DANIEL DAOU DESIGN


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“Synthetic Ecology” Nervión river riparian corridor recovery masterplan (Bilbao, Spain, 2010)

 The Nervion River in Bilbao, Spain, was considered at some point the most polluted in Europe. In the mid-nineties, the de-industrializing city turned its fate around with an ambitious plan which included the now famous Guggenheim museum. However, not all neighborhoods enjoyed the bonanza brought upon by the new waterfront investments. Closer to the port, the municipality of Sestao faces a shrinking tax base and depressed economy. The proposal considers separating the former industrial lots from the land creating an island in the middle of the river and new attractive riverfront property for the municipality. One river stream is slowed down with artificial wetlands, while the other is sped up to harvest its energy. The island boasts a series of interconnected remediating infrastructures (e.g. soil remediation, osmotic power generation, tree nurseries, a public beach). The proposal seeks to integrate urban design, landscape and architectural expertise interdisciplinarily.

Southwest bird’s eye view
Northwest bird’s eye view
Southwest bird’s eye view
West bird’s eye view
East bird’s eye view
North bird’s eye view
Nervión river watershed
Layered analysis
Current conditions as of 2010
The proposal splits the river creating artificial wetlands and a new waterfront for the minicipality of Sestao
Layered axonometric showing program components
Collage above slat water ponds, tree nurseries and soil remediation process
Beachfront access
Solar pond baths
Metabolic diagram
In the southern river branch, small scale hydro turbines generate power from the river flow; on the northern branch water is slowed down to be filtered naturally in the wetlands
Longitudinal section through new island
Large wetland design iteration sequence
Small wetland design iteration sequence

Project team: Matthew Bindner, Daniel Daou