pH(-CO2): Bradford’s Industrial Musuem & Living Incubator
PH(-co²) is a proposal of an industrial museum and living incubator in Bradford, Manchester, next to the Etihad Stadium. The focus of this project is to create awareness on the power of moss and lichen as agents of change in the age of Bradford’s Anthropocene as a post-industrial landscape. This proposal intends to answer the research question; How can the irreversible environmental impacts caused by Bradford’s anthropocentric activities during the industrial era be combated by encouraging the growth of mosses and lichens on site?
As the project's name suggests, air pollution can be detected and mitigated by mosses and lichens, which are important ecosystem components. Awareness of their role in combating air pollution and biodiversity loss is highlighted by integrating these species in our architectural proposal and the overall masterplan. The intervention masterplan intends to rewild the existing landscape and sequester carbon dioxide by propagating moss and lichen on site and connecting it to the surrounding vegetation spaces through eco-bridges and green belts.
The building is broken down into several programs that reflects the past anthropocene activities and uses speculative design methods to create a ‘plausible’ prediction of Manchester’s future, incorporating biodiversity-prioritizing scientific theories and contemporary design into a clearer picture. By creating spaces which highlight Bradford’s industrial past and its sustainable industrial future, our proposal hopes to raise awareness of environmental degradation and pollution by preparing the community for the future.
Bradford Park plays a wider role in encouraging biodiversification of the area, once a car park. The river daylighting strategy is the main core of the park as it reintroduces its original biodiversity of what it once was before. The park is broken down into several spaces; Heathland, Lowland Wetlands and Grasslands according to existing species and land typologies on site.
