Sub-Urban Residential Development in the Bang-Cheuk-Nang Canal Area, in the Phasi-Charoen District, under the concept of Sub-Urban Farming as Blue-Green Infrastructure
Embedded Files
Timeline
2020 - 2021
Responsibility
Research and Design
Role
Urban Designer (Thesis)
Site
Klong Bang Cheuk-Nang, Phasi-Charoen, Bangkok
🙋 Introduction
Bangkok was an agricultural area with a canal system for transportation and irrigation in this city. As time passed, Bangkok developed into a road-based city like a modern city around the world. Nowadays, Bangkok is sprawling into adjacent provinces through a connected road system and forsakes a canal area as wasteland and water drainage which is a problem that can not make full use of city space.
This project provides a canal area development plan for reconfiguring relationships between urban development and traditional farmland with a canal system under the concept of "Urban Farming is a Blue-Green Infrastructure." by developing urban areas that are inserted into agricultural areas with a canal system that connects all of the sites in this project for irrigation and provide urban development that celebrates the agricultural, social, and ecological in sub-urban Bangkok
🗺️ Site
The site that I chose for this project is the Bang-Cheuk-Nang Canal Area, Phasi-Charoen, Bangkok. Bang-Cheuk-Nang Canal is a branch canal of the Bangkok Yai Canal in the Chao Praya River. This area was a traditional agricultural orchard with a canal system which is around the sub-urban of Bangkok so it is suitable for the project because there is still space for design.
✍️ Master Plan
After the research, I designed the master plan for this area under the concept of urban farming that can be divided into 3 areas connected to the Bang-Cheuk-Nang canal. Each area is different depending on the urban usage and agriculture.
AREA 1
New Farming Community
This area developed into a housing community with a traditional agricultural orchard that has a natural and high biodiversity. Every house can access its agricultural plot that connects with the canal system for irrigation. This form of urban agriculture allows existing farmers to continue working the land while mentoring newer residents in local farming practices. This community provides housing for about 6,000 people and traditional agriculture including related programs such as commercial areas, markets, agriculture school, and sports club
This area is the largest in this project but Bangkok Urban Planning Laws stipulate that only small Housing can be built. There are several small land plots and local communities. Some of them are traditional agricultural orchards with canal systems so I have to readjust the land plots to prepare land for urban development and preserve canal systems.
Every cluster of housing has its water systems in a traditional agricultural orchard for irrigation and connects to a retention pond and artificial wetland for natural water treatment before draining into the city canal. The retention pond can be a park for residents and the local community in summer and collect water in rain.
Residential in this area is a small housing that is inserted into agricultural areas with a canal system to create a natural environment for living including single houses, low-rise condominiums, and traditional orchards.
For implementation, I decided to use the transfer of development rights (TDR) to transfer development from orchards to residential buildings to preserve traditional orchards but there is still full usage of urban development.
In terms of agriculture, I still preserve a traditional orchard with the canal system which can be an artificial wetland that has high biodiversity and a variety of produce. The canal system is also irrigation, reduces heat for housing, and creates a natural environment for the city.
Encourage a variety of produce and circulate resources for sustainable food systems in this area and allocate a proportion of the production to additional income for residents.
AREA 2
Growth Building
In this area, there are a few small spaces for development but there is an opportunity to develop for many residents. Bangkok Urban Planning Laws allow this area to build a mid-rise building and there is easy access from Bang Waek Road that connects to Charan 13 MRT Station. In addition, this area is adjacent to Bang Cheuk Nang Canal which is the water source for agriculture and the city water drainage. I decided to design residential buildings that provide housing for about 2,340 people and use technology for urban agriculture.
Buildings in this area emphasize flood management via strengthening green infrastructures instead of purely relying on drainage systems and using storage water to irrigate farms in the building
The building stores water from the rain with a green roof and detention pond and uses that water in an aquaponic farm system in the building.
The green roof is a facility of the building for residents including green space, solar cell panels, and a greenhouse. The green roof also retard water drainage to the city canal and stores some water in the detention pond.
The detention pond is the main water storage in this area which has improved the quality of living with a natural green space and ecological biodiversity. Furthermore, there is aquaculture in this detention pond that provides food for residents and uses the nutrient-rich aquaculture water in hydroponically grown plants.
Nutrient-rich aquaculture water in detention ponds was transported to feed hydroponic plots in the indoor farm which also provide food for residents and sold to customers outside this area. The indoor farms are accessible by Bang Waek Road and the shuttle bus from Charan 13 MRT Station.
AREA 3
Farming Community
There is a local community in the Bangkok Yai Canal including a community, temples, and schools. This community is hard to access from the main road because there is a narrow alley to enter this area but it is accessible by a canal which can be by a boat from Bangkok public transportation. Although Bangkok Urban Planning Laws allow this area to build a mid-rise building, it is too hard to develop because there are a few small spaces in this area and too narrow alleys to access. This area will develop a community farm that provides food, living, education, and economy for locals and connects with public transportation by canal boat route.
Urban farming in this area emphasizes the sense of community by focusing on activity in temples which are the gathering place of the community and schools that can use agriculture as part of education. Farming Community can be separated into two parts depending on the users.
First, there is a traditional orchard and greenhouse for tourism. It is located near the Bangkok Yai Canal which is connected by boat route public transportation. This area provides quality products from the community farms and water activity for tourists who access this area by public transit.
The second part of this area is located deeper in the center of the community which is surrounded by houses and temples. The farm in this area provides food for the household and develops public space for locals activity.
Urban Farming System and Urban Planning Measures
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse