As a landscape aficionado with an architecture education, I've only scratched the surface of understanding the meaning of life and its relationships and this course has taken me on the path that leads to deeper understandings.
Living alongside nature has always been a sensitive discussion to what extent could we as human beings can evolve and where we draw a line is the question of the hour. To explore the deeper understandings, the project emphasizes the notion of “Reconciliation of humans with birds.” Stockport shopping center precinct being rich in architectural history serves as an ideal place for landscape experimentations due to its distinct monotonous character. To revive the area, the concept of altering various city edges was applied as a part of answering the research question.
Deculverting the Mersey Way
To restore the lost ecosystem, the covered walkway has been stripped to its structural core, exposing the river beneath the concrete supporting arches. This also caters to flood resilience by becoming a large beacon of the catchment area.
Creating an urban wilderness
The newly exposed river at the Mersey Way has an extended river width, creating new edges along with the contoured landscape. To blend the two visually contrasting elements, planting was the key design feature. It not only complemented the two edges but also became a habitat for the prioritized birds alongside overarching species for Nature- Birds- Humans relationships.
Retaining, Reclaiming, and reusing
The bio diversified habitat creation is supported with sustainable practices making the project climate positive within a span of 3 years.
The Human-Bird interaction is about connecting with all of our senses, not just drawing a line. The design takes shape by building diverse links across all levels of the precinct, allowing for a tiny step toward accessing the deeper pathways in the domain of biodiversity.
