....
Baiyun Lake

In Progress
Location: Baiyun, Jinan, China
Area: 75km²
Contribution: Masterplan and Industrial Positioning

Water is the soul of Baiyun Lake. Throughout its history, Baiyun Lake has always been a place where it naturally flowed and gathered. More recently, the site has became the meeting point of the Yangtze River, Yellow River and underground springs --thanks to their extension and the construction of the ‘Yellow River Canal’. The water sources that feed Baiyun Lake almost cover two-thirds of China’s territory.

In addition to being at the intersection of great waterways, Baiyun has a unique cultural landscape characterized by an intriguing pattern left by the constructions of over 1000 fishponds in the 1980s. A key design intent was to preserve the geometric form of the fish pond. Rather than infilling them, they will be transformed into forest wetlands, orchards, filtration wetlands and sports fields. A portion of them will be upgraded to allow local residents to pursue a sustainable aquaculture practice.

Five unique industry clusters are propose. The fishpond grid and existing local roads are extended outside of the wetland park boundary, and become the framework for urban development. The concept of “Green Paseo” is introduced to facilitate the formation of the five towns with green belts interweaving into the traditional courtyards. Green infrastructure is overlaid on the same grid, and provides a 21st century alternative to grey infrastructure. 

 

Collaborator:  Mobility in Chain..