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Waste Water Works

Part 1 Project 2015
Finbar Charleson
 Manchester School of Architecture Manchester | UK
Millions of tiny creatures cleanse the excrement of 18,000 people through the use of emerging biotechnology. Compact mechanical disc filters carry out mechanical cleansing, whilst treatment tanks house dense synthetic root structures, designed to fluctuate with the changing influent level. The growth of certain plant types indicating the type of pathogens therein. All the while, the processor burns the dried sludge as biomass to power the plant.

Unlike most energy infrastructure, central to WWW is the notion of public engagement, as people are free to wander the botanical gardens cleansing their waste. All three systems: the Machine, Wetlands and Processor ensure a relationship between man and mechanism is negotiated for the betterment of the natural environment. The industrial heritage of the town is recognized as the project aims to bring our ageing infrastructure into an uncertain age of climate change, with grace and hope.

Sludge Analysis and Research laboratories are supporting programmes along with spaces for information work and convention. This is an emerging, outward facing paradigm for energy infrastructure, as the building presents a transparent and ethical approach to waste, from the scale of the national sewage pipeline to the minute bacteria.

Tutor(s)
Matthew Pilling
2015
Waste Water Works
Stockport’s ageing infrastructure is brought into a new paradigm, once existing networks are defined.
The river front is made accessible for the first time, affording intimate views of the Viaduct and Wear mill; emblems of Stockport’s industrial past.
The Machine, Processor and Wetlands are the three mechanisms by which WWW addresses the need for insensitive water treatment.
Adopting a dense urban condition, the plant allows pedestrians to stroll by as their waste is processed and analysed.
Spatial programming
The Machine is the beating heart of the plant, with foliage adorning a network of contracting staircases and concrete tanks.
The Processor burns the dried sludge, generating energy for WWW’s machinery.
The Wetlands provide the final stage of cleansing and polishing before the water returns to the Mersey.
A timber diagrid unifies the programmes, with steel connections allowing for a flexible construction method.
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