Emergence: Nonlinear Ecologies of Future Airports | Sarah Fayad

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This project is in response to the pressures facing Badgerys Creek waterways as the second Sydney airport emerges, specifically, focusing on the increasing threat of invasive algae growth and the rising issues with airport pollution. A foreseen rise in pollution, CO2 level and nutrient supply to creeks will result in detrimental algal blooms in surrounding waterways – causing disturbance and imbalance in the overall ecosystem.

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Airport-Landscape-Masterplan

 
What if an airport infrastructure was more than just an energy consumer, but rather an energy source contributing positively to the globe?
In response to these ecological disturbances, the project employs the use of invasive algae – challenging the stigma associated – and shows the potential of a landscape engineered system that is able to sustain the airport at various scales. The airport landscape becomes an algae farm and the terminals become a place for understanding the growth of algae and production of biofuel, encouraging social interaction between travellers.  In addition, two buildings become a laboratory for monitoring and a processing plant for the production of biofuel.

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Emergence in nonlinear ecologies of Airports gives rise to questions of possibilities and acts as a model for other sectors of urban growth to do the same. The airport will stand alive, living symbiotically within its environment, by using the creek’s invasive algae to drive its sustainability whilst creating a site specific airport. The variations of algae species will create an interactive airport which evolves throughout the year reflecting the changing state of the environment and climate of Badgerys Creek.

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Emergence: Nonlinear Ecologies of Future Airports
Designer | Sarah Fayad
Graduation Project | University of New South Wales
Bachelor’s degree, Landscape Architecture
Text & Image Credit | Sarah Fayad

About Damian Holmes 3253 Articles
Damian Holmes is the Founder and Editor of World Landscape Architecture (WLA). He is a registered landscape architect (AILA) working in international design practice in Australia. Damian founded WLA in 2007 to provide a website for landscape architects written by landscape architects. Connect on Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/damianholmes/