This thesis establishes the position of adaptation and acceptance of the urban and environmental changes that may be happening in Hull soon due to climate change and rising water level. The project explores ways of ‘dramatizing’ the changing landscape by architectural interventions which performance is directly dependent on the states and modes of nature.
Both graphs analyze recent weather conditions in Hull and put all the elements that influence flooding together. Water, wind, sun and rain, therefore, become the factors that change appearence of the building, position of spaces/functions, accesses and routes. The scheme suggests an approach to reconsider the common understanding of stability and ways to adapt and live with water.
The project examines how an architectural language can also communicate emergency and shifting environ- mental conditions. It seeks to incorporate mostly mechanical technologies to control the honesty of every moment and also use natural resources (wind, rain, tides and water flow) in the most sustainable way to power the building.
Programme adapts to the changing environmental conditions. Three time intervals are suggested to locate uses of the building: raising awareness (now), emergency (10-40 years), permanent.
Areas that have history of previous flooding have been examined to propose convenient public sites for emergency towers. Areas around busy shopping streets and largest supermarkets of the neighborhood have been a target to ensure accessibility and frequent visiting, so that the visual message is obvious.
As well as that, a network of routes that float in flooded circumstances is proposed in the areas that are at risk. Operation principle is similar to the tower facade activation mechanism. Trenches are dug under proposed floating routes. Due to their direct connection to the river, delay in performance is very unlikely. On a regular day it appears as ordinary pavement, whereas when water comes it floats providing semi- dry connections to key points in the neighborhood.
Furthermore, first aid is provided at some strategic locations during the flood emergency.
The building is changing due to the water condition. It is a mechanically adapting structure which exposes the state of nature simultaneously and opens/closes spaces and accesses. All dynamic parts are exposed for public exploration and directly interact with people as they approach and circulate within the building and the site. Stairs, facades, paths and entrances shift their position and, therefore, communicate the message of positive adaptation to risisng sea water levels.
The building sustains itself by using the tidal power energy and wind power. It also collects rain water in order to use it for flushing toilets and forward it through the ceramic filter in order to be able to use it for drinking.
The building also stores filtered rain/drinking water for emergency situations.
From a social point of view the aspiration of this project is to introduce people to advantages of the change and refute any will to escape.
[Orange] valuables repository box is provided in a flood emergency and can be collected from the tower. It contains a first emergency kit and a flood survival guide. It provides the information on how to act in a various emergency stage, the map with strategic locations of first aid centres, sandbag collection points, repository towers, boat storage and rent and floating pavement routes. It also contains a diagramatic description of how to read the tower in terms of the seriousness of the situation. As the tower facade opens up due to the rising water level and the boxes start to be brought in, the more boxes are in, the more the brighter is the tower, therefore, the more severe situation is.
