RE:DEMPTION
The rural economy is increasingly seasonal and fluctuates according to rhythms of cultivation as well as tourism. It is worth finding ways to reframe the rural economy, aimed to conceive new forms of sustainable tourism based on the local context. The aim is to blur the boundaries between Living and Tourism, maximize their common needs and achieve a synergy effect.
The exploration of sustainable tourism takes place in the Ulverston Canal, due to its high historical and ecological value. A proposal is made for a declining industrial estate, located in the canal foot area, to explore the possibilities of how an industrial site can be transformed into a space for living and tourism.
Four zones are defined in correspondence with the project aims, which are:
Recreate: Community Zone
The new community can increase pedestrian flow in the canal foot area and establish supporting services for tourism like accommodation, retail, and food & beverage.
Retain and reuse: Factory Conversional Zone
The factory site contains lots of industrial structures like warehouses, storage tanks, elevated pipelines, and smoke vents. Instead of removing them, these structures will be retained for reusing by tourism and recreational programs.
Rehabilitation: Ecological Conservational Zone
Morecambe Bay is a Special Protection Area. It is a bay with high ecological value for birds. The proposed conservation area around Canal Foot is aimed to extend the SPA habitats along with the canal spaces and form a wildlife corridor towards Ulverston. A synergy effect can be achieved.
Restore: Restorative Landscape Zone
Calcareous woodland and meadow field, restorative lawn and aquatic gardens will form part of the Restorative Landscape Zone. They are to achieve the restorative process through landscape approach, transform the industrial land to green space for habitats as well as recreation.
