Applied Science, Faculty of
Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School of
DSpace
UBCV
McKenna, David
Landscape architects have demonstrated their ability to design in polluted and extractive landscapes through post-industrial landscape design. However, heavy industries continue to exist, pollute ecologies, displace wildlife and vulnerable people across the globe, albeit now far from the public eye. Yet these landscapes ultimately provide the foundational resources for human needs, comfort and culture. While de-carbonization of these landscapes is essential (yet outside the scope of landscape architecture) in the context of climate change, it over-simplifies the industrial ecosystems in which they exist. A de-carbonized future still requires extraction, processing and management of material streams. This graduate project outlines why landscape architect’s need to shift their focus to working heavy industrial landscapes. It reviews ways that landscape architects have begun to address these types of spaces and ultimately argues that both industry and designers need to be involved to find truly holistic solutions for industrial systems. Ultimately it highlights that more collaboration and understanding is required between industrial stakeholders, designers, and the public. The design portion of this project uses the iconic sulphur stockpiles of Metro Vancouver’s North Shore to foster this collaboration. Sulphur’s significance in both natural and industrial systems suggest human distinctions between these landscape require reevaluation. The design proposal displays ecological and industrial processes in on cohesive landscape, and invites the public to satisfy their existing curiosity of the sulphur piles, stand in awe at the scale of site features, and ultimately come away with a greater understanding of how integrated industrial landscapes are in our lives. Ultimately this project aims to inspire further collaboration between designers and industrial stakeholders. By implementing a project in a highly visible crucial node in the industrial fabric, subsequent system wide collaboration may become possible.
BERTH 5An Argument for Landscape Design in Active Industrial LandscapesMay 02, 2025By: David McKennaBachelor Chemical of EngineeringLakehead Universtiy, 2016Joseph Dahmen, SupervisorDaniel Roehr, ChairSubmitted in partial fulfillment for the Master of Landscape Architecture, School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, University of British ColumbiaThe University of British ColumbiaVancouver, Canadai iiABSTRACTLandscape architects have demonstrated their ability to design in polluted and extractive landscapes through post-industrial landscape design. However, heavy industries continue to exist, pollute ecologies, displace wildlife and vulnerable people across the globe, albeit now far from the public eye. Yet these landscapes ultimately provide the foundational resources for human needs, comfort and culture. While de-carbonization of these landscapes is essential (yet outside the scope of landscape architecture) in the context of climate change, it over-simplifies the industrial ecosystems in which they exist. A de-carbonized future still requires extraction, processing and management of material streams. This graduate project outlines why landscape architect’s need to shift their focus to working heavy industrial landscapes. It reviews ways that landscape architects have begun to address these types of spaces and ultimately argues that both industry and designers need to be involved to find truly holistic solutions for industrial systems. Ultimately it highlights that more collaboration and understanding is required between industrial stakeholders, designers, and the public.The design portion of this project uses the iconic sulphur stockpiles of Metro Vancouver’s North Shore to foster this collaboration. Sulphur’s significance in both natural and industrial systems suggest human distinctions between these landscape require reevaluation. The design proposal displays ecological and industrial processes in on cohesive landscape, and invites the public to satisfy their existing curiosity of the sulphur piles, stand in awe at the scale of site features, and ultimately come away with a greater understanding of how integrated industrial landscapes are in our lives. Ultimately this project aims to inspire further collaboration between designers and industrial stakeholders. By implementing a project in a highly visible crucial node in the industrial fabric, subsequent system wide collaboration may become possible. Graphic by authoriii ivACKNOWLEDGMENTSTABLE OF CONTENTSFRONT MATTER Title Pagei Abstractiii Acknowledgmentsiv Table of Contentsv List of Figures1 INTRODUCTION3 The Post Industrial Myth4 Project Thesis5 LITERATURE REVIEW7 The Active Industrial Landscape10 2.0 Opportunities for Landscape Architects in Active Industrial Landscapes15 PRECEDENT STUDIES17 Pair 1: Landscape Architecture and Heavy Industry29 Pair 2: Addressing the Disconnect Between Design and Heavy Industry37 SITE MATTERS39 VANCOUVER WHARVES41 Site lore43 Introducing Sulphur45 Industrial SYSTEM Services63 SITE DESIGN67 Site Plans75 The Shore99 The Loop111 Site Details117 Temporal Factors119 CONCLUSION121 BIBLIOGRAPHYI could not have completed this project without the guidance and support of my advisor Joseph Dahmen. His drive, technical expertise and interest in pushing the field of design into non-traditional sites and systems was instrumental in both the direction and eventual completion of this project. His design work questions the way we view global systems, and I am convinced this work is essential today. I would also like to acknowledge Daniel Roehr, the chair of Landscape Architecture at the University of British Columbia. Daniel has been the core of my education at UBC for 3 years and this support continued in the completion of this project. Alexander Thompson of Vancouver Wharves allowed me to visit the site, answered questions, and was instrumental in the success of this project. Finally I would like to thank my friends and family, spread all across Canada. Their patience and compassion were foundational to my well being for the duration of this project, and degree. v viLIST OF FIGURES18 Figure 1: Map of Blakely Island Industrial Area (Zhou, 2021)18 Figure 2: Standard process of separating bitumen from tar sands (graphic by author)19 Figure 3: Constructed wetlands employed for degraded wetland remediation (Zhou, 2021)19 Figure 4: Rhizodegradation diagram (Kennen & Kirkwood 2017)21 Figure 5: Re-establishment of ecological corridors in Blakely Island (Zhou, 2021)21 Figure 6: The live-work-play community proposed on Blakely Island (Zhou, 2021)23 Figure 7: The evolution of Blakely Island from a heavy indsutrial area to a sustainable industrial community (Zhou, 2021)23 Figure 8: The lack of meaningful engagement with the industrial processes on site means this idealistic vision of a hollitic agro-industial community is unlikely to be realized (Zhou, 2021)26 Figure 9: The process evolution of Kalundborg Symbiosis (Valentine, 2016)27 Figure 10: Implementing a biofuel production community in Prof Long Zhoug’s proposal for Blakely Island (graphic by author)27 Figure 11: A potential intermediate step informed by similar innovations at Kalundborg (graphic by author)30 Figure 12: Compatibility matrix for mixed land use (Ng, 2021)31 Figure 13: Potential layouts that mix light and medium industrial sites into the public fabric (Ng, 2021)34 Figure 14: Site plan of The P.O.R.T during the summer season (Landing Studio)34 Figure 15: Summer at the Salt Piles (Landing Studio)34 Figure 16: Designed material movement at the P.O.R.T (Landing Studio)35 Figure 17: Salt pile layout for LUMEN art exhibit (Landing Studio)35 Figure 18: LUMEN art exhibit in Staten Island, NY (Landing Studio)38 Figure 19: Existing site plan (by author)40 Figure 20: Context Plan of First Narrows, Lower Mainland, BC, with notable viewpoints39 Figure 21: Stanley Park view (1)39 Figure 22: Lionsgate Bridge view (2)40 Figure 23: Lionsgate Bridge view (3)40 Figure 24 Spirit Trail view screen (4)42 Figure 25: Lore Diagram44 Figure 26: The Natural Sulphur Cycle46 Figure 27: Ecosystem Services46 Figure 28: Industrial System Services48 Figure 29: Sulphur Extraction Site - The Athabasca Oil Sands48 Figure 30: Sulphur Stockpile Site - Vancouver Wharves50 Figure 31: Sulphuric Acid Plant - Global50 Figure 32: Phosphate Fertilizer Plant - The United States52 Figure 33: Nickel/Cobalt Mine - Sudbury, Ontario56 Figure 35: Vancouver Wharves adjacent property boundaries (by author)57 Figure 36: Material program at Vancouver Wharves (by author)58 Figure 37: Public risk and access assessment at Vancouver Wharves (by author)60 Figure 38: Industrial systems at Vancouver Wharves (by author)61 Figure 39: Sea level rise, planting and drainage at Vancouver Wharves (by author)62 Figure 40: Existing site plan (by author)66 Figure 41: General design moves (by author)67 Figure 42: Dock intervention at Stanley Park (by author)67 Figure 43: Spirit trail intervention (by author)68 Figure 44: Proposed site plan + context (by author)vii viii70 Figure 45: Overall site plan (by author)71 Figure 46: Arrival, zoom plan (by author)72 Figure 47: Shoreline walkway, zoom plan (by author)73 Figure 48: Stockpile, zoom plan (by author)74 Figure 49: The Loop, zoom plan (by author)75 Figure 50: The Shore section (by author)77 Figure 51: Pedestrian arrival, zoom section (by author)79 Figure 52: Marsh walkway, zoom section (by author)81 Figure 53: Berth 5 Interpretive centre, zoom section (by author)83 Figure 54: The ascent, zoom section (by author)85 Figure 55: Observation tower, zoom section (by author)87 Figure 56: The descent, zoom section (by author)89 Figure 57: The pile zoom section (by author)91 Figure 58: The pile 2, zoom section (by author)93 Figure 58: Pedestrian and bike arrival is a gravel plaza like space, with lock blocks found on site used to create planting spaces, a highly visible, blue and yellow walkway and interpretive signage93 Figure 59: Arriving by boat gives the public a completely unique view and experience of the sulphur piles as they move towards the arrival dock and the Berth 5 interpretive centre96 Figure 60: An observation deck within the tidal marsh presents the sulphur piles, framed uniquely by vegetation.96 Figure 61: Moving up the walkway during the ascent, the user’s gaze drifts downwards through the metal grate to the planted shoreline below.97 Figure 62: Moving down the descent, the scale of the sulphur pile begins to be revealed. 97 Figure 63: (right) Users watch as the sulphur tipper builds a new stockpile99 Figure 64: The Loop section (by author)101 Figure 65: Tidal marsh and Berth 5 interpretive, section zoom (by author)103 Figure 66: Fiberglass train topper fabrication yard, zoom section (by author)105 Figure 67: Aggregate stockpile, zoom section (by author)107 Figure 68: Observation decks fashioned to existing condemned structure, zoom section (by author)109 Figure 69: Upper observation deck view (by author)112 Figure 70: Bioswale preliminary detail (by author)113 Figure 71: Tidal island preliminary detail (by author)115 Figure 72: Shoreline buffer planting preliminary detail (by author)118 Figure 73: Temporal changes on site : Full stockpile (by author)118 Figure 74:Temporal changes on site : Zero-Pile Day last load exhibit (by author)120 Figure 75: Industrial and ecological system synthesis collage (by author)LIST OF FIGURES1 2Landschaftspark Nord, Duisburg Germany, sourced from Adobe Stockunder student license (acf54d9e-27c0-437a-b313-45a2b53bd39b@student.ubc.ca)1. INTRODUCTIONA hulking, rusted cylindrical tower stands entangled in a mass of opportunistic vines. Cracked pavement and abandoned railway lines, congested with grasses and weeds, weave through a maze of industrial megaliths. A keen eye can trace old material movements and begin to wonder where the raw ingredients for whatever chemical cocktail was produced here were unloaded, processed, and shipped out into the world. This investigation is clouded by plant life, with trees growing amidst rubble, and shrubs taking over former stockpile areas. This meeting of two worlds - the brutal efficiency of humanity’s industrial past with the slow yet inevitable creep of ecological reclamation - is a statement of landscape architecture’s potential to bring the complexity of humanity’s existence to a public space. This is the modern post-industrial park.3 4Landscape architecture has demonstrated an ability to transform post-industrial sites into culturally and ecologically meaningful spaces. Through design, careful planting, and the removal/remediation of toxic soils, sites like Gasworks Park in Seattle and Duisburg in Germany have been decontaminated and opened to the public, showcasing the complex relationship between human infrastructure and the natural world (Foster, 2023).Post-industrial parks present industrial processes as memory, but the abandonment of an industrial site does not represent the abandonment of the industry itself, rather the outsourcing of a process to a more efficient/economic region (Herrington, 2009; Bettis et al, 1992). Though landscape designers interact with a variety of post-industrial spaces, and have created a sizable body of research into how to ecologically and socially transform them, they have failed to explore the potential for engagement with active industrial landscapes. Chemical and manufacturing industries create pollution, often contain unjust social dynamics, and lack the aesthetic charm some find in historical industrial landscapes (Foster, 2023). The landscapes they inhabit and affect are held at a distance, hidden by planted buffers and zoning regulations, separate from the urban fabric, and mired in efficiency and engineering protocols (Metro Vancouver, 2020). This distance enables industrial processes to inhabit a world of their own, operating at scales beyond our comprehension.As much as it pains us to admit it, active industrial landscapes remain integral to the human experience. Metro Vancouver’s 2020 Regional Industrial Lands Strategy highlights a critical shortage of industrial land in the region and calls for its protection and development, as well as the economic and regional importance of this land at both regional and national scales. Climate change objectives are reduced to a single page, mentioning only enhancements to flood mitigation infrastructure and the transition to more sustainable fuel sources and technology (Metro Vancouver, 2020).As the destructive realities of climate change become increasingly evident, landscape designers have the opportunity to move beyond the decommission and reclamation of post-industrial sites and towards an understanding of industrial processes and the landscapes they are connected to. There is no denying that these will continue to remain complex, polluting, and problematic spaces, yet these are exactly the kinds of landscapes we should be working in. This project begins with the bright yellow piles that punctuate the North Shore of Vancouver. Despite their otherworldly, toxic appearance, these mysterious stockpiles have become landmarks of the city. They are impossible to ignore, framed by the mountainous landscape behind them, an exclamation claiming that industry still exists. Residents of Vancouver are confronted with them when they walk the seawall, drive across the bridges that span the Burrard Inlet, or take the Sea Bus between municipalities. In each interaction, they remain distant, ethereal, frightening, and sublime.The piles are sulphur, a by-product of the extraction landscapes of Western Canada and a core component of the most produced chemical in the world, sulphuric acid (H2SO4) (The Sulfur Institute, 2024). The “Blood of the Chemical Industry” is tied to countless industrial landscapes across the globe, and Canada remains one of the world’s key players in both the extraction and export of sulphur as well as the production and import of sulphuric acid. This chemical is embedded in our food systems, structures, pharmaceuticals, and the production of green technologies that will play a key role in our future (Wiegand & Eisnor, 2024). To understand how to design within the industrial process, landscape designers must first explore the components that lie at its core.This project’s goals are twofold. The first is to trace the industrial landscapes tied to the sulphur piles on Vancouver’s north shore and to explore the implementation of post-industrial remediation strategies and green infrastructure to create more holistic active industrial landscapes. These site-specific strategies will be layered onto the concept of eco-industrial parks, industrial areas specifically designed so one THE POST INDUSTRIAL MYTHindustry’s waste stream is another industry’s input (Carr, 1998). By engaging in the active industrial landscapes of sulphur, from its extraction, export, processing, and recycling, the project begins to move towards its second goal, reducing the distance and disconnect between landscape designers and the active industrial landscape.The yellow sulphur piles of Vancouver are already proof that industrial landscapes can capture the imagination and interest of the public. Instead of relegating these spaces to a world comprised entirely of industry, landscape designers have an opportunity to reveal the hidden intersections of their systems. PROJECT THESISThis graduate project is an argument for more landscape design in active industrial landscapes. It first examines industrial ecosystems through the lens of landscape design and identifies potential design interventions at a system wide scale.Through site design, it aims to inspire further collaboration between designers and industrial stakeholders by capturing the interest of the public. By implementing a project in a highly visible crucial node in the industrial fabric, subsequent system wide collaboration may become possible.5 62. LITERATURE REVIEWThe first half of this literature review seeks to answer why active heavy industrial landscapes warrant more attention from landscape architects. It argues heavy industry is connected to many significant landscapes and looks at how the current disconnect from design prevents multi-disciplinary actors from entering the field. It identifies tracing material flows as a useful starting point for a holistic understanding of industry processes.The second half of this literature review highlights current landscape design strategies and theories relevant to active industrial landscapes. It explores these strategies at multiple scales to reiterate the importance of understanding industrial processes. Finally, it explores narrative potentials for shifting perspectives of heavy industrial landscapes to foster more interest in design research, intervention, and innovation. 617Figure 7 Plan and section drawing of the designed landform that in sequence extends the area in which you are forced to deal with the mass of the rock face and then extends the material haptic zone4. CONCLUSIONQuarries and other post-industrial ‘disturbed’ landscapes have now found themselves at the edges of development and the public realm. Typically, these are seen as an opportunity for intensified housing or ‘best-practice’ methods of remediation in the name of sustainability. But perhaps these landscapes are the opportunity for something greater, something that the public can connect to and express themselves through, or the landscape may express publicness itself such as Central Park, NYC or the Wellington waterfront does. To do so requires a practice that treats aesthetics and technical requirements of excavation seriously, not just one or the other. Landscape architecture has the power to do this and engage with the mining processes throughout the quarries lifetime in a way that does not leave a problematic hole in the ground to be returned to an abstract idea of ‘natural character’. By engaging with the sublime as part of this process in a concrete and productive practice these landscapes can offer something entirely different to the public realm of the city that other parks may not. As shown by both Central Park, NYC and Birkenhead Park, the sublime plays a role in the publicness and sense of ownership of each park, they have become “our park”. The landscape designers of the 18th and 19th century saw the sublime as a very practical concept to engage with via design. This research is attempting to revisit their interest and propose new methods and techniques that make it a more designerly concept, to make it practical and tangible, not mystical and abstract. Central to this is the use of representation and its power to connect to the involuntary workings of the world. The body in space and time must again be given a seat at the table of landscape architectural design alongside systems, quantities, and change over time. Only then can these incredible post-mining landscapes be developed into something that really moves people and plays an active role in the public realm of our growing cities.Operationalising the sublime: bringing the sublime from abstract to concreteImage credit Shaun Rosier, 2021 (used with author permission)7 81.0 THE ACTIVE INDUSTRIAL LANDSCAPE1.1 The Problem with De-Carbonizing Heavy IndustryOver 40% of global carbon dioxide emissions are a result of heavy industry, primarily from the production of steel, cement, and chemicals (Gross, 2021). These are essential ingredients in the built environment, global food systems, and technological innovation, yet the industrial processes required to produce these materials are inherently carbon-intensive and require vast amounts of land. In The Challenge of Decarbonizing Heavy Industry, Samantha Gross reveals key elements that make environmental innovation difficult in this sector. Steel, cement, and chemical production require a quantity of heat that is only economically feasible through the burning of fossil fuels. Most industrial technologies take between 15 and 20 years for a return on their investment (ROI), which results in fewer companies investing in research for sustainable alternatives to antiquated but reliable processes. These globally traded materials operate in markets with thin margins, and as a result, innovation risks outsourcing to cheaper alternatives, which increases transportation emissions (Gross, 2021).The complexity of the de-carbonization of heavy industry points towards solutions of engineering, policy, and economic incentives, but there is far more at play than a high carbon output. Hidden within the industrial process are countless landscapes, lives, and temporalities, factors that reside well within the realm of landscape design. Heavy industry involves large-scale extractive processes that place incredible stress on ecologically sensitive environments and displace existing relationships with land (Hutton, 2019). Their presence damages, pollutes and requires considerable investment to remediate when the well has run dry (Rosier, 2023). Yet these landscapes provide employment and essential materials for every sector through complex global networks (Gross, 2021). In order to tackle the complications of heavy industry, designers, engineers, ecologists, and policymakers must work to understand the intersections between ecological, social, and industrial systems at play. There is a need for multidisciplinary and creative action in these spaces, actions that redefine how we view ourselves, our built environment, and the non-human systems on which we impose industrial processes. Heavy industry is the foundation from which we can explore and understand the intersections of these processes.A post-industrial society marks a transition from a manufacturing-based economy to a service-based economy (Bell, 1974). While this marks an important shift in regard to GDP and standards of living, the material reality of the Anthropocene still begins in the fires of heavy industry. In a society that claims to be post-industrial, who is actually looking at active industrial landscapes?1.2 Perceptions of Industrial Landscapes Through HistoryVeronika Faktorova and Karel Stibral explore how aesthetic perceptions of industrial landscapes developed in the years following the Industrial Revolution. The paper chronicles opposing perceptions across industrial history in an attempt to trace what it is that makes industrial artifacts a source of fascination today. Within these oscillations of perspective is the steady presence of the sublime. A key aesthetic element in the picturesque artistic movements of the 18th century, the sublime captured the magnificent, unknowable, and almost fearful element of things beyond human comprehension. Volcanos, storms, and mountainous peaks were some of the natural forces that contained this quality. Stibral and Faktorová’s paper concludes that whether industrial landscapes were a sign of human progress or an infernal depiction of environmental destruction, they belonged with the sublime landscapes of the world (Faktorova & Stibral, 2021).Modern perceptions of active industrial landscapes are more difficult to find. There is a lack of literature exploring human reactions to working heavy industrial landscapes, and this is likely due to current practices by planners and designers, as well as the geographic realities of resource extraction. In the 20th century, heavy industrial landscapes had a variety of visible impacts on urban life, for better or for worse, they were the smoky heartbeat of working cities. Conversely, current landscape and planning strategies involve zoning heavy industry far from the public eye. Planted buffers are used to hide these landscapes from adjacent residents and site users. These strategies have a basis in sound design principles, they allow more people to live in urban centers and protect the public from the increased traffic, noise, odour, and air pollution associated with heavy industry (Ng, 2021). However, these principles may be a cause for the lack of literature surrounding how designers and the public perceive industrial landscapes today.In his 1986 paper, Michael Walzer explores the concept of single-minded and open-minded spaces. Single-minded spaces are designed with spatial qualities that encourage users to fulfill a single function, interaction is not fostered, nor is deviating from the set program. A subway, highway, or fast-food restaurant is an example of a single-minded space. Conversely, open-minded spaces are designed with spatial qualities that encourage deviation, and interaction. Public squares and university campuses are examples of places where users are purposely distracted in order to encourage lingering. According to Walzer, these are the spaces where one encounters the differences in the world, spaces that foster discourse and cognitive exploration (Walzer, 1986). For the vast majority of the public, industrial landscapes are single-minded spaces. These sites, with all their complex processes and material streams, are reduced to a single function, viewed from a distance or not viewed at all. This simplification is not inherently negative, but it contributes to the disconnect that one feels from the industrial world.There are social consequences to this disconnect. In 2022, 19% of Canada’s workforce was employed in the industrial sector (Statista, 2022). While this expands beyond heavy industrial sites, one need not look far to see the cultural clashes that occur between proud industrial workers and passionate environmentalists (Harter, 2015). There is a lack of understanding on both sides of this cultural clash, and while landscape architects already explore the complexities of ecological processes, a deeper understanding of industrial processes may reveal more nuanced ways of connecting with laborers whose lives are connected to these landscapes.Dan Adams, an architect practicing in Massachusetts, explores and challenges the disconnect between the public and industry. He argues heavy industry inhabits a global scale while often ignoring the communities around which they are built. Adams’ work focuses on resolving this imbalance by ignoring traditional questions of property ownership and focusing instead on the systems that flow through an industrial landscape. Through this shift in perspective, Adams, work finds ways to foster continual engagement between community members and heavy industrial areas in Boston (explored in detail in the precedent study) (Adams, 2021). 1.3 Reciprocal Landscapes + Embodied CarbonWhile heavy industry has been pushed to the periphery of the urban core, and in many cases, away from public perception, some architects and landscape architects have found their way to these spaces through the tracing of material flows.In Reciprocal Landscapes, Jane Hutton explores the complex web of material processes that shape the built environment. She follows fertilizer, granite, steel, street trees, and tropical hardwood, materials 9 10that have shaped some of the most important landscapes in Manhattan to their landscapes of origin. By focusing on process, Hutton discovers that with each material comes a complex web of landscapes, labor inequities, and ecological damage. These in-depth stories provide a compelling case that the landscapes from which our built environments originate hold a key place in designing a sustainable future (Hutton, 2019). David Benjamin’s essay on embodied energy tells a similar story. Embodied energy can be defined as the total energy consumed through the lifecycle of a material. Benjamin argues that this should be used as a design parameter alongside aesthetics, program, and safety. When used effectively, embodied energy considers material selection, labor practices, transportation, assembly, and repair through the lifecycle of a building (Benjamin, 2017). Both of these approaches call for designers to think critically about how energy systems and material flows have consequences at a global scale. They reveal hidden social and environmental complexities and call for a more holistic understanding of the realities of material selection. Consequently, these material flows connect designers with several heavy industrial landscapes. Concrete production and steelmaking, two of the largest producers of CO2 emissions, are explored through a lens of process. While these papers argue that the connection to heavy industry and its inherent pollution should motivate designers to seek more sustainable and equitable materials, this graduate project demands further investigation into the implicated industrial processes. 1.4 The BlindspotEmbodied Energy and Reciprocal Landscapes take a physically recognizable material and trace it somewhat linearly to a landscape of extraction. While this literature begins to expose the importance of understanding material flows and connects designers to heavy industrial landscapes, there is a chemical-sized hole in the picture it paints. The chemical industry reveals the hidden connections between industrial landscapes and the public realm. The production of steel and concrete requires chemical reagents that serve as inputs, outputs, and catalysts in fossil fuel extraction, mining, agriculture, and medicine (Gomez & Saimo, 2024).Reducing an industrial material to a single process flow is akin to viewing a forest as a collection of trees, ignoring the multi-species complexity of an ecosystem. Industrial processes demand an investigation with the same rigor landscape architects have directed toward ecological processes. Understanding the depth of connection between industry and our society may lead to meaningful and effective participation by designers in heavy industrial landscapes. It is easy to relegate these spaces and processes to somewhere beyond the scope of landscape architecture. The second part of this literature review demonstrates existing ways landscape architects have begun to work in these spaces. 2.0 OPPORTUNITIES FOR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS IN ACTIVE INDUSTRIAL LANDSCAPESThe vastness and complexity of chemical and industrial processes are generally considered the realm of the engineer. The following design strategies reveal practical and narrative opportunities for landscape architects to engage with these working landscapes at multiple scales. 2.1 Process Scale OpportunitiesEco-Industrial ParksThe Eco-industrial park attempts to increase the efficiency and sustainability of industrial parks by treating the industrial process like a working ecology. The idea of industrial ecology originated in 1989 and can be described as a planning scale approach to industrial areas, where the waste streams of some industries become the input streams of others. Much like circular economies, successful eco-industrial parks require vast amounts of planning, collaboration between stakeholders, and the careful implementation of process changes/advancements that consider the impact on all industries and the surrounding environment (Akanbi et al., 2022).An International Framework for Eco-Industrial Parks 2.0 is an extensive document that dictates strategies and targets for developing successful eco-industrial parks. It focuses on planning and innovation frameworks for more sustainable industrial spaces that improve the lives of workers and adjacent residents. Within this text, it is clear that the types of communities that Eco-industrial parks cultivate involve intersections of social, ecological, and industrial processes. They require an understanding of the various components and chemicals of industrial processes, as well as the ecological systems on which they are being imposed (Tas et al., 2021). Eco-industrial parks are currently more associated with urban planning than with landscape architecture, yet landscape design strategies are appropriate for achieving the environmental goals of these sites. Moreover, implementing these strategies with spatial principles in mind presents opportunities for improving the lives of workers and residents (Potts Carr, 1998). While this framework lacks spatial design guidelines, some landscape architects have begun to explore this in greater detail (refer to precedent study).Eco-industrial parks represent the “processing/manufacturing” stage in the industrial cycle. Optimizing these spaces with a focus on environmental principles has the added benefit of reducing the need for raw industrial materials, which originate from extractive landscapes. This reduction is key to developing more sustainable industrial processes but it is impossible to fully eliminate the need for extraction. In the interest of exploring the industrial cycle holistically, landscapes of extraction must also be investigated for landscape design opportunities. Design Led-Progressive ExtractionRemediation of extractive landscapes is now a requirement for many natural resource companies in Canada and the United States (Rosier, 2023). These operations are primarily the domain of engineers, completed after the closure of an extraction site to meet the required environmental regulations. 11 12Shaun Rosier is a professor of Landscape Architecture at Virginia Tech with an interest in extractive landscapes and explores alternatives to traditional post-industrial remediation. He argues for design-led-progressive remediation in urban quarries, where landscape designers are involved throughout the life of an urban aggregate quarry, and can implement remediation strategies and spatial design moves while heavy equipment and labor are still on site. Post-industrial site remediation and programming happen in real-time, removing the need for a “race to the finish” when a quarry is discontinued. This approach brings the landscape designer into the world of the industrial optimizer at the same time and offers exciting opportunities for large-scale experimentation and a deeper understanding of the intersections between industrial and ecological processes (Rosier, 2023)Rosier has also identified opportunities for using urban extractive landscapes as a tool for engaging the public with heavy industry. He argues that by playing with a user’s understanding of the scale of an industrial process, we become more engaged with it as a part of our working environment. His work focuses on the aesthetics of affect and assembly and that through design, we can highlight not just form, function, and spatial experience, but cultivate a greater understanding of the material and energy flows that shape our environment (Rosier, 2019). Eco-industrial parks and design-led-progressive reclamation demonstrate entry points for landscape architects to intervene and engage at the process scale in heavy industrial landscapes. While engagement from landscape architects at this scale is currently limited, there are several well-studied site-specific design strategies that solidify the argument for further investigation. 2.2 Site-Specific OpportunitiesConstructed Wetlands and Green InfrastructureWetlands are the Earth’s natural filtration system. The conditions present in these environments allow for the processing and removal of chemical pollutants, as well as sediment control. In Constructed Wetlands for Industrial Wastewater Treatment, Alexandros Stefanakis explores how constructed wetlands take advantage of these processes to treat various degrees of polluted industrial wastewater. He presents industry-specific case studies where this technology is implemented in practice (further explored in the precedent study). While Stefanakis’ work takes an engineering approach, landscape architecture’s presence in the field of wetland management and enhancement offers an entry point of collaboration into these industrial mitigation strategies. (Stefanakis, 2018)Green infrastructure involves the management and filtration of stormwater and greywater through hybrid-natural systems. Green roofs, bioswales, rain gardens, and planted retention ponds are green infrastructure structures used regularly by landscape architects today to create more sustainable stormwater management systems while improving the spatial qualities of a site (Benedict & McMahon, 2006). “Optiziming Green Infrastructure in Industrial Areas” provides opportunities for the mitigation of contaminants that result from active industrial processes through the thoughtful implementation of green infrastructure (Perera et al., 2019). The paper emphasizes a need for more systematic methodologies for green infrastructure implementation in industrial areas, as improperly designed interventions cause unwanted infiltration of contaminants into soil profiles, groundwater, and adjacent waterways. The danger of this misuse of a well-understood landscape design strategy stems from a lack of meaningful engagement with heavy industrial landscapes (Perera et al., 2019).While constructed wetlands and green infrastructure offer landscape opportunities for treating industrial pollution in wastewater and stormwater, phytotechnologies focus on using biological processes to treat industrial pollution in soil and groundwater.PhytotechnologyNial Kirkwood and Kate Kennen describe Phytotechonology as the following:“Phytotechnology is the use of vegetation to remediate, contain or prevent contaminantsin soils, sediments and groundwater, and/or add nutrients, porosity and organic matter.It is also a set of planning, engineering and design tools and cultural practices that can assistlandscape architects, site designers, engineers and environmental planners in working oncurrent and future individual sites, the urban fabric and regional landscapes.” (Kennen & Kirkwood, 2017)The goal of phytoremediation is to return the soil and groundwater of post-industrial sites to acceptable levels for human and non-human health. In Phyto, Kirkwood and Kennen explore in detail the seven different strategies for phytoremediation, ranging from the complete removal and conversion of contaminants to stabilizing metals in the soil microbiomes of plants. These technologies are much more effective when used as a system in conjunction with other remediation strategies (Kennen & Kirkwood, 2017). The phytoremediation processes relevant to this project are explored in greater detail in the precedent study. In the interest of this project, Kirkwood and Kennen posit that an understanding of these design strategies allows for their use in pollution control for active industrial sites. An early example of this is phyto-buffering, which involves planting phytoremediation buffers in areas where spills may occur on industrial sites. Plant sentinels and phytoforenics are strategies that use plant species to determine the composition, direction, and severity of certain contaminants on site when a spill occurs (Kennen & Kirkwood, 2017). This graduate project seeks to prove that understanding the industrial process will lead to more effective implementation of constructed wetlands, green infrastructure, and phytoremediation in active industrial sites by landscape architects. 2.3 Changing the Narrative of Heavy IndustryThroughout history, the macro-economic scale of industrial landscapes has pushed them to the boundaries of human understanding. Through a renewed multidisciplinary understanding of both industrial and ecological processes, designers, engineers, planners, and scientists can begin to explore how to implement more sustainable design at every stage of the industrial process. This literature review has highlighted ways landscape architects could begin to engage in industrial landscapes at a functional level, but these interventions require investment in experimental design strategies. As stated in Part 1.1, there is resistance to the implementation of new technologies and economic models in heavy industry. What presents itself is an overwhelming amount of research on potential technologies and design strategies but seemingly endless obstacles of stakeholder interests, policies, and economies of scale. The first step for landscape architects is to disrupt the disconnect that moves heavy industrial landscapes to our periphery. While designers like Shaun Rosier have effectively explored how the individual 13 14industrial landscape can be manipulated to increase or decrease feelings of the sublime, this graduate project seeks to push this further. To follow in the footsteps of Recipricoal Landscapes and inspire others to dismember the entirety of the industrial process. This project proposes an exploration through a sea of chemical reactions, extractive landscapes, bustling economies, damaged ecologies, and complex social dynamics, through which we might discover how to put the industrial system back together in an entirely new way.15 163. PRECEDENT STUDIESThere are limited landscape architecture projects that successfully engage with active heavy industry. This precedent study presents two pairs of projects in conversation. The first pair of projects examines the potential for intersections between ecological and industrial processes and critiques the lack of innovation in this field is a result of limited collaboration. The second pair examines ways designers may bring people into heavy industrial landscapes in engaging ways, thereby addressing the disconnect and increasing collaboration between designers and heavy industry. The goal is to highlight the design potential of landscape architecture in active industrial landscapes while showing that meaningful success and implementation require a greater understanding and investigation of the industrial process. Furthermore, it reveals that a key factor in effective environmental interventions in heavy industrial landscapes involves building relationships between designers, industrial stakeholders, and adjacent communities.Image credit Landing Studio (used with author permission)17 18Image credit: Landing StudioPAIR 1: LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AND HEAVY INDUSTRY1. Total Human Ecosystem Formation and Evolution on Blakeley Island, Mobile, AlabamaProf. Long ZhouThe first pair of precedents aims to highlight the potential of designing intersections between ecological and industrial processes.SummaryThis project is a theoretical proposal for Blakely Island Industrial Area in Mobile, Alabama. Dr. Long Zhou aims to use landscape architecture at the planning scale to transform this active polluted site into a holistic sustainable working community, centered around more sustainable heavy industrial practices. Blakely Island is a heavy industrial area at the confluence of the Mobile River and Polecat Bay in Mobile, Alabama. The predominant industries on this site are oil refineries, oil storage, and shipbuilding. Pollution from the oil refinery has caused significant degradation in the wetlands surrounding the area, and among these industrial complexes are a series of brownfields and tailings ponds (Zhou, 2021). One of the key processes in oil refining is the separation of heavy oil from tar sands (the raw material extracted for oil production). This process involves adding water at a minimum of 50degC (usually heated with natural gas) to the sand and agitating (Zhou, 2021). As the mixture settles, bitumen (the base material for products derived from oil) droplets form on the slurry surface and are skimmed off. The residual water is then deposited into tailings ponds (see figure 2). In the tailing pond, waste like residual bitumen, clay and sand settles at the bottom, and the water can then be re-used in further industrial processes. Using tailings ponds for waste management is common in many heavy industrial processes. While there are likely countless other industrial processes moving throughout the site, Zhou limits his analysis to the processes directly affecting sites deemed appropriate for intervention (brownfields, tailings ponds and degraded wetlands). With this in mind, he proposes a two phase design strategy that will result in a more sustainable, livable industrial community and restore the ecological systems that once would have thrived on this site. Image Credit: Landing StudioFigure 1: Map of Blakely Island Industrial Area (Zhou, 2021) REDACTEDFigure 2: Standard process of separating bitumen from tar sands (graphic by author)19 20Figure 3: Constructed wetlands employed for degraded wetland remediation (Zhou, 2021) REDACTEDFigure 4: Rhizodegradation diagram (Kennen & Kirkwood 2017) REDACTEDSugars and exudates created by plants are releasedby plant roots, creating a favourable environment for degradation in soilOrganic contaminents degradedby soil microbesPhase IThe first phase focuses on remediation of degraded wetlands, and brownfields and then restoring ecological connection across the site. Degraded wetlands are remediated through the use of three types of constructed wetlands. There are complex processes occurring in each of these wetlands that involve the settling of suspended pollutants, the creation of biofilms in which bacteria can break down the complex hydrocarbons present in bitumen into nutrients, and plant species that can then use these nutrients (Stefanakis, 2018). Free-water surface (FWS) wetlands: Flowing channels that mimic natural wetlands allow water to flow horizontally while waste is filtered and decomposed into nutrients that can be absorbed by plants. These wetlands have high removal of suspended solids. These constructed wetlands have the closest resemblance to natural wetlands, and as a result, require a large surface area (Stefanakis, 2018). Vegetative submerged beds (VSB): Consists of gravel soil beds planted with wetland vegetation. Water flows through the gravel and plant roots, and as a result, is not visible. These wetlands remove suspended solids and create a large biofilm throughout the gravel beds, yet FWS are more appropriate for removing excess nitrogen and phosphorus (Stefanakis, 2018). Vertical flow (VF) constructed wetlands: A filter bed planted with aquatic plants. Aerated tubes running through the filter bed allow water to flow vertically deeper into the constructed wetland, decreasing the surface area needed and increasing oxygen transfer (Stefanakis, 2018). The contaminated soil of the brownfields is proposed to be remediated using phytoremediation. Petroleum contamination can be classified into light hydrocarbon contamination and heavy hydrocarbon contamination. Oil refinery processes convert tar sands into hydrocarbon products of various weights, so it is likely that both types of contamination are on site. The weight of a hydrocarbon has important implications for remediation. Light hydrocarbons are remediated relatively easily by most plants through the following (Kennen & Kirkwood, 2017):Rhizodegradation - plant roots create an environment where bacteria that break down hydrocarbons can thrivePhytodegradation - plants directly convert light hydrocarbons into nutrients Phytohydraulics - plants absorb water contaminated with dissolved light hydrocarbons and convert into nutrients Phytovolatilization - plants take up light hydrocarbons and release them as a less harmful form as a gasHeavy hydrocarbons do not dissolve in water and plants cannot generally break these down on their own. However, through the process of rhizodegradation, contaminant-tolerant plant roots can increase the oxygen in soil profiles, creating an environment where bacteria that can deal with these chemicals can thrive. Grasses with deep root systems are considered appropriate for this type of remediation (Kennen & Kirkwood, 2017). Zhou identifies switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) as an appropriate species due to its ability with stand heavy hydrocarbons, its ecological benefit as a native species, and finally, its ability to rapidly produce biomass that can be used to produce biofuel. Once the soil has been partially remediated, additional species are added to improve habitat diversity and ecological function. 21 22Figure 5: Re-establishment of ecological corridors in Blakely Island (Zhou, 2021) REDACTEDFigure 6: The live-work-play community proposed on Blakely Island (Zhou, 2021) REDACTEDMOBILE RIVERPOLECAT BAY Zhou identifies habitat fragmentation as one of the primary causes of biodiversity loss in the area. The final step of phase I involves connecting the patches of remediated brownfields and wetlands to existing ecological areas. Zhou proposes a series of 5 vegetated streams that will connect the now remediated brownfields to each other, the wetland, and the Mobile River (figure 6).Phase IIIn phase II, Zhou proposes a transition of the industrial park to a “live-work-play” community. A livable community is proposed on one of the former brownfield sites, along one of the restored streams. Public parks take the place of the other brownfields, both within the more industrialized areas and within the community itself. People who work on Blakeley Island relocate to the area and become a part of its evolution to a more sustainable industrial space. The processes inherent to habitation become a part of the industrial and ecological processes already present on site. Greywater and waste from the community are used to continue producing fields of switchgrass. These efforts continue to remediate the soil and ultimately attract biofuel companies to the site. Policy changes that encourage green industry result in a transition from oil refining to biofuel production. The result is a Blakely Island with a more sustainable industrial fabric, restored ecology, and a community that lives and engages with both the industrial and ecological processes on site (figure 7).TakeawaysZhou’s design shows relevance to this graduate project in both its successes and limitations. Zhou demonstrates a comprehensive use of remediation techniques like constructed wetlands and phytoremediation. His choice of constructed wetland types begins to hint at how removing specific contaminants, impurities, and imbalances in wastewater requires a deep understanding of the chemicals present in this wastewater. Zhou selects Chrysopogon zizanioides as the primary species planted in these wetlands, a riparian plant known for its ability to break down petroleum chemicals.Zhou extends this remediation knowledge to his process of brownfield remediation. Switchgrass is both a native species to the area and known for its ability to rapidly break down petroleum chemicals. One of the primary limitations of phytoremediation is contamination depth, as plants can only remediate soil that their roots can reach (Kennen & Kirkwood, 2017). Zhou addresses this concern in his selection of switchgrass, whose roots can grow up to 10 feet deep. Most soil contamination associated with oil refineries falls within this range however, Zhou does not address the contamination from other chemicals that may be present in the soil or that some contamination may be present beyond this depth.Perhaps most useful to this project is how Zhou uses industrial processes to address the potential limitations of this remediation plant. Switchgrass requires a high volume of water to grow, so Zhou proposes using the water from the tailings ponds for initial irrigation. These switchgrass beds would be used in tandem with the constructed wetlands to ensure all pollutants are dealt with while growing a fuel source for the future. Zhou’s systematic approach to restoring ecology while industry continues is the primary reason this project was selected for a precedent study. His desire to transform an oil-refinery into a more green industrial area using landscape architecture as a driving force highlights opportunities we may find by exploring this field.23 24Figure 8: The lack of meaningful engagement with the industrial processes on site means this idealistic vision of a hollitic agro-industial community is unlikely to be realized (Zhou, 2021) REDACTEDFigure 7: The evolution of Blakely Island from a heavy indsutrial area to a sustainable industrial community (Zhou, 2021) REDACTED CritiqueZhou’s project operates under a framework that is similar to the thesis of this project. He stipulates that by understanding human, ecological, and industrial systems, we can design more sustainably without ignoring the current economic and material need for heavy industry. His vision of shifting a degraded oil refinery into a green biofuel production community is exciting, even hopeful. However, Zhou fails to effectively engage with the complexity of the industrial processes on this site. While his initial site analysis identifies a variety of industrial areas with various material inputs, outputs, and energy flows, his focus remains solely on the primary industry of oil refinement. For example, the presence of several asphalt terminals on site suggests that some of the oil produced is used in these processes, creating a crucial material loop for the road systems in Mobile, Alabama. There are likely other ongoing relationships, energy, and material flows through the variety of industries present on this site, and by engaging with this site with only a base knowledge of oil refinement, Zhou risks upsetting the balance of the existing industrial ecosystem while trying to restore the natural ecology. As such, his vision of a transition to a green industry is difficult to take seriously. Zhou’s ecological transformation of the site is systematic, site-specific, and carried out in phases. Through a variety of diagrams he displays a deep knowledge of how the ecological systems of this site might be restored and exist alongside the heavy industry present. This restoration engages with the industrial conditions (ie tailings ponds as irrigation water) in ways that begin to show the potential of industrial and ecological intersections. In contrast, the transition from an oil-based industrial area to a biofuel production area is argued through a lens of shifting policy. There are no diagrams of existing processes, limited description of industrial relationships, and no description of the possible consequences of such a drastic shift in material flows on site. While Zhou argues for a more holistic relationship between industrial and landscape ecology, he fails to explore how this massive jolt to the industrial ecology may affect the social and economic dynamics at play on site.While an upset to the balance of industrial ecology may not seem negative to landscape architects, the consequence of this lack of knowledge is that projects like this will never be built. Furthermore, Zhou may have identified further contaminants from secondary industries and thus responded with a more comprehensive remediation plan. In Phyto Kennen and Kirkwood state the most effective remediation practices use a combination of different plants, typologies, and technologies to effectively remediate contaminated sites, whereas Zhou’s limited industrial analysis may have led him to believe only one was necessary (Kennen & Kirkwood, 2017). Zhou addresses these shortcomings in his conclusion, attributing many of these issues to a lack of information available to him. This further cements the need to foster more engagement between heavy industry and landscape designers and why this graduate project is focused on bolstering that connection rather than directly exploring systematic remediation. This project shows there is potential for system-wide change, and its shortcomings point towards comprehensive collaboration as the way forward. 25 262. The Response - Kalundborg SymbiosisEco-Industrial Park in Kalundborg, Denmark SummaryWhere Zhou’s project failed, Landscape Architects can look to eco-industrial parks as a vehicle for understanding industrial ecology. Kalundborg Symbiosis in Denmark is one of the most successful and long-running examples of an eco-industrial park in the world. Kalundborg Symbiosis is an industrial park in Kalundborg, Denmark, that has evolved into a collaborative example of material sharing that shows both economic and environmental benefits. Some of the major industries in this park include a coal-fired power plant, oil refinery, gypsum producer, municipal wastewater treatment, and bio-fuel production. Energy, material, and water streams are shared between businesses, reducing the need for costly and environmentally destructive waste disposal. Shared resources reduce the CO2 output of the park, and the collaborative evolution has allowed a co-dependent culture of environmental innovation. In terms of quantifiable economic and environmental benefit, this results in €24 million annually, as well as eliminating 635,000 tons of CO2, 3.6 million m3 of water, 100 GWh of energy, and 87,000 tons of solid materials. (Valentine, 2016). Both local and non-local employees exhibit a high degree of pride for the work done in Kalundborg (Valentine, 2016). This is due to the fact that the evolution of this eco-industrial park considers community needs through its innovation. A later innovation in the park involved consulting with local farmers if they were willing to use fertilizer that was a result of excess fly ash from an enzyme plant. Additionally, once Kalundborg Symbiosis was established, the municipality decided to integrate its water treatment into the water flows of the industrial park. The municipality has also sought to implement policy changes to continue fostering collaborative environmental innovation in the area (Valentine, 2016).The pressure of climate change policy has resulted in a closure risk for the coal-fired power plant (DOON Energy). The steam and energy produced from this plant provide key inputs to many of the other industries throughout Kalundborg. Encouragement and existing relationships within the park have resulted in DOON Energy building pilot projects for a bio-fuel and re-gasification plant that may be able to provide sufficient steam for the other industries on-site. The input for the bio-fuel plant is straw from the same farmers to whom Kalundborg Symbiosis provided fertilizers (Valentine, 2016).Overall, what exists in Kalundborg Symbiosis is a culture of collaboration. Through decades of operation, trust has developed both between businesses and the community in a way that is not seen in heavy industry in North America. The benefits of this trust reach community members through stable employment, the ecologies that receive lower industrial inputs, and the businesses that save waste, water, and material management. Figure 9: The process evolution of Kalundborg Symbiosis (Valentine, 2016) REDACTED27 28SWITCHGRASS BIOFUELBIOFUELSWITCHGRASSFigure 10: Implementing a biofuel production community in Prof Long Zhoug’s proposal for Blakely Island (graphic by author)Figure 11: A potential intermediate step informed by similar innovations at Kalundborg (graphic by author) Takeaways and Comparison to Precedent 1Kalundborg Symbiosis is not a landscape architecture project but offers key insights for this graduate project. Primarily, it offers a way for landscape architects to think about industrial processes, by simplifying them into material, energy, and water flows. While true integration of industrial processes requires collaboration with industry professionals, this offers a starting point for designers. By following these flows and understanding their importance, landscape architects can begin to gain industrial literacy, and find ways where ecological processes can be layered into equation. For example, Kalunborg’s real-world implementation of biofuel acts as a replacement for a coal-fired power plant, which provides for the energy needs of a nearby oil refinery (Valentine, 2016). In the precedent 1, Prof. Long Zhou suggests a replacement of local oil refineries with biofuel factories powered by the switchgrass used for bioremediation. With a greater understanding of industrial ecology Zhou may have developed a proposal that suggested an earlier adoption of biofuel in the separation of oil from tar sands. This is highlighted in figure 10. This small change allows biofuel to develop and increase in scale as the oil refineries continue to operate. This may have changed the layout, design decisions, and even ecological implications of Zhou’s phase II proposal. Most importantly, it offers a design solution that allows the industrial ecology to evolve as a whole instead of outright replacing a dirty industry with a slightly cleaner one. To effectively engage with heavy industrial landscapes, it is crucial to remember how much resistance there is to environmental innovation in this field and find design interventions that mitigate this resistance. CritiqueWhile Kalundborg is a compelling case of industrial ecology, it fails to engage with the existing natural systems in any meaningful way. The eco-industrial park engages with the community when it may benefit a particular industry (approaching farmers with potential fertilizer), but ultimately fails to make social engagement a priority. Indeed, members of Kalunborg Symbiosis stipulate pragmatic environmentalism that prioritizes economic growth is the driver of considered innovations. As a result, the ecological and social systems present within the Kalundborg Symbiosis are ignored. Visual representations of the project are reduced to processes, but further investigation of figure 9 reveals the industrial park does not exist in a vacuum. Clean water is drawn from the nearby Lake Tisso (15km from the industrial park), and material streams are connected to fish farms and agricultural areas. The park is situated on the shores of the Kalundborg Ford, yet information is not provided regarding the ecological health of this area. For a project that is known for its environmental impact, there is little to no information about the ecological systems at play. This graduate project seeks to demonstrate that this is a prime example of where landscape architects can intervene. 29 30PAIR 2: ADDRESSING THE DISCONNECT BETWEEN DESIGN AND HEAVY INDUSTRYThe second pair of precedents examines design strategies that may lead to an increased interest in collaboration and engagement between designers, the public, and heavy industry and explores reasons why this is so rare. 1. Mitigating Industrial Land-Use Impact Through Building and Site Design Victoria Ng + City of VancouverSummaryThis project is a design guide developed for Vancouver in response to ongoing threats to industrial land in the region. A report provided by Metro Vancouver revealed that industrial land makes up only 7% of the land base in the region but provides 27% of the employment (Metro Vancouver, 2020). This design guide was developed to provide tools for protecting that 7% while exploring ways to combine industrial land use with other types. Through the report, Victoria Ng develops a robust compatibility matrix that compares industrial site uses to residential, commercial, and mixed-use land types. She focuses on using design to mitigate the public negative association with industrial areas, which are identified as the following:• Noise• Odour• Traffic• Visual Design• Air Quality• Light/Electricity The report then outlines the different types of site occupancies in their letter designation, as defined by the BC building code. Ng then presents her compatibility matrix (shown in figure 12). Table 1 describes the meaning of each site occupancy. The report was focused on finding mixed-use opportunities in industrial lands within Vancouver. This resulted in the author stipulating its main focus was on light industrial areas, stating that many heavy industrial areas were not suitable for mixed land use. The matrix in figure 12 confirms this, displaying extremely limited opportunity for compatible site uses under category F-1 where many heavy industrial landscapes are classified. Figure 12: Compatibility matrix for mixed land use (Ng, 2021) REDACTEDTable 1: Occupancy descriptions (by author)A-1 Assembly occupancies intented for the production and viewing of the performing artsA-2 Misc assembly occupanciesA-3 Assembly occupancies of the arena typeA-4 Assembly occupanies in which occupants are gathered in the open airB-1 Detention occupanciesB-2 Treatment occupanciesB-3 Care occupanciesC Residential occupanciesD Business and personal services occupanciesE Mercantile occupanciesF-1 High-hazard industrial occupanciesF-2 Medium-hazard industrial occupanciesF-3 Low-hazard industrial occupancies31 32Figure 13: Potential layouts that mix light and medium industrial sites into the public fabric (Ng, 2021) REDACTED TakeawaysThis report contains key tools that will be useful in this project. The in-depth exploration of the spatial and multi-sensorial factors that make industrial spaces unpleasant offers a framework from which to design interventions that engage and mitigate these effects. Furthermore, the compatibility matrix offers adjacent land uses that are allowed in Vancouver. Despite the report’s lack of engagement with heavy industrial sites, this initial matrix does include them, and this may act as a starting point for potential directions.CritiqueThis report’s focus is directed toward mixing commercial, residential, and light industrial land uses. As such many of the interventions proposed are focused on these types of spaces, and in the author’s words, heavy industrial spaces are deemed “inappropriate”. The report’s conclusions are heavily influenced by the fact that it is focused on expanding land-use possibilities, and from this lens, the decision to not engage with heavy industry is justified. However, this graduate project proposes that if designers are to engage with heavy industry, it must be through a lens of the material and energy flows that move through the site. The final precedent shows that when we engage with heavy industrial sites in this way, opportunities for design emerge that directly address the disconnect between the public and heavy industry. 33 344. The Response - The P.O.R.T, Chelsea, MassachusettsLanding Studio (2006-Ongoing)SummaryThe P.O.R.T (Publicly Owned Recreation Territory) and Rock Chapel Marine in Chelsea, Massachusetts, provides an example of a concerted effort to bring community and heavy industry together through design. This project lies on the site of a former 13-million-gallon oil tank farm and currently operating salt dock. The decommissioned oil tank farm offered Dan Adams and his team at Landing Studio opportunities for site remediation that gave the public access to the waterfront, yet the needs of the active port facility still required consideration. The design team site analysis focused on adjacent community needs and the material movements through the active site. Over the course of this design, a relationship was developed between the designers, the industrial stakeholders, and the community.The analysis revealed that salt movement through the site was heavily dependent on seasonality. Road salt was not needed in the summer months, and as a result, a large portion of the salt dock sat vacant. These vacant impermeable spaces became seasonal recreation sports courts. In the summer months, when salt stockpiles for low, the courts are accessible to the community, while the space is returned to the industry during its peak operating time. Post-industrial design strategies are used amidst the former oil tank farm creating space for human and non-human users. The result is a public-industrial boundary that shifts according to the needs of the community and industrial stakeholders. This shifting boundary allows a relationship to develop between two groups that are traditionally separated by landscape buffers and zoning regulations. Through this relationship, more opportunities for public and industrial engagement were fostered. Through careful analysis of the form and function of stockpiles, Landing- tudio worked with the salt docks to design stockpile placement in ways that allowed adjacent residents to retain their view of the waterfront. The firms success at the P.O.R.T enabled them to create an art installation that brought the public directly onto salt piles in Staten Island, NY (see figure 17 and 18). The studio continues to work with the site, as heavy industrial needs are constantly shifting. Instead of a project with a set completion date, the industrial-community waterfront around the P.O.R.T continues to expand with a mix of projects with varying levels of community and industrial focus. Takeaways and Comparison to Precedent 3The primary takeaway from this project is that through landscape design, a relationship between heavy industry and adjacent communities can be fostered. Landing Studio acted as the catalyst for this relationship and, as a result, changed the way that industrial stakeholders think about adjacent communities and that communities think about the industry that keeps their roads safe in the winter. The P.O.R.T ‘s interventions show the importance of understanding the material flows and industrial needs before engaging in design. Landing Studio’s design success was a result of understanding the industrial processes on site before engaging in design iterations. This graduate project will use this kind of process analysis as a starting point to understand the processes associated with the sulfur piles of North Vancouver. Furthermore, this graduate project seeks to employ the blurring of jurisdictional boundaries displayed in The P.O.R.T, in order to foster more awareness of how intertwined heavy industry is within our lives. Finally, this graduate project hopes to prove that the constantly evolving relationships between designers, community members, and heavy industry present in The P.O.R.T are not only possible elsewhere, but a key factor in truly addressing the social and environmental concerns of these sites. Figure 14: Site plan of The P.O.R.T during the summer season (Landing Studio*)Figure 15: Designed material movement at the P.O.R.T (Landing Studio*)* All images used with written permission of authorsFigure 15: Summer use (Landing Studio*)Figure 16: Winter use (Landing Studio*)35 36Figure 17: Salt pile layout for LUMEN art exhibit (Landing Studio*)Figure 18: LUMEN art exhibit in Staten Island, NY (Landing Studio*)Deeming heavy industrial sites in Metro Vancouver as “incompatible” with other site uses is taking the easy way out, designers need to approach these areas from a lens of process as opposed to land-use designation. CritiqueThe P.O.R.T successfully engages with seemingly incompatible user groups. Heavy industry, wildlife and community members exist in a temporal flux on this active industrial site. However, while the active salt stockpiles are undoubtedly heavy industrial landscapes, the material itself lacks many of the “unpleasant” factors identified in Victoria Ng’s analysis of industrial compatibility. Salt is non-toxic to humans, odourless, and does not negatively impact the air quality of the site. Its material flows are relatively simple to follow, as the material extracted from its landscape of origin undergoes little processing before being placed on the roads in the form the public recognizes. Furthermore, a directly adjacent community with interest in accessing the waterfront in this area added momentum to the resulting collaborations on this site. With that being said, salt stockpiles still represent a site of “heavy industry”. Salt is corrosive to many metals and can cause damage to plants if not managed properly. Adams and his team needed a firm understanding of these dangers when designing with the salt piles.The sulphur stockpiles that act as the starting point for this graduate project present a more complex problem. They are much more spatially disconnected from residents of Metro Vancouver than the salt stockpiles of Chelsea, surrounded entirely by other heavy industries. Sulphur pellets are not overly toxic to humans, but they are flammable, one of the reasons industrial stakeholders are unlikely to want the public directly in contact with their facility. Sulphur stockpile management does not have the same clear seasonal needs as road salt. Finally, sulphur is an industrial product with a much more complex process flow than salt in heavy industry. While it is a key component in our food systems, green innovation, and medicine yet, its importance is lost in the complexity of chemical reactions and material loops present in heavy industry (The Sulfur Institute, 2024). This graduate project sees these additional challenges as opportunities. Members of the public can’t seem to help themselves from stopping and taking photos of the sulphur stockpiles from Stanley Park. This near universal curiosity, combined with the integral nature of this material in a wide variety of industrial processes, makes it a suitable site to begin an exploration into dismantling of the disconnect between designers, the public and heavy industry.* All images used with written permission of authors37 384. SITE MATTERSThe site of this graduate project is Vancouver Wharves, a bulk marine terminal in the Port of Vancouver, British Columbia Canada. Owned and operated by Pembina Pipeline, this facility exports copper concentrates and agricultural products and imports zinc and lead concentrates. This section gives an analysis of both the site of Vancouver Wharves itself as well as sulphur’s industrial ecosystem.Figure 19: Existing Site Plan (by author)39 40The bright yellow colour of the Vancouver Wharves sulphur stockpiles punctuate the landscape, drawing the eye away from the North Shore mountains. These piles are best observed from the Seawall on the northeast side of Stanley Park, where bulk carriers load their hull with sulphur pellets. This viewpoint, and glances when driving across the two bridges that cross the Burrard Inlet, are the only views the public has of these stockpiles. Access from North Vancouver is restricted to staff members, and fences along the property edge block any closer view.The North Shore of Vancouver was home to the Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, who stewarded the land since time immemorial. Not long after the arrival of the first European settlers in 1862, this inlet shifted its focus to the export of industrial goods. Timber harvested from the old-growth forests was harvested, processed, and shipped. From this moment until the present day, industrial imports and exports have moved through the Port of Vancouver. Today, bulk carriers navigate the strong tidal currents of First Narrows, while leisure craft limited stay near the shore with a speed limit of 5 knots. The sulphur piles are a visual landmark for visitors and locals to the Lower Mainland. It is impossible to look across the water from Stanley Park and not question the presence of these yellow monuments. Yet even those who can identify the content of these stockpiles remain unaware that this yellow substance is deeply tied to the earth’s natural systems, the industrial legacy of humanity, and a part of a vast network of complex landscapes across the globe. This graduate project has argued that to engage with working industrial spaces, designers must first explore the industrial ecosystems in which they exist.Vancouver Wharves is a mere stopping point on this journey. Elemental sulphur arrives by rail in the form of prills (a solid pellet of substance formed by cooling a liquid during an industrial process). Sulphur undergoes no transformation on site; it remains on display and awaits the arrival of bulk carrier ships bound for China, where it is processed into sulphuric acid and used in various manufacturing industries. This graduate project argues for a greater understanding of industrial ecosystems before engaging in site design. The following pages will give a brief overview of sulphur strategies for landscape architects to understand heavy industrial systems and sites. VANCOUVER WHARVESFigure 21: Stanley Park view (1) Figure 22: Lionsgate Bridge view (2)N0 250 500SCALE 1:1000Figure 20: Context Plan of First Narrows, Lower Mainland, BC, with notable viewpoints (by author)Figure 23: Lionsgate Bridge view (3) Figure 24 Spirit Trail view screen (4)view 1view 2view 3view 441 42As they stand today, the sulphur piles of North Vancouver already hold an aura of mystery in the eyes of the public. This existing lore and interest makes this site particularly effective choice for addressing the disconnect between the public, industrial stakeholders and designers. Overall there is a lack of public knowledge on the exact contents of the pile, and those who do know they contain sulphur are unaware of what this means.Tour guides tell their guests that Vancouver is a “Crayola City”, responsible for making the global supply of yellow crayons. They claim the yellow piles are crayons in a powdered form prior to moulding. Residents claim they used to break into the site in their younger days to climb the bright yellow mountains, but would come home smelling like rotten eggs. Film and television crews used to use shoot at the sulphur piles, using them to depict alien landscapes.The reality of sulphur’s significance to natural, industrial and cultural systems of the globe are far more fascinating than the theories of a curious public. Sulphur moves through each of these systems, and ignores the boundaries of ecology and industry that landscape architect’s generally work within. The following pages explore just how ingrained sulphur is in our world. SITE LOREFigure 25: Lore Diagram43 44Sulphur in NatureSulphur is a nonmetallic element that moves through both natural and industrial systems globally. Naturally sulphur is found in many sulphide minerals in the earth’s crust, and forms 1-5% of the content of bitumen. Sulphur is found in large quantities around volcanoes in various states. Through material weathering and organism decay, sulphur makes its way into seawater in the form of sulphates. This sulphur makes its way into the atmosphere through sea spray. Figure 4 illustrates the different forms of sulphur found in natural systems. The properties of these compounds have important implications in industrial systems (see figure 26). Sulphur in CultureAs early as 2000 B.C sulphur compounds were used by Egyptians to bleach fabric, it was used by the Greeks as a disinfectant, by the Romans as a pharmaceutical, and by the Chinese to produce gunpowder.Despite the material’s useful properties, there was always a healthy dose of fear associated with this substance. The smell of hydrogen sulphide (the “rotten egg” smell found around hot springs and geothermal activity, was often to be the smell of the Devil himself. Indeed, early depictions of hell used descriptive language like “fire and brimstone being an archaic term for sulphur). This complex relationship would only further deepen with the discovery of sulphuric acid. Sulphur in IndustryThe industrial revolution increased demand through its reliance on sulphuric acid, the most produced chemical in the world (Ober, 2001). In the 1980s it was said that a countries’ industrial activity could be measured by observing sulphuric acid consumption (Sander et al., 1984). It has several unique properties that make it particularly useful for various processes. Sulphuric acid can easily remove water from other substances, (a dehydrating agent) be used to speed up chemical reactions without being consumed (a catalyst) and enhance the combustion of other substances (an oxidizing agent) (The Sulfur Institute, 2024). This substance rarely makes its way into the eye, hands or products of the public, yet it moves incessantly through countless industrial ecosystems. Sulphur does not “belong” to a particular industrial process or landscape; it moves through all of them. Stockpiles of sulphur become the only way for the public to experience this material, and as a result offer design opportunities for landscape architects to use these spaces to address the disconnect between industry and the “post-industrial” society.Additionally, following sulphur through its associated landscapes of the industry will allow designers to propose interventions that respond to on-site conditions and understand the implications this may have on upstream and downstream sites. Building this kind of knowledge may lead to more holistic and system-wide design responses to the challenges of ongoing heavy industry and the pressure it places on ecological and social systems. INTRODUCING SULPHURChemical Symbol: SOdourless yellow crystalline solid found near areas of volcanic activity. One of the few elements found in it’s pure state in nature. Chemical Symbol: SO2, H2SHydrogen sulphide (H2S) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) are released from volcanoes and from thermal vents. Hydrogen sulphide produces the “rotten egg smell” associated with sulphur. Both gases are extremely toxic to humans, plants and wildlife.Chemical Symbol: MetalXSYSulphide minerals are abundantly found throughout the earths crust. These minerals contain sulphur and one or more metals. Chemical Symbol: SO42-Sulphates contain a negatively charged group of sulphur that form salts with other compounds. They are found in organisms and release during decay. Ocean water contains sulphates which evaporates from sea spray. gaseous sulphur passively released from volcanoes and thermal ventssulphur minerals weathered and brought into ocean as sulphatessulphur returns through precipitationsulphur in sea spray evaporatesElemental sulphur Sulphurous gases Sulphide minerals SulphatesFigure 26: The Natural Sulphur Cycle45 46INDUSTRIAL SYSTEM SERVICESMuch like ecosystems, industrial systems are a complex web of interconnected processes, forms, and relationships. It is necessary to find a way for landscape architects assess how potential design interventions/calls to action on one site have systematic implications to society and ecology.Ecosystem services offer a way of framing the tangible benefits offered to human beings from nature. While this framework has limitations, it has been widely taught and used by landscape architects as a tool for understanding how to integrate and understand human’s relationship with nature. Ecosystem services are categorized in four groups, summarized in figure 27. This graduate project proposes a modification to this framework as a means of understanding active industrial sites. This evaluation will allow landscape architects to interact with industrial landscapes in several ways:1. By evaluating sites through this lens landscape architects will build more literacy in regard to industrial processes at multiple scales. 2. By using the same language as ecosystem services, opportunities and constraints between ecological systems and industrial systems are revealed. 3. By evaluating industrial sites through both lenses, landscape architects will be able to propose more feasible designs that respond to both ecological and industrial systems on site. The modified Industrial System Services framework is as follows (summarized in figure 28):Provisioning Services: In the context of an industrial site, designers can frame provisioning services by following a material stream to end products that directly benefit human beings. There is overlap here with the provisioning services of ecosystem services.Regulating Services: Regulating services are the industrial processes that allow industrial ecologies to exist. When evaluating an industrial site, these can be thought of as the key processes that link separate industrial sites. These are best understood by following water, material and energy flows off-site to their extraction and ultimate end points (the provisioning services). Cultural Services: Cultural services represent how industry has shaped human society and culture. This category is perhaps the broadest and most difficult to specify due to the myriads of ways that industrial processes shape humanity. The aesthetic experience of industrial sites, well-paying jobs, and the cultural evolution that occurs alongside industrial development are significant examples. Landscape architects interact with the cultural services of industry when designing on post-industrial sites albeit generally in a way that presents industry as a ruin or historical artifact.Supporting Services: Supporting services represent the foundational industrial processes often found at the site scale. Explorations of the materials on a site, as well as fundamental process concepts like waste heat recycling (see figure), are some examples of supporting services. These processes enable the provisioning, regulating, and cultural services discussed above. The depth of these concepts likely lies beyond the scope of landscape architecture; however, a base understanding is important to understand active industrial sites. By understanding the sulphur piles through the lens of industrial system services, landscape architects gain insight into the variety of landscapes that are connected to these bright yellow piles.Figure 27: Ecosystem ServicesFoodInfrastructureArtistic inspirationArtistic inspirationIncreased access to industrial goodsClimate regulationWater flowNutrient cycleMaterial propertiesNatural resourcesConsumer goodsFoodEverythingSpirituality Air filtrationMaterial flowWater cycleEnergy balanceMedicineMedicineRecreationJobs/economic stabilityErosion controlEnergy flowPhotosynthesisWaste recyclingSupportingSupportingProvisioningProvisioningRegulatingRegulatingCulturalCulturalFigure 28: Industrial System Services47 48SULPHUR’S INDUSTRIAL ECOSYSTEMExtraction + Refining (Athabasca Oil Sands/Natural Gas Reserves, Alberta)Sulphur’s natural abundance in various forms have allowed for a number of extraction and mining processes that focused specifically on the production of elemental sulphur for industrial processing. However, today over 80% of the world’s supply of sulphur is formed as a waste product from the extraction of petroleum products and natural gas (USGS, 2022). Sulphur is present in natural gas and bitumen (the primary raw material of oil extraction) between 1 and 5%, and must be removed in order to convert both into usable products. Figure 29 lists the ultimate provisioning services serviced by oil extraction in Canada. Sulphur was originally burned off during oil and natural gas refining, which released vast amounts of sulphur dioxide and hydrogen sulphide into the atmosphere. These forms of sulphur are toxic and precipitate as sulphuric acid (one of the forms of acid rain). Modern environmental regulations require industrial processes to mitigate the release of sulphur dioxide and hydrogen sulphide. These regulations resulted in a new source of sulphur, now a waste product of the ever-expanding oil industry. Due to the high sulphur content in Canadian oil and natural gas reserves, Canada is currently the second largest exporter of elemental sulphur. (The Sulphur Institute, 2024). Virtually all Canadian sulphur produced is a waste product of the fossil fuel industry, which illustrates one of the most important supporting services of industrial systems. Waste recycling occurs throughout all industrial processes, and following waste streams from one industrial site can often lead to reciprocal systems and landscapes. Industrial processes often recycle waste products and energy streams on site; for example, the cooling of molten sulfur produces steam, which can then be used to produce electricity for other processes. While the energy and material flows of oil extraction lead to many subsequent industries, this graduate project follows sulphur to the sulphur stockpiles of Metro Vancouver. Stockpile (Vancouver Wharves, North Vancouver, British Columbia)Vancouver Wharves is a bulk marine terminal and represents just one of the countless export points of Canadian sulphur. A second stockpile in the greater Vancouver area exists in Port Moody, and seventy-six million dollars worth of sulphur is exported to the United States (Canada’s biggest exporter) via truck and train. Ninety percent of Canadian sulphur exports are used in the production of sulphuric acid (Canada Action, 2023). This graduate project largely focuses on key uses of this sulphuric acid, yet a relevant growing use of elemental sulphur is as a plant additive. Current agricultural practices and the heavy environmental regulations placed on industrial processes has resulted in sulphur deficient soils across the globe, which highlights the inevitable intersections between ecological and industrial systems (Ober, 2001).Figure 30: Sulphur Stockpile Site - Vancouver WharvesEcosystem: Boreal ForestSupporting ServicesSupporting ServicesRegulating ServicesRegulating ServicesProvisioning ServicesProvisioning ServicesCultural ServicesCultural ServicesSurface mining in Northern Alberta requires massdeforestation in order to reach the oil sand below. Alberta requires 100% of this land to be reclaimed after reserves have been depleted. Landscape architects have explored opportunities in oil sand reclamation. Surface MiningThe process of removing all organic material and layers in order to excavate the desired material.RefiningThe use of energy and chemical inputs to remove impurities from product. Sulphur is turned into gas to remove from bitumen. This gas is treated and turned into solid to avoid toxic emissions of sulphur dioxide and hydrogen sulphide.Material StorageMaterial properties (toxicity to wildlife and humans, flammability, solubility) determine the appropriate material storage forms on industrial sites.Sulphur is non-soluble, relatively non-toxic, yet dust control on site is a priority since it is flammable in this form.Sulphur MovementOther regulating services present, but this project focuses on sulphur movement.Solid sulphur is removed as a waste product shipped to stockpiles across Canada for export.Sulphuric acid brought on site to aid in oil refining.Sulphur Movement90% of Canadian sulphur is used for the production of sulphuric acid. Global oversupply of sulphur is common due to the increased need for fossil fuels (Ober, 2001). This may change as the world moves away from fossil fuels. FuelThe primary provisioning services of oil extraction are the various grades of fuel produced.Sulphur AdditivesUsed to enhance sulphur deficient soil in agriculture.AestheticsExtraction leaves a scarred landscape.Structures on site are “traditionally” industrial.Minimal existing ecology left on site.Economic Value and Provincial IdentityOil extraction employs 140 000 Canadians.Strong industry support from province + public.Strong opposition from environmentalists.AestheticsSulphur stockpiles draw the eye due to their bright colour and size. A volumetric display of the extraction of fossil fuels and natural gas in Canada. Economic ValueVancouver Wharves employs 220 people on site. Figure 29: Sulphur Extraction Site - The Athabasca Oil Sands49 50Sulphuric Acid Plant (Canada, United States, China)Most of the sulphur at Vancouver Wharves is exported to China for the production of sulphuric acid. Sulphuric acid is the most produced chemical in the world, with 201.6 million tonnes produced globally every year (The Sulphur Institute, 2024). Figure 31 summarizes the provisioning services this chemical ends up providing, but this graduate project focuses on two key industries: the production of phosphate fertilizers and the processing of mineral ore such as copper, nickel and cobalt. There are 17 sulphuric acid plants operating in Canada (Acid Plant Database, 2018). These plants are generally located near their “use point”, due to the high cost and hazards of transporting sulphuric acid. Currently over 50% of sulphuric acid is used in the production of phosphate fertilizer (Maslin et al,. 2022). Phosphate Fertilizer PlantPhosphorous is one of the essential macro-nutrients for plants, along with nitrogen and potassium. The stress that large scale commercial farming places on agriculture landscapes resulted in approximately 50% of the world’s population developing a reliance on chemical fertilizers. These are classified based on the prime macro-nutrients, nitrogen (N, 58% of global fertilizer produced), phosphate (P, 23% percent of global fertilizer production) and potash (K, 12% of global fertilizer production) (Rithie et al., 2022). Phosphate fertilizers are produced by mining phosphate ore (a mineral containing phosphorus bearing compounds) and subsequently reacting them with sulphuric acid at high temperatures to separate the phosphorous bearing compounds. Canada currently produces no phosphate fertilizer, and imports the vast majority from the United States (the largest importer of Canadian sulphur)(The Sulphur Institute, 2024).A scarcity of phosphate rock is predicted to impact global food supply and increase the price of phosphate fertilizer production. This may be further impacted by the increase demand for sulphuric acid in the rapidly growing industry of renewable energy production. SULPHUR’S INDUSTRIAL ECOSYSTEMFigure 31: Sulphuric Acid Plant - GlobalFigure 32: Phosphate Fertilizer Plant - The United StatesSupporting ServicesSupporting ServicesRegulating ServicesRegulating ServicesProvisioning ServicesProvisioning ServicesCultural ServicesCultural ServicesChemical DryingThe removal of water from industrial products is a key to may industrial processes and sulphuric acid is used due to ability to dehydrate. In the production of sulphuric acid, some of the produced acid is reserved for this drying process. Phosphorous Fertilizer EffectsAdding phosphorus to soil aids in with root growth, winter hardiness, and hastens maturity. The overuse of phosphorous fertilizers has caused eutrophication in freshwater bodies which causes an overgrowth of microorganisms and algae, reducing the oxygen content of water to critical levels. Sulphur MovementSulphur arrives on site as a solidExport of sulphuric acid to countless industrial processes.Sulphuric acid plants can be implemented into eco-industrial parks near their “related industry” (Zhang et al., 2015)Sulphuric Acid + Phosphoric AcidPhosphate fertilizer plants create both phosphoric acid and sulphuric acid as byproducts of their processes. These acids are refined and recycled in the continued production of phosphate fertilizers. This process requires significant energy inputs. A key chemical used in the production of the following:Chemical fertilizersPaper productsDrinking waterAluminum and steelPaintBatteries (as a direct component and processing of metals)FoodModern agriculture is dangerously reliant on the chemical fertilizer industry, with 50% of the worlds population depending on their use. 23% of fertilizers produced are phosphate fertilizers. AestheticsSulphuric acid plants have a form that is consistent with what the public might imagine when picturing a chemical plant. Large processing towers and chemical ducts weave through these landscapes. Both the input and output of these facilities are chemical products taken out of the context of their material origin.Industrial importanceDespite being dubbed the “blood of the chemical industry” sulphuric acid is not a significant part of the industrial canon presented .to the public.AestheticsPhosphate production facilities have similar forms to sulphuric acid plants, although the presence of phosphate ore on site brings them visually closer to their material of origin.Agricultural ImportanceSince the use of chemical fertilizers, commercial farming practices and technology has evolved to require and facilitate their use. 51 52Nickel/Copper/Cobalt MinesFinding alternative and renewable energy sources has long been the unsung hero of de-carbonization goals. These technologies rely heavily on energy storage technologies, and as a result as de-carbonization targets are met the demand for the metals required to produce sustainable. In a 2021 study Richard Herrington predicts green technology will require an increase the need for cobalt by 461%, nickel by 99% and neodymium by 37% by the year 2050. All these metals these require sulphuric acid in their production (Herrington, 2021). Developing sustainable technology with these metals allows us to move towards decreased carbon targets. Yet figure 33 displays that the increased demand for these materials would lead to a significant increase in extractive mining landscapes. Relevant to this graduate project is the fact that these mining processes would increase the demand for a current waste product of petroleum production, one that is also a crucial part of global food systems. Engaging with active industrial sites offers the potential to move towards systematic, holistic solutions to these inevitable imbalances.SULPHUR’S INDUSTRIAL ECOSYSTEMFigure 33: Nickel/Cobalt Mine - Sudbury, OntarioSupporting Services Regulating Services Provisioning ServicesCultural ServicesOre LeachingIn order to separate valuable metals from raw extracted ore, sulphuric acid is used in a process called leaching. Ore soaks in the acid, which reacts and form salts that can dissolve in the acid. The impurities remain solid and are disposed of in tailings ponds. Related ExtractionsThe demand for metals that require sulphuric acid is projected to increase with a shift away from fossil fuels.While not connected through sulphur, a move away from fossil fuels will require a significant number of rare earth mines to be opened, each requiring its own cocktail of chemical inputs. Green Tech + ElectronicsCobalt, copper and nickel are all key components in the creation of lithium ion batteries, solar panels and alloys that can withstand high temperatures for use in jet engines and gas turbines.AestheticsThe aesthetic of surface mines, mineshaft and mining technology is often used by designers to connect to legacies of mining. The excessive excavation on display in an open pit mine is often used by artists to call attention to the unsustainable nature of modern humanity.53 54SULPHUR SCAPESSulphur moves extensively through both industrial and ecological systems. It has held cultural significance for thousands of years and studying these intersections offers designers the opportunity to re-frame they study active heavy industrial sites. sulphur returns as rainsulphur released as gasmineral weatheringdistribution into organic systemsplant systems require sulphur (and currently have a shortage)present in the Earth’s crustBiblical imagery describes hell as a landscape of “fire and brimstone” sulphur used directly as fertilizerBULK CARRIERearly humans mined volcanoesFigure 34: Sulphur’s movement through natural, cultural and industrial systems (by author)Industrial smokestacks were present in imagery of hell during the Industrial Revolution 90% of sulphur used for sulphuric acid50% of sulphuric acid used for phosphate fertilizergrowing demand for sulphuric acid in mining industrycosmetics, pharmaceuticals, pulp + paper, etc.sulphur recovered from raw bitumen for air quality STOCKPILESULPHURIC ACID PLANTPHOSPHATE MINECOMMERCIAL FARMNICKEL MINE SOLAR FARMOIL SANDS55 56SITE ANALYSIS Vancouver WharvesWhile a greater understanding of sulphur’s industrial ecosystem is key for effective design on this site, a more focused site analysis is also required. Vancouver Wharves is owned by Pembina Pipeline, directly adjacent to the Capilano 5 reserve. The CN rail yard and thoroughfare lies directly to the north, where trains wait for unloading when the site is at capacity. Residential areas to the north are heavily screened with the planting on the Spirit Trail. To the east lies a series of industrial storage lots and the Lionsgate Marine Club. A new sewage treatment plant is being constructed on the north edge of the site, adjacent to the Phllip Avenue Bridge. Material MovementsLooking closer at the materials handled on site the idea of “interconnected industrial ecologies” becomes more clear (fig 35). Heavy metals are handled in berth 1, where we export copper concentrate from BC’s mining industry and import zinc and lead. Berth 2 handles diesel, which Canada produces in excess and stores in large blue tanks. Berth 3 handles are beloved sulphur, with one system of above and underground conveyors servicing the sulphur stockpile. Finally berth 4 services agricultural product export, currently pellets of canola used as feed Public SafetySite operations and material properties are crucial factors when considering what parts of the site may be appropriate for the public to circulate through. Due to the respiratory danger of heavy metal dust, Berth 1 and 2 are deemed, unsuitable for the public. While the concentration of conveyor systems on the sites south side hold considerable interest, there is consistent heavy machinery and material movement through this space. The adjacent parking to the currently accessible road, and shoreline road leading up to the sulphur pile have considerable design potential. On site stakeholders have determined this area is rarely used for on site access.The large area inside of the railway loop contains a water treatment plant (high risk to public), several leased storage and fabrication spaces, a large “condemned structure” and a gravel field that is currently marked as “under development”.In terms of public access, the loop and shoreline are determined to be the focus areas for further analysis. Figure 35: Vancouver Wharves adjacent property boundaries (by author)CAPILANO 5 RESERVEVANCOUVER WHARVESLIONSGATE MARINE CLUBMISC. INDUSTRIALFUTURE SEWAGE PLANTCN RAILRESIDENTIAL57 58SITE ANALYSIS Figure 36: Material program at Vancouver Wharves (by author) Figure 37: Public risk and access assessment at Vancouver Wharves (by author)BERTH 1metal concentratesimp + expcopper, zinc, and lead storageBERTH 2dieselexpBERTH 3 sulphurexpBERTH 4 canola pelletsexpgear storageabandoned structuresleased areaswater treatmentaggregate stockpilemisc use buildingmanageable risk to public safetyhigh risk to public safetycurrently accessible to publicTHE LOOPTHE SHORE59 60Industrial SystemsOn site, Vancouver Wharves has a variety of spatial systems that dictate current site program. Material arrives on site through the rail system, either to the rail loop or into the system of storage structures. Material storage is dependent on its state (solid, liquid, gas) and its toxicity, and its reactivity. Outdoor stockpiles (aggregate, and sulphur) represent the lowest risk material being handled. From the rail system, sulphur and agricultural products move through “hoppers” into the conveyor system. The conveyor system operates both above and below ground, and brings both of these products into their on site storage (stockpile for sulphur, silos for canola pellets) or directly onto bulk carriers . These carriers are loaded with shiploaders, at the end of each conveyor system.Workers move about the site via the road network to travel the vast distances across the site. Parking is concentrated near the administration buildings on the site’s west side. The parking area on the east end of the site is currently being leased to Seaspan as overflow parking. Planting, Drainage and Sea Level RiseAll surface water is currently directed to the southern retaining area through a series of surface channels and pumps. From here it is pumped into the water treatment plant before being released to the ocean. All off-site industrial runoff from CN railyard and the surrounding structures is directed into the stormwater outlet at the end of the tidal channel on. 1 meter sea level rise will significantly impact the leased parking area and tidal channel on the site’s eastern edge, while the rail loop, sulphur stockpile and interior construction spaces remain elevated enough to withstand this change. CN’s incoming railway is within the affected area, and the North Vancouver Sea Level Rise Plan states that the plan for this area will be for industrial stakeholders to raise the grade at under their own development plans (District of North Vancouver, 2021).Planting on site is limited to the tidal inlet and sparse plants that have cropped up along the shoreline amidst the rip-rap. While some of these plants are invasive such as Rubus armeniacus, and Buddleja davidii (Himalayan blackberry and butterfly bush) there are several native trees species on site such as Arbutus menziesii and Alnus rubra (arbutus and red alder).Design Areas of InterestThe above analysis reveals several areas of interest where landscape designers can serve this industrial site. A general goal is addressing the public disconnect outlined in this graduate project and by bringing the public closer to the piles. Creative solutions that engage the sites “less active” areas while dealing with existing problems such as non-optimal site drainage and sea level will help cement this as a design that serves both the industrial stakeholders and public.SITE ANALYSIS TrainTransfer PointConveyorBoatRoadStorageParkingWater treatmentFigure 38: Industrial systems at Vancouver Wharves (by author)61 62Figure 39: Sea level rise, planting and drainage at Vancouver Wharves (by author) Figure 40: Existing site plan (by author)existing drainage patternsexisting vegetation1m sea level risestormwater outflowConstruction staging area 1Construction equipment storageCN railyardWest 1st St.Phillip Rd. bridgeAggregate stockpile areaCondemned structureTrain topper fabrication yardConveyor systemsMisc building operationsMaterial hoppersWater treatmentplantSulphur stockpileBerth 3: sulphurBerth 4: canola pelletsStaff parkingDieselDieselDieselStaff parkingVancouver Wharves railyardLeased parkingTidal inletFormer 5th loading dockAdmin building63 646. SITE DESIGNThe site and systems analysis reveal unique opportunities for landscape design at Vancouver Wharves where a successful design must balance public experience with the unique opportunities and constraints of designing in an active industrial site. From a public experience perspective, design moves will prioritize creating moments of curiosity that encourage circulation to and through the site. This circulation will bring the public to several moments of awe, where observation of the full scale and sublime character of the site will be showcased. Throughout the site, there will also be moments of understanding, where the public can visibly observe site operations for passive learning, or more active learning through interpretive experience. The unique character of an active industrial site includes constant dynamic processes, such as the shifting form of a sulphur stockpile. Through design, these processes become scenes for the public to observe. This dynamic nature extends to the natural industrial metabolism of a site, where certain structures become obsolete for site process, but available for the design program of the site. Finally a crucial concern is maintaining public and worker safety through clear circulation pathways, and ensuring that landscape interventions minimally impact site operations.By intersecting these goals and constraints, a design may arise that fosters the collaboration that is currently missing between the public, industrial stakeholders and designers. The design increases public empathy and improves the ecological viability of the active industrial landscape. Curiosity AweUnderstandingPublic/worker safetyDynamic processesIndustrial metabolismactive industrial considerationspublicexperienceCOLLABORATION65 66General design moves must first consider the limitations of active industrial sites, yet still seek opportunities for landscape architecture to push the boundaries of how this site functions. The center of the loop and the tidal inlet on the eastern edge of the site are the primary focus areas for this design. “Messy drainage” and sea level rise are identified as two key areas landscape architects may offer unique perspectives on site function. 1m Sea Level rise impacting the leased parking lot represents an opportunity for larger-scale landscape intervention. The North Vancouver Sea Level Rise Strategy states that CN property and rail lines will likely be raised, so this intervention focused on cutting the leased parking significantly and redistributing the fill material to raise the grade of a planted parking area. The remaining fill will be used to create conical planted islands, mimicking the forms of the sulphur stockpile. Dispersed amongst a constructed salt marsh. This planting will help treat industrial surface stormwater that runs out of the culvert at the tidal channels’ north end. The outlet of the water treatment plant inside the loop is directed under the parking lot and is pumped out into the marsh for tertiary treatment. Shoreline planting on the less-used access roads on the sites eastern side will remediate unwanted pollutants. Within the loop, all surface water is currently directed to the southern retaining area through a series of surface channels and pumps. Roads throughout the loop follow these drainage patterns, cutting much of the usable space for workers. With a large fleet of excavators on site, and the base material of the loop being gravel, roads are redistributed to the periphery, while retaining access to key working areas. Gravel stockpiles are moved to a circular stage at the north end of the loop. Bioswales are graded to bring water from all key areas within the site to the exact location to be pumped through the water treatment plant. This water is untreated and thus will contain excess sulphur, nutrients, metals, and petroleum products. Plant selection is limited to hearty species that can survive these harsh conditions. Two retention ponds are distributed throughout the site to manage large flows of water in the winter months. These retain the same circular shape as the stockpiles that are found throughout the site. Leaving space between the swales and redistributed roads allows for increased planting throughout the site. These planting areas will also act to remediate contaminants running through the site, while reducing intense sun exposure in the loop. In areas where workers are often out of their vehicles, small break rooms with benches are placed throughout the loop. While these interventions begin to envision a more sustainable site, a primary focus of this project is inviting the public to experience this unique and essential piece of Vancouver (and Canada). The recently decommissioned train hopper becomes an open-air interpretive centre where visitors arriving by sea, foot, public transit, and vehicle convene in the planted parking area, now the focal point of Berth 5, an arrival point for the public. Circulation that made it very clear where the public could safely walk, while creating an experience that combined the design goals of experiencing the dynamic and sublime moments of the site was needed. A consistent visual language of raised powder-coated metal walkways that mimic the iconic colours found on site allows the public to move through the site confidently and provides a journey from the parking area to two key points of interest: the base of the sulphur pile and the decommissioned structure in the center of the loop, now with two levels of observation decks bolted to its exterior.DESIGN MOVESFigure 41: General design moves (by author)Existing 1m sea level riseEXISTING SITEProposed tidal marsh interventionExisting roads and drainageProposed road and swale realignmentProposed planting and worker programPublic circulationPROPOSED DESIGN67 68SITE PLAN - WITH CONTEXTThe resulting design is a hybrid of industrial activity, observation, and potential collaboration that transforms Vancouver Wharves into an active industrial site that welcomes the public to come closer.Like the sulphur piles themselves, Berth 5’s design suggests program moves and design interventions beyond the site boundaries. A small boat service is offered from Stanley Park, and the current Spirit Trail visual screen is interrupted with part of the former train hopper, establishing a visual link from the greenway to the industrial site. Figure 42: Dock intervention at Stanley Park (by author)Figure 43: Spirit trail intervention (by author)Lionsgate marine clubThe ShoreThe MarshBerth 5Berth 3Berth 4The PileThe LoopMetal concentrate storageMisc. building operationsDieselDieselDieselScreen wallCN RailyardPhilip Rd.West 1st St.McKeen Ave.Sewage plant (under construction)Spirit trail interventionFigure 44: Proposed site plan + context (by author)69 70Moving to the site plan gives a more detailed look at these interventions. Bike, pedestrian and public transit arrivals find themselves at the end of the tidal channel. The walkway clearly invites them onto the site, moving through the tidal inlet and heavy shoreline planting with small rest areas at each turn. The observation stops along the walkway present unique juxtapositions of landscape and industry. This walkway enters the open-air interpretive structure, where the public can choose to learn about Vancouver Wharves and the interconnected nature of sulphur throughout the world. This structure is built using the outer shell of the recently replaced train hopper.In the “Berth 5 Welcome Centre” users meet up with those who have arrived by car and boat, and from there, they can access the shoreline walkway, which provides access to the site itself. The walkway moves along the shore to an observation tower, which gives the public their first views inside the loop. From here, they can move into the loop or down to the piles. The walkways moving through the loop move above the workers and activity, allowing the public to get a unique bird’s eye view of the forms and functions of the site below, and see the full extent of landscape architecture and active industry working together. This also ensures the public never enters unsafe or unpredictable areas where workers need to be. The walkways down to the piles offer an opportunity to experience the full scale of the sulphur piles. From here, they can watch sulphur dump from the conveyor, and if they choose, depart by boat for a return to Stanley Park. SITE PLANBoat arrivalTo Spirit TrailBike arrivalVehicle arrivalP1P4P2P3Aggregate stockpileWorker areaWorker areaWater treatmentplantObservation towerLoop walkwayShoreline walkwayRetention pondSulphur stockpileBoat access routeBoat departureBerth 3: sulphurBerth 4: canola pelletsMarsh walkwayStaff parkingAdmin buildingFigure 45: Overall site plan (by author)71 72SITE PLAN - THE SHORE (P1)Sulfur pile marsh observation deckBerth 5 welcome centrePublic parkingWashroomPhillip Rd.Phillip Rd. BridgeCN ParkingCN rain gardenCN rain gardenVancouver Wharves security buildingCN BuildingPedestrian/ bike arrivalMarsh walkwayExperimental industrial tidal marshP1SITE PLAN - THE SHORE (P2)P2Figure 46: Arrival, zoom plan (by author)The ascentUnloading sulphurrailcarThe descentShoreline buffer plantingSheltered observation towerCovered walkwayFigure 47: Shoreline walkway, zoom plan (by author)73 74P3SITE PLAN - THE SHORE (P3)P4SITE PLAN - THE LOOP (P4)Sulphur stockpileUnderground conveyor (outlet)Suspended conveyor (inlet)“Scale” observation deckPhytoremediation buffer planting Shade tree planted in low use roadwayDeparture boat dockFigure 48: Stockpile, zoom plan (by author)Construction staging area 1Site layout allows for crane useConstruction staging area 2New sulphur hopperUnderground sulphur conveyorCanola pellet siloBioswaleConstruction material storageTrain topper fabrication yardWorker break areaWorker break areaWater treatmentplantObservation towerAggregate stockpile areaCovered walkwayRetention pondRetention pondRemediation/cooling forestFigure 49: The Loop, zoom plan (by author)75 76SITE SECTION - THE SHORES5S6S7S8The shoreline walkway gives the public an opportunity to observe ecological and industrial systems at play in one cohesive landscape experience. The marsh walkway brings them through a tidal marsh, where plants help clean pollutants from the industrial surface runoff of the surrounding area. Views of the sulphur piles are framed by lush planting. From here a stop at the Berth 5 interpretive center, made from the old sulphur train hopper gives them real time information about ongoing site processes and interpretive information about sulphur’s industrial ecosystem. Users arriving by vehicle or by boat from Stanley Park converge here. Moving up the ascent, the piles become obscured and the long ramp up forces the gaze downward. Through the metal walkway, the remedial shoreline planting is visible. A sheltered lookout tower gives a sweeping view of the sulphur piles and the first view into the loop itself. From here users can choose to move through the covered walkway into the center of the loop or down towards the sulphur pile. The descent brings the public across the face of the sulphur piles and directly to their base. From here the full scale of these landmarks is reveled. This observation point allows for careful contemplation as the sulphur tipper builds up these stockpiles, or as the underground conveyor undermines them while loading bulk carriers. From here, users have the option of catching a boat back to Stanley Park. Of the two proposed walkways, the shore is more feasible as it completely avoids interfering with site operations, and avoids creating habitat for wildlife on site. S1S2S3S4200m194mThe descentThe pile0 20 40 60 80mFigure 50: The Shore section (by author)Pedestrian entry25m150m20m170mMarsh walkwayDock/welcome centerThe ascent77 78THE SHORE SECTIONS - PEDESTRIAN ENTRYPlanted moundObservation pointTidal marsh plantingIndustrial stormwater runoffBike parkingLock block planting wallWelcome signPowder coated steel walkwayMcKeen Ave. Incoming railPhillip Rd. BridgeS1Figure 51: Pedestrian arrival, zoom section (by author)79 80THE SHORE SECTIONS - MARSH WALKWAYTidal marsh plantingMWLMHWLMarsh observation deckPublic parkingTidal marsh plantingObservation pointS2Figure 52: Marsh walkway, zoom section (by author)81 82THE SHORE SECTIONS - WELCOME HOPPERBerth 5 Interpretive CenterTidal islandThe ascentBoat arrivalMLWLMWLMHWLBench/walkway cuts into moundMarsh observation deckWater treatment outletTida/shore plantingS3Figure 53: Berth 5 Interpretive centre, zoom section (by author)83 84THE SHORE SECTIONS - THE ASCENTCanola pellet siloCanola conveyorShoreline buffer plantingMLWLMWLMHWLMetal concentrate storage structurePowder coated metal walkway, 9m at 8% with 1.5m landingBoat arrivalS4Figure 54: The ascent, zoom section (by author)85 86THE SHORE SECTIONS - OBSERVATION TOWER 1MLWLMWLMHWLPowder coated metal walkway, 9m at 8% with 1.5m landingShoreline buffer plantingObservation deck attached to existing “condemned structure”Observation deck attached to existing “condemned structure”Sheltered observation tower13mS5Figure 55: Observation tower, zoom section (by author)87 88THE SHORE SECTIONS - THE DESCENTSulphur conveyor towerSulphur stockpileMLWLMWLMHWL24mShoreline buffer plantingPowder coated metal walkway, 9m at 8% with 1.5m landingS6Figure 56: The descent, zoom section (by author)89 90THE SHORE SECTIONS - THE PILESulphur tipper loads up pilesSheltered sulphur observation deckSulphur stockpileMLWLMWLMHWLShoreline buffer plantingPowder coated metal walkway, 9m at 8% with 1.5m landing24mS7Figure 57: The pile zoom section (by author)91 92THE SHORE SECTIONS - THE PILEShoreline buffer plantingMLWLMWLMHWL24mOptional boat departureSulphur tipper loads up pilesSheltered sulphur observation deckSulphur stockpileS8Figure 58: The pile 2, zoom section (by author)93 94PERSPECTIVES - ARRIVALSFigure 58: (left) Pedestrian and bike arrival is a gravel plaza like space, with lock blocks found on site used to create planting spaces, a highly visible, blue and yellow walkway and interpretive signageFigure 59: (right) Arriving by boat gives the public a completely unique view and experience of the sulphur piles as they move towards the arrival dock and the Berth 5 interpretive centre95 96PERSPECTIVES - SHORELINE WALKWAYFigure 60: (left) An observation deck within the tidal marsh presents the sulphur piles, framed uniquely by vegetation.Figure 61: (right) Moving up the walkway during the ascent, the user’s gaze drifts downwards through the metal grate to the planted shoreline below.97 98PERSPECTIVES - THE PILEFigure 62: (left) Moving down the descent, the scale of the sulphur pile begins to be revealed. Figure 63: (right) Users watch as the sulphur tipper builds a new stockpile99 100SITE SECTION - THE LOOPThe loop presents a first iteration of using landscape architecture to create a more holistic industrial site.Roads are realigned and current drainage is replaced by bioswales. Crucial on site program like construction staging areas and aggregate stockpile remain a priority, but experimental remedial “forests” are planted in the smaller spaces between roads and bioswales. “Break rooms” are dispersed throughout these forests near high activity areas, to provide shade for workers during the heat of summer. The public are able to move above this unique landscape through a plexi-glass walkway towards the hulking central tower that now offers two observation decks for sweeping views of the site. From the upper observation deck, the public watch from over 30m above the site. The sulphur piles remain a focal point, but with the full extent of the rail, conveyor and marine systems on site revealed.The full extent of planting and ecological intervention is also revealed from this viewpoint. A unique type of landscape, where the dynamic nature of active industry and the full potential of landscape architecture demonstrate that like sulphur, industrial and ecological systems need not exist solely within the boundaries we have set for them. The loop presents a less feasible intervention due to the creation of habitat within work areas on site and the more active nature of the spaces the public will be working in. This intervention would likely be phased after monitoring the success of the shoreline walkway. Figure 64: The Loop section (by author)S9 S10Marsh walkway Public parking Train loop Planting Train topper fabrication lot200m0 20 40 60 80mS11 S12Aggregate stockpile area Observation tower Canola pellet silo + sulphur hopper101 102THE LOOP SECTION - BERTH 5 WELCOME HOPPERTidal marshPowder coated steel walkwayPlanted tidal islandsExisting electrical infrastructureMWLMHWLOld train hopper becomes Berth 5 interpretive centreExisting gradePublic washroomObservation towerS9Figure 65: Tidal marsh and Berth 5 interpretive, section zoom (by author)103 104THE LOOP SECTION - TRAIN TOPPER FABRICATION Plexiglass covered walkwayRemedial “forest”Train loopPlanted shoreObservation towerSulphur conveyrorFibreglass train topper fabrication yardS10Figure 66: Fiberglass train topper fabrication yard, zoom section (by author)105 106THE LOOP SECTION - AGGREGATE STOCKPILEOn site construction storageCovered walkwaySheltered observation towerFigure 67: Aggregate stockpile, zoom section (by author)Power coated steel walkway9m at 8% with 1.5m landingAggregate stockpileS11107 108THE LOOP SECTION - OBSERVATION TOWERLower observation deckUpper observation deckStairs for potential ground level public programmingBioswaleExisting “condemned” structureFigure 68: Observation decks fashioned to existing condemned structure, zoom section Existing canola pellet silo Existing canola pellet conveyor towerNewly installed sulphur train hopper and underground conveyorS12109 110THE TOWERFigure 69: Upper observation deck view (by author)111 112SITE DETAILS The following detailed sections show preliminary design strategies and planting typologies that can increase the ecological sustainability of the Vancouver Wharves site. Note that these plantings would be experimental, and suggested species are simply a starting point based off of existing research on pollution tolerant plantings and phytoremediation. Sulphurous runoff on site presents a unique challenge as sulphur is generally not considered one of the pollutant that phytoremediation targets (when compared to hydrocarbons and heavy metals). While these pollutants will be present in the loop (from the construction equipment, railcars, diesel storage and canola pellets, sulphur’s primary impact will be in soil acidification. Within the loop and along the shoreline plantings, plants that can withstand fairly acidic soils that benefit from large amounts of sulphur present in the soil should be selected. The swale contains cattails (Typha latifolia) and lakeshore sedge (Carex lenticularis) , which are tolerant to high sulfur and acidity, and can remediate the petroleum products and metals that run off from rail infrastructure, and onsite equipment. Adjacent planting contains common remediation shrubs (Amelanchier canadensis), with pioneer trees like birch (Betula sp.), red alder (Alnus rubra), willow (Salix sp.) and shore pines (Pinus contorta). The tidal islands and salt marsh beds are constructed with the existing fill, raising the grade several meters to account for future sea level rise. Over time, the uniform structure of these islands will be degraded by tidal action, mimicking the ever shifting forms of the sulphur stockpile. Plant species on the islands them selves are a mix of arbutus (existing arbutus on sight tells us they may be successful here), shore pine and red alder with a coastal shrubs like Scouler’s willow (Salix scouleriana) and serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis). Shores are planted with coastal mugwort (Artemisia suksdorfii), sea arrowgrass (Triglochin maritima) and sedge species (Carex sp.). Buffer plantings along the site shoreline underneath the walkway are a combination of remedial species and indicator species. Rip rap shorelines are modified to create planting pockets. Species like Scouler’s willow (Salix scouleriana) and coastal mugwort (Artemisia suksdorfii) take up any unwanted nutrients, metals and chemicals accidentally washed to the sea while the health of less pollution tolerant species like Sea ox eye (Borrichia frutescens) provide an indication of ineffective pollution control on site. If these plant dies in large quantities, subsurface spills may be present. Indicator plants like this can be used as a site wide pollution observation strategy. The success and failure of plant species will provide valuable information for industrial sites that are interested in implementing similar strategies.Figure 70: Bioswale preliminary detail (by author)Salix sp.Sub-drain900mm TopsoilExisting “condemned structure”Lower observation deckBetula sp.Typha latifoliaCarex lenticularisAmelanchier canadensis113 114SITE DETAILS - TIDAL MARSHFigure 71: Tidal island preliminary detail (by author)115 116SITE DETAILS -SHORELINE BUFFER PLANTINGFigure 72: Shoreline buffer planting preliminary detail (by author)Steel walkwayConcrete footingMWLMHWLSulphur from railcars can react to form sulphuric acid if left too long but most plants can tolerate (and even require) some sulphurAgricultural products are less likely to accidentally runoff (covered trains) but there is still a possibilityPetrochemicals and heavy metals can leach from railwaysRemediation Buffer ShrubSalix scoulerianaIndicator high marsh plantBorrichia frutescensRemedial marsh grassTriglochin maritima117 118TEMPORAL FACTORSAn exciting element of working with an active site are the temporal opportunities of these shifting stockpiles. Figure 73 and 74 show the piles at full capacity as well as at a zero-pile condition. As more trust is developed between the public and Vancouver wharves, more involved collaboration is possible. Educational exhibits on “zero pile day” involve rearranging the last load of the sulphur stockpile into a temporary art exhibit. As the final tanker approaches, the public leaves the area to watch as the final load is combined and placed on the tanker. The result is a site that continues to be a crucial point in sulphur’s ecosystem yet evolves into a space that the public can begin to appreciate. Opportunities that arise from this kind of event could give the public temporary access to larger parts of the loop. Vancouver Wharves has extensive lighting due to its 24-hour operation, and night events with specialized walkway lighting could be integrated into the programming of the site. Figure 74:Temporal changes on site : Zero-Pile Day last load exhibit (by author)Figure 73: Temporal changes on site : Full stockpile (by author)119 120The yellow sulphur piles of Vancouver are already proof that industrial landscapes can capture the imagination and interest of the public. Instead of relegating these spaces to a world comprised entirely of industry, landscape designers have an opportunity to reveal the hidden intersections of their systems. Berth 5 aims to highlight the design potential in blurring the boundaries between ecological, social and industrial sites and systems. By treating a key node in heavy industrial systems as a space for public observation, an opportunity arises to create more transparency in regards to the complex extractive landscapes that lay the foundation of our modern lives. This project is a first step, a conversation starter between landscape architects and industrial stakeholders . A site where the public can observe the scale, dynamic nature and ecological potential of the sulphur piles of North Vancouver is an exciting proposition. But the potential for future projects at both system and site wide scales across sulphur’s industrial ecosystem is what truly drove this project. Follow sulphur across the world and find our food supply, our renewable energy supply and our fossil fuel reserves. At each of these nodes, there are varying degrees of potential for the site and systems thinking of landscape architects to make these spaces more sustainable. Before we get there, we need to stop relegating these landscapes to the realm of the engineer. We need to look closer at the bright yellow piles that punctuate our world and demand a relationship between industry and design begin today. 7. 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Berth 5 : An Argument for Landscape Design in Active Industrial Landscapes
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