The Ebbw Vale Vertical Garden | russ + henshaw

The Works Masterplan on the site of the former Steelworks in Ebbw Vale is one of the largest and most exciting regeneration projects in Wales, creating a vibrant sustainable mixed-use community at the head of the Ebbw Valley. In order to help preserve the site’s heritage a number of legacies of its industrial past have been retained; in particular there are a number of former steelworks basements to be restored with individual programmes to provide distinctive features in the new development. In February 2009, The Welsh Assembly Government, Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, The Works: Ebbw Vale and the Welsh National Eisteddfod Committee announced a nationwide design competition for innovative ideas and concepts for the re-use of one of the most iconic retained basements, known as the ‘5 Stand Cleaning Line’. The internal dimensions of the basement are 78.8m x 18.5m at its widest points with the depth varying between 3.3m and 4m. There are two rows of columns retained and untreated standing at a maximum of 2m high. The brief asked designers to propose ideas for a passive community space that would become a focal point of the new community and be showcased at the 2010 National Eisteddfod. It was essential that any proposal reflect the four main objectives of The Works Masterplan; to achieve a sustainable economy, social progress, environmental protection and enhancement, and prudent use of resources. In addition, competitors had to facilitate the following design considerations: 1 - Innovative Ideas 2 - Consideration of the Site’s Industrial Heritage 3 - Masterplan Context and Sustainable Development Criteria 4 – Realistic and achievable concepts that can be delivered successfully by Summer 2010 5 – Appropriate consideration for access into the basement 6 – Build Budget of 100K 7 – Consideration of the Basements Structural Integrity PROJECT SOLUTION In response to the brief, our proposal was for an alternative community garden for Ebbw Vale. The aim was to create a contemporary reinterpretation of the town’s powerful industrial history and promote the environmental ethos of the masterplan by placing community participation and low tech sustainable principles at the heart of the design. The concept originated from the desire to question traditional perceptions of conventional park and garden design by providing routes for nature to grow vertically out of the basement. This objective, merged with the dramatic imagery of Ebbw Vales steel production heritage from the early 20th century, led to the development of the iconic green chimneys and the mass of vertical allotments that appropriate the existing concrete columns. The main elements of the Vertical Gardens can be summarised as follows: Green Wall - The green-wall creates a long tapered face that provides a flexible green canvas for plantation that can be adapted and designed to promote local events or simply bring the surface to life. Ramped Path - The basement is entered via a wide ramped path that gradually descends on a constant axis to the existing concrete floor providing inclusive access to all members of the community. Seed Nurseries - The scheme proposes that local primary schools would take ownership of the nurseries to promote respect for the public realm and provide children with a unique opportunity to experience and become educated on nature and its processes. Vertical Allotments - The nurseries supply the vertical allotments that surround the existing concrete columns where tomatoes, courgettes, strawberries, cucumber, runner beans, broad beans and many other vegetables can be grown. Timber Piers – To allow for drainage, the allotments sit on the retained gravel surface of the mechanical basement whilst the green chimneys are positioned on a higher level composed of locally sourced rough sawn timber piers. Green Chimneys – The chimneys are high reaching lightweight reclaimed steel structures reminiscent of Ebbw Vale’s industrial skyline and provide the framework for the vertical garden. The chimneys are autonomous multifunctional objects that integrate lighting, define sheltered seating areas and can even be used for branding and event signage. Corten Artworks – Large scale corten sheet artworks with laser cut designs that represent the schematic plant layout of the former steelworks. PROJECT RESULT The project reached first stage completion for the opening of the National Eisteddfod in July 2010. Local schools have already been chosen to take ownership of the green chimneys and allotments which will help to promote healthy environmentally aware lifestyles from a young age. Future plans are to integrate the project as part of the ‘Growing Together in Wales’ programme. There are plans for the basement to also be used for training and qualifications through integrated horticultural courses in the new sixth form college, community engagement, intergenerational exchange of knowledge and skills, arts projects and social enterprise.