Geevor Recharged
A Hydrological Regeneration Station for a Post-Mining Landscape
We are experiencing a climate crisis. By the end of the century, the UK will experience more frequent days of extreme heat. Water will be in higher demand nationwide for everything from potable tap water to agriculture as temperatures increase. This increased pressure on an already strained network will soon become an issue of national importance.
As one of the country’s most geologically active locations, Cornwall also has the potential to be a national leader in geothermal energy production. A combination of water and energy independence will provide the framework for my small-scale community and support the area’s smaller secondary industries.
My primary focus was on creating an environmental monitoring station. This station would record changes to the local water table and ecosystem caused by the previous tin mining and the new geothermal brine extraction.
My secondary objective will promote the passive attenuation and regeneration of groundwater around the site to help support soil quality for local agriculture as well as promote water independence.
A key part of addressing the climate crisis was using materials with future reusability and focus on reducing the embodied carbon of stages A4-5 of transportation and construction.
My choice of building materials is a response to lowering the carbon emissions of my structure. I have used on-site waste granite and gravel, which were byproducts from the Geevor tin mill, to create my foundations and retaining gabion walls.
