RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT FOR DISASTER PRONE AREAS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

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1 Committee for Architecture and Town Planning Wrocław Branch of the Polish Academy of Sciences International Scientific Workshops Innovative Structural Systems in Architecture (ISSA2016) November 3-5, 2016, Wrocław, Poland RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT FOR DISASTER PRONE AREAS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA Katarzyna ZACHARIAS*, Kinga ŻUK** *Architecture Engineer, Master of Architecture student The Tadeusz Kościuszko Cracow University of Technology ul. Warszawska 24, Kraków, Poland **Architecture Engineer, Master of Architecture student The Tadeusz Kościuszko Cracow University of Technology ul. Warszawska 24, Kraków, Poland Key words: elevated architecture, cables, lightweight architecture, natural disasters resiliency, ABSTRACT The lightweight structures have undoubtedly great future in architecture. They can resist tough conditions and at the same time are very flexible and easy to transport. While working with Z.E. Fedyczkowski, the polishcanadian architect and the author of the general idea, we (along with Michał Żyła, coauthor of urban development) realized that suspended building technology can be the response for the climate change (fig1) and solution for disaster prone areas [1]. Basic rule is to elevate every building, transportation lane and utility network over the anticipated level of flooding. Our work is original and all presented solutions are exclusive creation of their authors. Fig.1. Map - population change [2] ; Fig.2. Possible sea level rise [3]

2 Rising sea level is indisputable and with next decades can put in danger hundreds of settlements situated by the sea, which tend to be so popular nowadays. High risk of natural disasters, poor soil, weak building foundations, construction that is unprepared for the weather conditions, lack of thought of urban fabric those are the issues that can cause a big problem in the future. To protect its citizens, the governments and international organizations are developing word-wide programs aimed at helping to stabilize the situation. At the same time those solutions are based more on the ecological movements than on architectural and urban plans [4]. Our concern was to create a structure that can resist and help survive people on the regions affected by climate change and natural disasters. Proposed urban plan takes into consideration creating new neighborhood by using lightweight solutions, resistant to natural disasters. Plan includes leading role of footbridge elevated 11m above surface of terrain. Main track is connected with smaller tracks that lead to groups of family houses around each. The core structure of houses as well as school and community center on the main axis are supported by the system of beams and steel cables connected to the core, ends of beams and then, the ground. Cable connections create a spatial grid which stabilizes infrastructure and all buildings by creating an integrated unity. Fig. 4. Urban structure posts and cables system [K.Zacharias, K.Żuk, M.Żyła] 2

3 Fig.3. Urban system - spatial grid [K.Zacharias, K.Żuk, M.Żyła] All houses are lifted to the level of 11m thanks to the core of their construction, thick posts with the stairs around each. Such vertical element serves as mast which connects cables with the ground and footbridge, stabilizing pathways and the system as a whole. Bicycle and pedestrian paths are elevated together with communal infrastructure and media to prevent them from flooding. Car access is excluded from the area of neighborhood. Along main axis under the footbridge appears the line of aerial tramway. Thanks to characteristic shape and construction of buildings terrain level remains almost completely free form development. That makes system safe in case of flooding and gives possibility of wide variety of greenery arrangement. The large public buildings where situated on the main axis of the urban settlement to support the walkway and stabilize the spatial grid. School with a usable area equal 3220m 2 and the surface contour plot of only 160m 2 is based on five integrated cores and system of laminated timber beams connected with steel cables. The system of cores helps to create separate fire zones and evacuation routes. To ensure lightness and ergonomic shape of the big building, the outer surface is based on a membrane [7,8] with the layer of aerogel that gives good thermal conductivity. That gave also the opportunity to highly decrease the weight of the walls and roof and even more, the measurements of the structural components. 3

4 Fig. 4. Circulation, evacuation, dehydration scheme. Fig. 5. Construction scheme [Kinga Żuk] Building of community center is also based on the same structural rule of central core and net of cables creating suspended construction hanged above the ground in case of possible sea level rise. Fig.6. Propositions of nets designed by Frei Otto [9] Building has a form of two elevated sibling structures located on a main plaza. This main square hangs on its separate masts placed around it. Two similar buildings of community center ale placed inside as elements fitting the holes. Domed shape is inspired by the structures of Frei Otto [10] and direction of winds in the area. Thanks to form similar to two shells connected horizontally as in a mirror reflection, acute angle splits wind forces and leads them along the building, not against its façade. This organic shape is constructed as curved orthogonal grid of beams made from bamboo composite (new material that is supposed to perform better than steel in terms of strength and weight) [11]. All of them are held by frame which holds it together and connects it with outside cables which 4

5 Katarzyna ZACHARIAS, Kinga ŻUK stabilize the structure and inside ones which are holding the floors and ceilings by connecting dome-like coverings with central core. Fig.7. Façades of the building (up -northern, bottom-western façade) [Katarzyna Zacharias] The lightweight structures of the whole proposal that are suspended above ground level, can be a good solution for natural disaster prone areas. Each building is stabilized by the core-cable construction. In the urban scale it results in obtaining the effect of spatial grid. REFERENCES [1] Z.E. Fedyczkowski, Wybrane aspekty kształtowania zabudowy dla obszarów zagrożonych kataklizmami, praca doktorska, promotor prof. dr hab inż. arch. W.Seruga, Kraków, Politechnika Krakowska im. Tadeusza Kościuszki. Wydział Architektury 2015; [2] ( ) [3] ( ) [4] R.J. Nicholls, P.P. Wong, V.R. Burkett, J.O. Codignotto, J.E. Hay, R.F. McLean, S. Ragoonaden and C.D. Woodroffe Coastal systems and low-lying areas, w: M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden, C.E. Hanson (red.) Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2007; [5] Por. Kundzewicz, Zbigniew W., Kowalczak Piotr, Zmiany klimatu i ich skutki, Wyd. 5

6 Kurpisz S.A., Poznań 2008; Fry, Carolyn, Świat. Największe wyzwania ekologiczne, tł. Olga Matys, Marek Halczuk, Wyd. Elipsa Publicat S.A., Poznań 2008, s.13-14; [6] Z. Fedyczkowski, G. Przystał The concept of ecologically sensitive residential development for areas at risk from natural disasters [in:] Geomatics, Landmanagement and Landscape, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Rolniczego, Kraków 2013; [7] Birdair Insulated Tension Membrane; in: membrane/insulated-tensioned-membrane ( ) [8] M.J. Augustyniak Tensotherm Insulated Tension Membrane, Birdair, Inc., Buffalo, NY, USA; in: ( ) [9] Catalogue of shapes of nets constructions by Frei Otto, (January 1, 2016) [10] K. Bach (red.), IL 8 Nets in nature and technics, Institut für leichte Flächentragwerke (IL), Stuttgard 1975; [11] Bamboo fibre is stronger and cheaper than steel, says Dirk Hebel, (October 24, 2016); 6