The Eco-Deconstructivist Design Handbook
The Eco-Deconstructivist Design Handbook, ‘Bradford-on-Sea’ - “How can policy change be used to revive specific urban sites accessible to human & non-human communities alike?"
In order to combat the global biodiversity crisis, our project uses policy change to prioritize the removal of human influence on Bradford, East Manchester, with a view to nationwide expansion of this idea. We have redeveloped the entire East Manchester area to remove the road network and create huge amounts of wild habitats for non-humans, including Wetland, Scrubland, Mixed Woodland and Lush Brownfield Sites. The illustrations here focus on the disused Manchester Abattoir site to create space accessible to humans & non-human communities in the area.
The ground level has been stripped back to the raw structural grid to make space for a wetland, while the first floor has become a dedicated community hub - featuring space for local scout groups, recreational activities and hot-desking, all of which are facilities sorely lacking in the Bradford area today. The second level is for public use, and is a modern take on victorian promenade architecture, creating a space that is novel, familiar and widely accessible - with local pop-up businesses taking centre stage to revive Bradford as an appealing destination rather than a thoroughfare. Higher levels feature private residences with reduced rates for Bradford residents, made of cork bricks and offset from the main structure to allow maximum light penetration and present the eclectic appearance of much seaside vernacular within the UK.
Recycled concrete gabions are the primary elements which touch the ground heavily to provide sufficient structural stability, and support the stair cores and a lighthouse-inspired viewing tower which provides stunning views all the way across regenerated wild habitats to Manchester city centre.
The landscape has been designed to accommodate a wide range of Bradford residents, featuring a large mature woodland to the South, a central wetland area to allow the dwindling amphibian and bird population in Bradford to grow, and a shrubland to the North to act as a buffer zone between the site itself and adjacent residential redevelopment. The site also features a bioswale to create a constant flow of groundwater through the site, from the tram stop, along the connecting timber walkway, through the building interior and southward towards the River Medlock.
