Team Green, FXFOWLE's in-house workgroup, is a key resource for researching the latest technologies and advancements in sustainable design. The group functions as an educational conduit across the architecture, interior design, and planning studios. This multi-disciplinary group will contribute posts each month in areas particular to each member's research interests. This month, Toby Snyder discusses land reclamation, specifically through his experience on City Regenerative, our entry for a competition in Nordhavnen, Copenhagen, and the Northside Piers in Brooklyn.
Mark Twain once advised, "Buy land, they're not making it anymore." No doubt he was aware of the sky-rocketing cost of land in the rapidly urbanizing world of the Industrial Revolution. Although well-traveled, perhaps he was not familiar with the practice of land reclamation, in which shallow bodies of water are filled in to create developable and/or arable land. Essentially, they are still making it.
City Regenerative - FXFOWLE's vision for urban planning and innovative architectural strategies to house 40,000 residents, create 40,000 jobs, and provide access for 40,000 bicycles
A case in point is our recent entry, City Regenerative, in an international competition for the Nordhavnen district, currently a container port and cruise ship terminal, in Copenhagen, Denmark. FXFOWLE's vision for the 200-hectare waterfront site connects urban infrastructure, extends the existing waterway, weaves open space through a series of neighborhoods and commercial nodes, and sets a new standard for low-carbon consumption. And, it proposed reclamation of approximately 150,000 square meters of land.
Thomas McKnight, Senior Vice President of Development at the New York City Economic Development Corporation, recently took note of the project and asked, "If they can do all of that land reclamation in Copenhagen, why can't we do it here in New York?" Puzzled, I began researching land reclamation, which has been practiced around the world for centuries, from the creation of farm land in Holland and of city neighborhoods in Miami to airports around the world. Recently, however, the U.S. has viewed it with greater suspicion than Denmark has. I found that physical geography, economy, history, and culture contribute to the differences in shaping our respective policies, and will share these with you over the next few days.
Mark Twain once advised, "Buy land, they're not making it anymore." No doubt he was aware of the sky-rocketing cost of land in the rapidly urbanizing world of the Industrial Revolution. Although well-traveled, perhaps he was not familiar with the practice of land reclamation, in which shallow bodies of water are filled in to create developable and/or arable land. Essentially, they are still making it.
City Regenerative - FXFOWLE's vision for urban planning and innovative architectural strategies to house 40,000 residents, create 40,000 jobs, and provide access for 40,000 bicyclesA case in point is our recent entry, City Regenerative, in an international competition for the Nordhavnen district, currently a container port and cruise ship terminal, in Copenhagen, Denmark. FXFOWLE's vision for the 200-hectare waterfront site connects urban infrastructure, extends the existing waterway, weaves open space through a series of neighborhoods and commercial nodes, and sets a new standard for low-carbon consumption. And, it proposed reclamation of approximately 150,000 square meters of land.
Thomas McKnight, Senior Vice President of Development at the New York City Economic Development Corporation, recently took note of the project and asked, "If they can do all of that land reclamation in Copenhagen, why can't we do it here in New York?" Puzzled, I began researching land reclamation, which has been practiced around the world for centuries, from the creation of farm land in Holland and of city neighborhoods in Miami to airports around the world. Recently, however, the U.S. has viewed it with greater suspicion than Denmark has. I found that physical geography, economy, history, and culture contribute to the differences in shaping our respective policies, and will share these with you over the next few days.