KCAP

Location
  • Shenzhen, China Mainland
Client
  • Water resource bureau of Shenzhen Municipality
Year
  • 2019 - Ongoing
Status
  • Under Construction
Program
  • 130 km Masterplan for coast protection, restoration and detailed elaboration for 18 km of coastline, 500 m test location in Yangmeikeng
Disciplines
  • Landscape Architecture
  • Masterplan
  • Supervision
Collaborators
  • Masterplanner, landscape architect and supervisor: KCAP+Felixx
  • Design and construction management: China Resource Group
  • Landscape and construction design: Hope Landscape & Architecture
  • Engineering: China water transport planning & design institute
  • Research institute in the field of water and subsurface: Deltares
Awards
  • Design competition 1st prize (2000)
  • Eurasian Award (Gold Diploma) (2020)
  • World Landscape Architecture (nomination) (2020)
  • Re-thinking The Future Awards (3rd prize) (2021)
  • Architizer A+Awards Jury Award (2021)
Publications
  • East Dike: Shenzhen’s 130 km coastline of Dapeng

    The ‘Triple Dike Strategy’ moves away from a generic protection wall along the coast, often built by the local population itself, towards the creation of three development zones, carefully embedded in current conditions and responding to the specific future needs of every single area. The project builds a ‘200-year return period standard dike’ in most places to ensure safety protection to protect the livelihood and economy of the local community.

    The first ‘outer’ dike zone increases the resiliency through wave attenuation, erosion reduction and the enhancement of sedimentation. The second ‘middle’ dike is an elevated embankment, to offer protection from impact of storm surge and the water pushed up by the waves. It is conceived not as a big wall but as a multifunctional zone: an exciting hilly park, an elevated waterfront with urban promenades, a tidal park or even a public building. The third ‘inner’ dike manages the rainwater following the principle of a sponge city. The runoff from adjacent villages and mountains is buffered, delayed and temporarily stored in rain-parks, rain-gardens, wet forests and wetlands.

  • Realization Yangmeikeng Demonstration Zone

    With ‘Low Impact Design & Development’ as a principle we maintained the same hydrological characteristics of the site before and after the project. Local resources like rocks and sand were (re)cycled and filled back on-site to strengthen the shoreline against erosion and future climate challenges.

  • For the structural strength, the design follows the local technical norms and site conditions. A hybrid drainage system handles excessive runoff and waves under extreme weather events. The natural rocks and sand are recovered to original natural foreshore, like beach, to reinforce the embankment.

    In May 2020, the Yangmeikeng Sea Boulevard was the first of six strategic development areas where the construction of the coastal defense was completed. On a 500 m long strip, the performance of proposed nature-based strategies for the sea wall were tested, and materialisation principles explored and refined. Realisation of this ‘demonstration zone’ in 2021 was the first milestone in the construction of this 18 km embankment. The project is based on the village itself, embodying the characteristic identity of a fortress between  the mountains and sea.

  • The demonstration zone improved the quality of public places and services upgrading the village to match tourism development and residents' needs. It has already brought the whole Yangmeikeng village around 30 % more visitors and a 20 % profit increase for local businesses. The project protects the community and is a valuable driver for the village's regeneration, ensuring its resilience in times of climate change.

  • Yangmeikeng Demonstration Zone 1

    The materialisation illustrates the characteristics of the three dike zones: more delicate materials are used for sheltered places; robust and solid elements are used for the exposed zones.

  • Yangmeikeng Demonstration Zone 2

    ZONE 1 - The first zone of the ‘Triple Dike‘ consists of a collection of rain-gardens as part of the communal space. The lush vegetation of trees and shrubs blends with the adjacent mountains and offers covered and shaded places.

    ZONE 2 - The middle zone is composed of a sequence of shifting walls, with different heights. They create plazas and sheltered terraces on different levels, connected by a scenic walk. 

    ZONE 3 - The third protective zone consists of a beach platform and ‘wave-gardens’, mitigating the impact of the flow during storms. They are planted with robust beach vegetation and rocks, and offer places for picnicking and enjoying the view on the beach. Walls and pavement blend in with the sand colour of the beach.

  • Yangmeikeng Demonstration Zone 3

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