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Paris - Cleansing the River for the Spectacular

Part 2 Project 2006
David Batey
Louise Weston
University of Brighton | UK
The project deals with the notion of a dynamic land and a damaged river ecology. Located at Chatou; the threshold site is remoulded according to its historical past. Reminiscent of a botanical vinery placed within the remodelled landscape, a performing arts auditorium is enclosed within an eco-technical process that cultivates algae as a means to cleanse the river for localised bathing. While providing a spectacle, the transient growths are of considerable value. The algal blooms present a means to make oil for biofuel, while the composted mass is applied to fertilize a diversified sunken garden set within the rejuvenated landscape.


David Batey’s work as a Diploma student is wonderful in the way that it evolves over the two year’s of his Diploma studies and addresses a research question, with considerable rigor, that is timely both in terms of current environmental issues and the ways that architecture might respond and re-invent itself in relation to these issues. In his final project David studied the evolving dynamics of his chosen site on an island in the River Seine and transformed the problems of eutrophication in the river through an architecture that both cleanses the river and restores the natural dynamic beauty of this site.

Tutor(s)

2006
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