Building Urban Nature

Category: Experiments and Contingencies

  • Tung Chung East Eco-Shoreline

    Tung Chung East Eco-Shoreline

    Location

    Tung Chung New Town Extension (East), Lantau Island, New Territories, Hong Kong

    Size

    5 km

    Project Team

    AECOM (LA)
    Civil Engineering and Development Department (Client)

    Project Year

    2016 – present

    Phase

    Construction

    Key Tensions

    Meet the ecologist – Dr. David Gallacher

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    Hong Kong’s 1st ‘Eco-Shoreline’ in Tung Chung New Town Extension (East): Collaborations, Experiments and Lessons

    In the eastern extension of Tung Chung New Town, a team consisting of landscape architects, ecologists, and engineers collaborated to create a groundbreaking concept known as the “Eco-shoreline.” This project marks the first-ever application of this design approach in a public works project in Hong Kong. The innovative design of the 4.9-kilometer seawall integrates various eco-shoreline features, including 1,200 meters of mangroves, 800 meters of rocky shoreline, and 1,200 meters of vertical eco-shoreline, which brings vitality to the seawall. How was a suitbale benchmark for the project was set? How was the design produced and what compromises were made？What experiments were conducted?

  • Hung Lung Hang Forest Plot

    Hung Lung Hang Forest Plot

    Location

    hung Lung Hang, Ta Kwu Ling, New Territories, Hong Kong

    Size

    3/4 ha

    Project Team

    Dr. Billy Hau (Forest restoration)

    Project Year

    2001 – present

    Phase

    Restoration monitoring

    Key Tensions

    Meet the ecologist – Dr. Billy Hau

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    Native Species Reforestation Experiments in Hong Kong: The Case of Hung Lung Hang, Ta Kwu Ling

    In the history of Hong Kong, lush subtropical woodlands have been burned and logged due to crop cultivation and wars,resulting in Hong Kong often being described as a “barren rock without trees”. Today, most of Hong Kong’s forests are secondary forests that have gradually afforested after the end of World War II. In the 1960s, fast-growing plants, including exotic species such as Taiwan Acacia, were extensively used in the afforestation projects in Hong Kong. This helped prevent soil erosion and established a canopy quickly, but it also suppressed the development of native plant communities and reduced the territory’s biodiversity. Moving into the 21st century, the Hong Kong government launched various plantation enrichment programs aimed at thinning out aging exotic tree species and planting native tree seedlings. Restoring native forests in Hong Kong remains a complicated project, both theortically and technically. How can ecologists and landscape designers best collaborate on this long-term project?

  • Hong Kong Wetland Park

    Hong Kong Wetland Park

    Location

    Wetland Park Road, Tin Shui Wai, New Territories, Hong Kong

    Size

    61 ha

    Project Team

    URBIS Limited (LA)
    Architectural Services Department (A)

    Project Year

    1998 – 2006

    Phase

    Maintenance

    Key Tensions

    Meet the ecologist – Ms. Elizabeth Leven

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    Ecological Mitigation Design:
    Hong Kong Wetland Park before EIA Ordinance

    The Hong Kong Wetland Park, an original ecological mitigation area for the reclamation of Tin Shui Wai new town in north territorial of HK, has become a key millennium project. It now attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors and hosts thousands of educational activities each year. 

    How was it built in history? How did ecologists, landscape architects, engineers and other professional consultants collaborate on landscape projects in a time when the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO) did not exist?

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    Planting Trial and Adaptive Management: 
    Mudflat and Butterfly Garden

    Wetlands, where water meets land, are the most complex of the earth’s three ecosystems. How does the design of the Hong Kong Wetland Park respond to the complexity of wetland ecosystems? What experiments have been done during the design process? What kind of adaptive management should be carried out after the design?

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    Work with Soil and Hydrology: 
    Integration of Indigenous Knowledge

    Wetland formation also involved the heavy machinery work of soil and hydrology. What are some the technical challenges encountered in Hong Kong Wetland Park? How were they resolved? How indigenous knowledge can be integrated with modern wetland technologies?