Terreform ONE, a design firm that likes to think way outside the box when it comes to eco-architecture, has proposed such craziness as covering the Brooklyn Navy Yard with fungi and creating giant blimp buses. For its latest thought experiment, the team, lead by Mitchell Joachim, turned its attention to the Brooklyn waterfront, where they propose using dismantled navy ships to create a strong, more permeable shoreline. The idea, which was recently recognized in the 2013 AIA New York Chapter Design Awards combines the historic maritime uses of the waterfront with the green parks we're now creating.
Renderings show parts of retired military ships used to restore the natural water's edge, letting the sediment, grasses, and river life take over the old boats and form new "land"?or, in more technical terms, a "riparian buffer zone" that would protect from storm surges and flooding.
From Terreform ONE's website:
The goal is to combine the natural sedimentation techniques with the recycling of retired U.S. Naval ships from the National Defense Reserve Fleet and United States Navy reserve fleets to restore the natural water edge, to reinstate a diversified profile, and to slow down the watercourse. This comprehensive model of the reimagined water front is based on one simple premise- instead of keeping the water out, the infrastructure is designed to let the water in. NY does not need to defend against water but instead share its presence with the existing estuary.Perhaps a bit far fetched, it's an idea we've seen repeated again and again: more permeable waterfronts could help protect the city against future storms and floods.
· 2013 AIA New York Chapter Design Awards: Urban Design Winners [Bustler]
· Resilient Waterfront Infrastructure [Terreform ONE]
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