Landscape Urbanism- Cases from Ethiopia

LANDSCAPE URBANISM KU LEUVEN MAHS TEMESGEN ABEGAZ

KONSO

INDIGENOUS CASE: KONSO - 1/4

TEMESGEN ABEGAZ YIMAM LANDSCAPE URBANISM ASSIGNMENT -2017

[Google earth 2017]

ETHIOPIA INDIGENOUS LANDSCAPE URBANISM

Choreographed rural settlements- Located in the rift valleys of southern Ethiopia, Konso exhibits a complex system of indegnous landscape urbanism that are developed to respond to a dry environment. With an indegnous terraced agriculture system, water conservation and vernacular architecture and settlement history of 500 years, Konso is a living a lived landscape. Konso is a complex cultural landscape that has anamalgamation of unique architecture, land use, space planning and management, resource mobilization, ritual practices, all combined into one in an otherwise hostile environment [Ministry of culture and tourism of Ethiopia (2009) The Konso ultural landscape world heritage nomination dossier, Addis Ababa: P. 505]

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[Behailu, B., Pietilä, P., & Katko, T. (2016). Indigenous Practices of Water Management for Sustainable Services. SAGE Open, 6(4) P. 10]

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Terraces and Walls- A series of terraces sructure the hilly areas of Konso for agriculture and settlements (1) while traditionally maintained water reservoir ponds are strategically located to harvest rain water (2) Walled villages strategically occupy top of the hills as a defence mechanism from enemies and also to leave the flat land for agriculture(3) protected and sacred forests are places for various cultural rituals and a place for burial(4).

view to the surrounding

Agricultural land

[Adapted from Atkinson, A., P.293]

Google 2017

[Carprucco, S., & Fontana, L. (2011). Konso, Forti ied villages: integrating architecture with nature. Construction Ahead,v(5) 20, p.40]

INDIGENOUS CASE: KONSO - 2/4

Production, Landscape and Settlement - to respond to the dry region of the area and hilly topography, settlements are carefuly choosen depending on the availability of land and considering seasonal changes; sedetary farming communities choose their home steads on top of hills and lower slopes and Hill top settlemnts are also strategies for defence against enemies. Agriculture is intensified in the available flat land and lower slopes of the hills [Atkinson, A., 2008. Techniques and technologies for sustainability pro-

[Behailu, B., Pietilä, P., & Katko, T. (2016) P. 9 ]

ceedings: international conference and summer school 2007, Berlin: Univ.-Verl. der TU, Univ.-Bibliothek. p. 293]

A sculpted landscape- Due to the arid and rocky land of very thin fertile top soil, people of Konso developed a terracced agriculture system . This system of sculpting the landscape is intensively used in the hill slopes through a dry stone wall construction and covers an area apporoximately 225 km2 in extent. These terraces retain the soil from erosion and creates saddles that increases land for agriculture. The terraces are inscription and the main features of the Konso landsccapes, in which differences of topography is integrated to agriculture to have pragmatic and symbolic importance. To help retain soil, drought resistanf treees are planted in the terraces. The stone terraces (Kabata); could reach at some places up to 8 m high and 12 meters wide and the saddles that are prepared for agriculture are between four and eight meters wide at most places [Ministry of culture and tourism of

Ethiopia (2009) The Konso ultural landscape world heritage nomination dossier, Addis Ababa: P. 505]

[Behailu, B., Pietilä, P., & Katko, T. (2016). Indigenous Practices of Water Management for Sustainable Services. SAGE Open, 6(4) P. 8]

INDIGENOUS CASE: KONSO - 3/4

Traditional water harvesting techniques - Water harvesting management in konso goes along village settlement and agriculture.

Site selection for water collection is done considering the soil type and retaining capacity but also close to village settlements and agriculture. As shown in the above pictures, these reverviors collects rain water and excess flood from the terraces. “consciousness of their natural environment, diligence, … and an effective traditional water and moisture harvesting system and indigenous knowledge of managing [their] natural resources have been virtues of these people to live in this kind of harsh [Hallpike

[Behailu, B., Pietilä, P., & Katko, T. (2016) P. 9 ]

C. R., 2008, The Konso of Ethiopia: a Study of the Values of an East Cushitic People, Authorhouse. P. 536]

Natural engineering- these water reserviors are naturally engineered by the peopple of konso in a community participation.

As the bench terraces, in the steep slope terrain of Konso, have been designed to infiltrate water, these ponds are only for rain water and excesss flood fron the slopes. Ponds are protected from pollution of derbis and silts with stone walls and traps. Terracing work is also done here to create levels to protect the ponds from silt and wooden mesh to filter debris coming to the pond. The indigenous engineering techniques of both sites permit efficient water management/irrigation in semi-vertical and rolling landscapes [Ministry of culture and tourism of Ethiopia (2009) The Konso ultural landscape world heritage nomination dossier, Addis Ababa: P. 505]

[Adapted from Ministry of culture and tourism of Ethiopia (2009)]

INDIGENOUS CASE: KONSO - 4/4

Gate Mora(culural spce)

A world heritage site- Konso becomes a recongnized UNESCO world heritage site under a new category, Cultural Landscapes in 2011. . . . . " Stone walled terraces and fortified settlements exhibit a spectacular example of living a cultural tradition that demon-strates shared values, social cohesion and engineering knowledge of its community" (Konso Cultural Landscape. (2011).

UNESCO. Re-trieved 8 June 2017, from http://whc.unesco.org/en/ list/1333). With more teraced landscapes and improved construction skills, Konso is still a living and lived indegenous landscape urbanism mastered by its people.

[Assoma, A. (2016). The “Heritagization‟ of Konso Cultural Landscape (MSc.). London School of Economics and Political Science] [Ministry of culture and tourism of Ethiopia (2009)]

[Ministry of culture and tourism of Ethiopia (2009) The Konso ultural landscape world heritage nomination dossier, Addis Ababa: P. 121]

Settlement pattern- Walled villages are settlements also exhibit indeginous techniques and a response to the hostile environment.

The villages are distnict characters of the area where a layer of fotification and organized arrangement of homestead, pubic space, ritual spaces are interconnnceted. With in Konso, settlememnts are closely sppaced with individiual homesteads, are connnecte to Moras, public and ritual spaces ranging in size from small sitting areas to large spaces with a men’s house and a dancing [Carprucco, S., & Fontana, L. (2011). Konso, Fortified villages: integrating architecture with nature. Construction Ahead,v(5) 20, 2011 p.40] area.

BAHIR DAR UNIVERSITY

TEMESGEN ABEGAZ YIMAM LANDSCAPE URBANISM ASSIGNMENT -2017

[Adapted from Google Earth 2017 ]

ETHIOPIA DESIGNED LANDSCAPE URBANISM

DESIGNED CASE: BAHIR DAR UNIVERSITY - 1/4

Water, City and University- This is a second prize winning master plan

by Treurniet Architectuur (NL) and BET architects Addis Ababa (Eth). The design envisions a new landscape element in which water, city and university can be integrated that would give the city a new image and guide future development and establish a new relationship with water.

[Adapted from RoosRos architects. (2017). Design a proach. Retrieved from http://www roosros.nl/projecten/210/bahir-dar-university.html#prettyPhoto ]

Water, City and University- Bahir dar is one of the few cities in Ethiopia that has a long history of water and settlement. The city is located between Lake Tana, the largest lake in Ethiopia and river Nile. While the southern edge of the city, and Lake Tana is developed in to a water front with touristic dvelopments with beautiful landscapes and public spaces, the edge along river Nille is left unused and at times in accessible. Located in this city is one of the biggest university of the country, BDU. campuses are located in these “edge” of the city interrupted by the “city”.

The green corridor- as a counterpart of the blue Nile, a “green nile� is introduced as a backbone of the university that streches the whole territory and tries to structure different elements of the area.

The green corridor- The "green nile" is inscribed from the available land and is shaped by existing campuses and also by redefining the two edges of the area where water meets university.

The spine is interrupted by existing infrastructure marking a rythem and transition.

The three parks- The Green Spine connects three campuses; the Polytechnic University in the North, the campus for fashion and textiles in the middle and the technology campus in the South. The three parks are themed on these locations to give different characters of the area.

Floodable plain and forest- A floodable plain marks the area between river Nile and the campus edge while a continious river front access is provided for pedestriand and cyclists. Along this plain a forest area will give a new identify at the same time protecting the edge.

[Treurniet Architectuur. (2017). Design approach. Retrieved from http://www.treurniet-architectuur.nl/en-us/projects/africanethiopian/bahirdaruniversity.aspx ]

Univer-city-The master plan Bahir Dar University 2015 is about 5 km long and 1 km wide. The master plan challenge is to connect the current faculties with the new building of a variety of new faculties, support functions and (student) homes in which city can be integrated in the univesity.

[Adapted from RoosRos architects. (2017). Design a proach. Retrieved from http://www roosros.nl/projecten/210/bahir-dar-university.html#prettyPhoto ]

DESIGNED CASE: BAHIR DAR UNIVERSITY - 1/4

[Treurniet Architectuur. (2017). Design approach. Retrieved from http://www.treurniet-architectuur.nl/en-us/projects/africanethiopian/bahirdaruniversity.aspx ]

DESIGNED CASE: BAHIR DAR UNIVERSITY - 3/4

[Treurniet Architectuur. (2017). Design approach.

Retrieved from http://www.treurniet-architectuur.nl/ en-us/projects/africanethiopian/bahirdaruniversity. aspx ]

The eco park- The southern edge of the green corridor is where the university meets river Nile. Part of the river water will be chanelled in to the campus creating an interesting play of blue and green infrastructure. With an eco -park theme this area will become a destination and a new image to the iengineering campus. The green figure here is laid out first and new campus develioment will follow this logic of integrating green element in the design. Buildings on pilotis will give un-interupted view and expperience of an open landscape system in which meandering water and green landscape articulte the site.

The citypark - This central area is surrounded by advancing urbanization that lacks public space. As a continuation of the ecopark the meanderring green figure stretches to the central part of the corridor with a city park. This park exhibits a cenral spine in which city and university meets, where educational programs and new mixed developmenuse development can be integrated. With a green lush of various plantation , the park characterized by pedestrian and bicycle friendly circulation and where new faculty buildings can be developed along this park that within patches of green fingers inserted and enclosed by them. Situated in the center of the corridor and also between the old city and the new city extention to the east, new connection with of the old and new city ex-tnsion is established and passes through the park.

[Treurniet Architectuur. (2017). Design approach. Retrieved from http:// www.treurniet-architectuur.nl/en-us/projects/africanethiopian/bahirdaruniversity.aspx ]

DESIGNED CASE: BAHIR DAR UNIVERSITY - 4/4

The city edge park- Edge of Lake Tana will be part of the campus and a new desitination is introduced by locating research center on the edge of the park. While allowing water from the lake to soak the landscape and develop wetlands, Water is inco-orporated in to the design to aticultaye the landcape. By afforesing the lake edge , ecology of the area is restored while providing a green figure that will guide new campus development.

http://www.treurniet-architectuur.nl/en-us/projects/africanethiopian/bahirdaruniversity.aspx ]

[Treurniet Architectuur. (2017). Design approach. Retrieved from http://www.treurniet-architectuur.nl/enus/projects/africanethiopian/bahirdaruniversity.aspx ]

A new image to Bahir Dar- This ambitious landscape urbanism project envisions to frame development of the city that integrate city university and sets a new approach to trelationship of the city with its water resources. The beautiful city of Bahir dar will have 5 km green corridor that envisions to structure campus development while creating rhythm that will give the city a new image. The Green character breaks through the advancing urbanization in the current region and forms a series of new meeting places where students can exchange knowledge with each other in an open landscape inserted in between city and university campus. In addition, there is a strong connection between the Lake and the banks of the Nile, where a special Centre for the preservation of this unique (water) landscape is decorated. [Treurniet Architectuur. (2017). Design approach. Retrieved from

LANDSCAPE URBANISM KU LEUVEN MAHS TEMESGEN ABEGAZ