It struck me when looking at urban farming, aquaponics and green spaces within Newcastle, the city doesn't have a botanical garden. Many other cities do like Sheffield, Glasgow, Sunderland, Edingbrough, Kew in London and many other place. I think Newcastle is missing out on a sheltered social space where people can feel a connection with nature. Through research I discovered Newcastle University actually has its own Botanical Gardens about 15 minutes walk down Claremont Road. The Facility at Moorbank is used by the Biology students to cultivate a variety of exotic plant species, ranging from cacti, orchids, coffee and pineapple plants. I met up with Clive the manager, who showed me around, explaining the technical issues and environments the plants needed to grow. He pointed out heated water pipes that ran the length of the green house, a mechanically controlled air ventilation system that kept the space to a constant 30-35 degree C temperature. There were differently heated and controlled spaces relating to the species of plant, a layout that could be retrofitted to the different spaces within Pipewellgate Brett Oil refinery. Some plants where sat in water beds that had humidity controlled settings. Automated lights and blinds could be used to create adaptable environments. On further research I discovered the University had plans, around six years ago, to move the entire Botanical centre to the site behind the Hancock Museum. Architects Wilkinson & Eyre (who also designed the Millennium Bridge) were asked to design a 'Botanical Bridge' for Newcastle University  |
Location: Newcastle, UK
Client: University Of Newcastle Upon Tyne
Architect: Wilkinson Eyre Architects
Structural Engineer: Arup
Project value: £12m |
The primacy of ecology is emphasised in this unique green bridge which sweeps across a major route into Newcastle city centre, cradling a new botanic garden high above the road. The proposed design is for a highly sustainable structure which will give the public access to the University of Newcastle’s extensive collection of plants. The internal space, 12m tall, is divided into a series of temperature zones defined by screens dropping vertically from the roof structure. Superimposing the footprint of the bridge onto the globe suggests a zoning strategy where planting is by latitude, with tropical plants from the equator clustering in the centre of the span, and plants from desert latitudes at the ends. This would allow visitors to acclimatise before entering the central zone and lessen heat loss from the centre by placing cooler zones to either side as thermal buffers. The bridge provides an iconic intervention on an important gateway to the
city, repairing the link between the Town Moor and the
city’s heart, and ultimately with the River Tyne itself.
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| Pineapple Plant |
I think their mentioning of reconnecting with the River Tyne itself is an important idea, and therefore the Pipewellgate could benefit from this. It would offer Newcastle and Gateshead a place (similar to Grainger Market) a warm sheltered place that still feels like the outdoors. A concept of reconnection with the Forrest and plants indoors. This new botanical indoor garden good connection the sculpture park that surrounds the site and establish the Finnish Institute as the base for the park, where people can get food, warmth and shelter but still surrounding by life, growth and the river. It would be an educational place where schools and walkers could venture, to uncover strange new plants, smells and atmospheres. I still want to keep the food production part of the building, as I felt the most intriguing part of Moorbank was the edible plant section. I also think the experience Aquaponics would being, could knit the whole scheme together in a very interesting way. I'm am now looking closely at how a barge would be integrated fully into my design, maybe as I explained to David, 'A floating room' that can attach and detach into the main building. A more in depth posting on this idea will follow.
Food Grown at Moorbank:
- Sugar Cane
- Coffee Beans
- Tea Plant (but recently died)
- Pineapples
- Rice
- Had a student doing her masters project who studied Hydroponics - grew bulbs.
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A Carnivorous Plant
section in the Cafe? |
I would purpose on a social level, local people and schools could come and help maintain the small facility, but also a section could be held by Newcastle University and the Biology students, a idea that links back to the new Botanical Bridge scheme. Allotments along the river front beside Pipewellgate would strengthen this new green agenda.
