Rolling on the River

Formed in 1964 by landscape architect Garrett Eckbo, the firm of Eckbo, Dean, Austin, and Williams (EDAW) cultivated Eckbo’s vision of environmentally-conscious projects which are fully functional. Participating in the Discovery Channel’s 2008 “City of the Future” competition, the firm came up with a proposal to address one of the dominant issues in an Atlanta of 2018. Along with every other city in the future, the condition of water will be of great importance considering rising water levels across the globe. According to their site, EDAW sought to concentrate on stormwater re-use, designing a new coastline to suite the projected future sea levels, phasing out combustion engines by 2060, turning freeways into tight residential areas, and allowing for the resurfacing of stormwater back to the surface of Atlanta, creating lakes and creeks. Buildings would be situated upon the slopes and transit at the tops of hills, with stormwater runoff filtering down to the stream corridors below.

Considering London’s future, water is of the same, if not greater concern. Rising at a rate of about 1 mm a year, the Thames’ water levels have the Environment Agency concerned, reevaluating the pre-established 300 km of tidal embankments, gates, and barriers that are found on the river. London’s main tidal gate, the Thames Barrier, established in 1984 to counter rising tidal levels produced by disasters like the 1953 flood of London, is under such reevaluation. The UK’s Chief Scientific Advisor, Sir David King, takes into account higher flood levels and heavier rains when considering future water levels. Many contest that the Thames Barrier will not supply sufficient protection due to these rising water levels, and the city will inevitably flood.

In their 2007 report, Living with Water: Visions of a Flooded Future, authors Ruff and Moorley propose shelters like schools being relegated to school boats. Also of potential: “bolt-on bay windows, plug-in balconies and instant attic conversions”. BLDGBLOG suggests the “Project for a New Thames”, calling for a new London, flooded with canals, lakes, and waterfalls: “The route? That's yet to be decided – but I strongly favor something complex and circuitous. Perhaps we could send it flowing through a titanically oversized, manmade hydroelectric valve, as designed by M.C. Escher, providing all of east London with electric power for the new millennium. The valve itself, perhaps the tallest building in Britain. Norman Foster will design it. You could film The Bourne Ultimatum there; his ultimatum: he wants cheaper electricity”.

One final possibility in the face of rising water levels is the “floating house”. Developed in the Netherlands, these new houses can be built on a FlexBase EPS (polystyrene foam) base with a concrete slab on top. Next, concrete joists are poured, prefab concrete boundary elements are installed, and wiring and pipes are placed. A regular contractor can complete the rest of the building assembly. One construction firm, Dura Vermeer, produces houses that can even rise and fall with the tide. While prices start at 260000 euros, the floating house is an innovative solution for one of the world’s most at-risk countries facing rising sea levels.

~Rachel Cohen-Murison

Sources:
Manaugh, Geoff. The BLDGBLOG Book. San Francisco: Chronicle Book, 2009.
http://www.treehugger.com (accessed Oct. 31, 2009)
http://www.flexbase.eu/ (accessed Oct. 31, 2009)

http://www.edaw.com/ (accessed Oct. 31, 2009)

"Disasters - Thames flood risk to London - part 1 - BBC." http://www.youtube.com (accessed Oct. 31, 2009)
"Just Add Water." http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/ (accessed Oct. 31, 2009)