every new environmental intervention was done with an extreme care towards the nature with help of the ‘fou sui’ masters. Through this project we would like to make follow the western builders to follow this way.
