River edges are critical because they are where natural elements interact in natural ecosystems to generate a variety of landscape types, patterns, and habitats. The covered River Mersey in the heart of Stockport precinct was calling out for restoration, as it obscured the river's complex ecosystem and the emotional bond that people felt with it. These challenges have piqued our interest in the impact that altering the edges of the Mersey River, especially on the covered Merseyway could have on the habitat ecology.
This project has created the new Merseyway in such a way that it completely changes the old Merseyway, prioritized people's ease of living, into the necessity of the hour, which is to conserve and protect what we have left after years of nature exploitation, emphasizing the notion of reconciliation of migratory birds with the local community.
Deculverting the river and establishing new connections showed that our project was on track to achieve its goal. By not neglecting the existing environment on-site, we are able to use biophilic design as our fundamental principle, as we want to bring humans (Stockport community) and non-humans (migratory birds) together to create a more diverse ecosystem.
