Healing Lusatia

06 2016

University of Liechtenstein

Instructor: Prof. Peter Droege DI MAAS CMPIA

Dr. Anis Razdi

Project - Masters Thesis - Ark City

Status - Academic Project

Location - Lusatia, Germany

Program - Housing, Commercial, Mix

Site area - 20,000 m2

“The scarred landscape” is commonly known to the local people of Lusatia. The villages that are affected by new coal mining activity are on the brink of being swallowed by it and are at present, in an extremely vulnerable situation. In Lusatia alone, 136 villages have been lost to mining over the past 80 years. Most of the residents have already moved to nearby cities to make their future secure. However, those who are left are insecure and are scared for the future of their villages. This area, therefore, needs to reinvent itself and people from this region need to be both psychologically and physically healed, from 1) the mental over-reliance on one industry and 2) the physical scars felt from the loss of clean air, water and land.

Layers of Earth

Local ‘Re-Printing’

The image above shows the transect section of the Jänschwalde coal mine, and the process is undertaken by the coal-mining machine to put back all the layers of the earth so that it can be reused to its full potential. This ‘reprinting’ process will happen in phases as shown in the image and the layers of earth that will be reprinted are as follows (from the top): Humus, Alluvium, Freshwater, Cap rock, Sand, Coal layer ---> Biomass, hard soil and Saline water. These layers will be reused from the debris that is already found in the coal mine, and the additional layers will be imported from around the region, in particular, the ex-coal mines and construction sites, transported via the former coal railways.

This printing process will start in 2016, where it will provide a stable land for the settlements. In 2018, it will print the lakes and wetlands. The water in the lakes will allow groundwater to naturally filter through these printed layers and form clean and free of containments water and wetlands will help to purify the contaminated water from the rivers and put it back for the region to use for food production. In 2020, the shrubs phase will have started, which will bring back biodiversity and help to stabilise the banks of the lake and wetlands. After the shrubs, there will be the land for forests that will be printed in 2022 that will help to provide clean air. In 2024, the strip of greenhouses will be printed that will generate local farming economies and provide healthy food to not only the region but to the world. It will also revive the agriculture land for food production and provide job opportunities.

This process will be replicated at a regional level to stitch back the scarred landscape with the surrounding landscapes, and to help achieve the goals for health. The printing process will not only provide the clean water for the new landscape but to the region. It will clean the soil and bring back fauna and flora. It will let forests grow back. The process of printing the layers will bring awareness and provide scope for replication throughout the region and beyond. This printing will help to generate economy which means more people, more settlements and more job opportunities.

In order to heal the people and the place, this thesis introduces the concept of the healthy city movement into this region by identifying determinants of healthy cities and applying them into the site as design strategies to achieve health. Water will play a significant role as a tool or method to accomplish these design strategies. This means water would heal the scarred landscape, the polluted air, the traumatized people, and the contaminated water itself. Heal the land in terms of its soils, biodiversity and fauna and flora. Heal the air by making the site as a sponge for water and a carbon sink through wetland flora. Heal the people by allowing them to learn about rejuvenating properties of water, and immerse themselves in it by experiencing the water in the form of wetlands, lakes, fishponds, natural swimming pools, artificial pools, tours and filtration centres, hotel in the wetland etc. Heal the water by the series of ponds that crosses the site.

In an attempt to create a space which tries reverse climate change and its effects. It is hoped that this Ark city will be a living, working and learning water city that heals itself and everyone who is there.

‘A healthy city is one that is continually creating and improving those physical and social environments and strengthening those community resources which enable people to mutually support each other in performing all the functions of life and achieving their maximum potential’ (Hancock and Duhl, 1986).