AN EXTRODINARY CLIMATE CITY

All

TREDJE NATUR won 2nd place in the Middelfart Climate City competition, along with Entasis and Grontmij.There were 19 teams who applied to be a part of the Climate City competition and 6 were chosen to participate in the first phase. Three teams were then chosen to go on to the dialog phase.

Project information
Partner-in-charge: Flemming Rafn Thomsen
Design Team: Sofie Mandrup Andreassen, Lars Vinther Christensen, Christian Kuczynski, Jakob Sandell Sørensen, Liane Filtenborg, Laustsen, and Max Moriyama
Location: Middelfart
Client: Realdania, Middelfart Spildevand A/S and Middelfart Municipality
Team: Entasis and Grontmij
Project period: 2014 –
Role: Project management, climate adaption and urban development
Type: Prequalified competition. Read more (in Danish)
Status: 1st price in 1 phase and 2nd price in phase 2

The overall theme for the competition was ‘A Great Climate City’. Tredje Natur’s project is based on a conversation between rain, sea, terrain, and forest. The project is future-oriented, while also connecting the cultural history and natural conditions of the city. The project is founded on engaging individuals, while the overall strategy is to engage and educate people about the hidden connections between city and nature for a dynamic daily life in Middelfart based on nature value- to make the people of Middelfart ‘climate smart’.
– From the judge’s comments

#CLIMATE SMART IN MIDDELFART
This project for the Middelfart Climate City presents a liberating and bold approach to city planning. Usually waterfront property or local history are drivers for urban development. This project uses climate as a driver in a unique manner. It asks the question- How can we use climate adaptation to develop a ‘Climate Smart’ strategy, that uses the topography and disposition of Middelfart to show concrete holistic solutions for future sustainable urban areas?

The dialog, comments, and ideas from the local residents show they are aware and knowledgeable about their town. They have a natural concern and enthusiasm with the ‘Climate City’ project. Our team saw this a great resource for value- creation in the project. At the intersection between public investment and private money, we find that Middelfart has unique conditions for creating a number of concrete interventions, based on the knowledge and dreams of the residents.

Ownership is a special opportunity to get involved in the the private lives of the residents and we see a great potential for training ‘Climate Ambassadors’. #CLIMATESMART is the story of Denmark’s most ambitious climate adaptation project to date. Ownership and inclusion are the main elements for success. #CLIMATESMART is culmination of communication and collaboration that describes a wide variety of climate adaptation solutions. The forces of good are combined and lift the city as a whole. Values and means are nurtured by water’s endless cycle, much like a human heart. Water is necessary for all life. The ‘Climate City’ reestablishes water’s natural circuit for the benefit of people and the environment.

#CLIMATESMART themes will be visualized by a climate logo. The logo represents each resident’s engagement. Holistic solutions are not possible without all five themes, just as a person is not whole without their head and limbs.

CLIMATE CITY
From a bird’s eye view, the Climate City’s borders are formed by the topographical movement from the forest at the top, to the sea at the bottom. Historically, porpoise hunting was the basis for the economy in Middelfart. Another important part of the city’s connection to the regional context was the construction the bridge to Jutland. The history of Middelfart is the story of the movement from an early hunting village to a modern, informed and empathetic society, where porpoise conservation and climate adaptation, strengthen and define the city.

The city has changed throughout the centuries to adapt to the topographical conditions and architectural ideals of the times. From the townhouse and city gates of the middle ages, to the single family suburbs on the top of the hill.

The city has always been in dialog with the rain, sea, terrain and forest and thereby continues to be in the ‘Climate City’. The team would like to look into the future and connect the cultural history and natural conditions to one another.

Middelfart is a lovely city. With its unique placement by the water and forest, the residents are some of the happiest in all of Denmark. Their moods will not likely be damped by a flooded basement.

Thinking about of what kind of earth they leave for their children is something that can change people’s mind about climate change. Middelfart can also, as a small city, maintain a strong position in society by following through its ambitious plans to become a climate municipality.

Medieval Core
The area around Brogade, Knorregade, Skovgade and the old harbor have been spoken of lovingly and offensively as a ‘little, tiny place’ with inconsistencies in space, surfaces, and buildings- which have been rearranged throughout the years. ‘Tiny’ and ‘inconsistent’ are something we would like to work with in the medieval core, with a clear focus the local character in the overall plan and how the local considerations support the overall expression.

In the medieval core of Middelfart, climate adaptation creates the overall storyline where we are reminded of the past. The buildings on Knorregade and Smedegade have been formed by the sea, and ship-like buildings consumed by currents lie by the the harbor. We would like to support these interesting conditions in our expression of the medieval core.

Our design is based on the story of the dolphin hunter, the hunting culture, early city planning and how it connects to the bridge, the waterways, Europe and climate. We see the small areas around Knorregade, Skovgade, Brogade, the bridge, the harbor, and the sea as parts of the same story.

Last year we experienced the best ‘stjerneskud’, a traditional Danish dish, from the ‘Fiskehuset’ on a cold December day. This shows that not only does the harbor has life year- round, but it is relevant today, centuries after the town’s establishment. We hope with this project to add to this life in Denmark’s most beautiful ‘Climate City’.

“Man rystes ikke let ud af sine Fuger ved Synet af dette Stykke aa-smalle Bælt, disse smaa, grønne Skove, disse frodige, jævnt stigende Kyster. Alt er venligt, hjemligt, mildt. Men Luften er frisk og sund, denne Yppighed rundt omkring gør Hjærte og Øje godt, og naar Solen daler ned derovre bag de jyske Banker og farver Bæltet som Blod, bliver man ikke let træt af at sidde derude paa Molen eller spasere langs Stranden og betragte, hvorledes Farverne efterhaanden fortoner sig over Himmel og Hav, mens Landet og Skovene rundt om hyller sig ind for Natten i blaalige, røde eller violette Dampe, indtil det alt ligesom synker ned i Sommernattens aandeagtige Dis.”
– Henrik Pontoppidan, 1887

FISHING SQUARE
The fascinating form of the buildings and spaces are unique on Fishing Square. The carved form of the ‘smakkejollen’ is the catalyst for the design because it is formed by years of water erosion. We therefore think of the square as a legend and a sophisticated conversation between the city and water, as a hunt for a dolphin.

Water will be visibly collected like a thin layer of film. A mechanism will hold the water back and allow it to gather up to maximum capacity, where it then will be lead to the Harbor Square. The idea is that the delay will create a soft play with water that echoes the rhythm of rainwater through the space. The mechanism can be opened all the way when there will be market days etc. where it is inconvenient to get one’s feet wet.

The dinghy’s central plank and the cross beam will be placed as ornaments in the floor and will creating seating. This will be a reminder of old Nordic traditions where the city gathers around the town square. The central ‘Dolphin Well’ statue by Hans Olsen and the unique tree are included in the dinghy and are a collective reminder of previous urban qualities.

HARBOR SQUARE
The harbor and the contact with the water have always been the foundation of Middelfart and will therefore be included in the Climate City. The harbor connects the city to the regional waterbody thereby merging the Climate City with the outside world. This connection is emphasized by the bridge which can create urban life and connection.

The main spatial experience at the old harbor is the meeting of the flat harbor and the dramatic slope of the topography. The city is built into the terrain and creates a spatial memory of a section through the terrain of Funen. The horizontal axis is emphasized by the view of the ‘bridge and the open sky’. This experience of the surface and the terrain are crucial in the effect of the Climate City existence on the harbor.

The square is the final threshold before the sea and it is obvious to use this space to emphasize weather events, so that when it rains, the square is activated. On the basis of the conversation with the contractor and the jury, we recommend a more subtle staging of the direction of the water on its way to the Fish Square. The water is centralized around the bridge and the harbor. We were inspired by a porpoise’s blowhole when creating the central node around the new bridge, which serves as a collection point for water at the harbor level. When the water is released from the Fish Square, it creates a water event on the bridge, creating a subtle but direct connection to the urban squares.

Overall, the project creates a convincing co-creation scenario for each intervention area. The team shows a solid understanding of the conditions and terms of a functional co-creation process. It is positive that the team shows a strong understanding of what dialog based innovation processes with residents is about – and what it will take to live up to their proposal.
– Judges comments

THE PUZZLE AND THE PIECES
To optimize the many local histories, we split the city into several puzzle pieces. We are inspired by the city’s composition and character to achieve a convincing overall expression. Every puzzle piece is directly anchored in the essence of the place, a group of residents, and the water issue. The puzzle piece becomes a concept for how we ensure a co-creation process, tailored to the ‘tiny’ place’s physical space and history. Every piece represents something generic and timeless, and together they create a holistic proposal for Middelfart.

Each piece is a part of the larger puzzle of ‘Climate City Middelfart’. They are unique, but still fit into the bigger picture. We imagine that the pieces create a tool, to maintain and inspire communication with the residents. Every piece is numbered and illustrated objectively in relation to light, wind, water, and dimension. The relevant residents and stakeholders fill puzzle piece with their knowledge of the place and their dreams about the future and connect them with anecdotes about life in the city.

Every area is a puzzle piece that can optimize the microclimate – sun, wind, water, and be programmed in relation to traffic, hydraulics, health, and recreation. They are formed in a dialog process with locals and local history. Beauty is not related to what something looks like, but rather its function. The sum of the parts is greater than the individual parts. This entity naturally demands an architectonic concoction of the parts, the spatial possibilities and the resident’s ideas.

Climate solutions must be enabling, meaning that they must visibly support and incentivize residents to develop local knowledge. By using the puzzle pieces, the proposal ensures a close integration between the 3 levels of the Climate City. (1) The local conditions (2) the whole (3) the climate solution catalog. Every neighborhood in Middelfart thereby acquires a specific style, a rhythm in its physical being, it’s ideals and residents.

FROM ADDED VALUE TO NATURE VALUE
Value added means that you get more than the primary goal in the original investment. The team would like to approach this holistically, so that we can methodically quantify and qualify added value in the broadest possible way. For example, it can be valuable for a city’s branding value to host prototype projects. It is important that the projects are anchored in the resident’s everyday life and functionality to improve quality of life.

At the same time, it can be difficult to connect the life we live ‘on the ground’ and the incredibly complex problems climate change presents. Water problems in Middelfart are an example of the intersection of daily life and global challenges.

This momentum must be taken advantage of in order to get people engaged and to disseminate knowledge about the hidden connection between city and nature to the benefit of a more sustainable everyday life. The solutions in Middelfart are therefore not a ‘nicer’ or ‘greener’ solution, but a goal oriented approach with blue-green adaptation through the relevant social, economic, and environmental parameters. We therefore work with the concept of ‘nature value’ -where the technical water infrastructure for water management is just as important as social, green spaces along the sidewalk because we know that holistically seen it creates the highest possible value and make Middelfart’s evolution a common experience.

BREATHING SPACES
All the evidence points to the fact that contact with nature increases interest in natural processes due to the daily contact. We thereby see water and green elements as necessary resources in relation to the ‘good life’ and a well informed actions.

The proposal is built on the fundamental premise that we are drawn to things we can sense. We therefore work with urban spaces that activate the senses. In the Climate City, one is always in contact with environments invite reflection about how things work and fit together.

For example, when one observes roof runoff collect in the rain gardens, it creates an experience for the senses and then lends itself to reflection about the water circulation and its necessity in our daily lives.

The thought process is crucial down to the plant choice in each rain garden and the recreational possibilities. In the ‘Climate City’ approach there are new recreational areas for Middelfart, that are enjoyable year round. They are also horizontal landmarks that show holistic solutions to how we secure and develop our urban environments in new climate scenarios.

Well on it’s way towards a third nature. The winning proposal is like a meteor strike in the functionally divided city

Boris Brorman Jensen in The Architect

It is captivatingly futuristic and, alongside the other comparatively simple schemes, speculates just how advanced we could be if we hadn’t neglected our urban waterways for so long.

Financial Times on HOW

A jury member described it as ‘academic hippie platitudes – plenty of feel-good, but completely unnecessarily high readability index’.
The most original is in the solutions presented. Not least what a jury member call ‘the Big Rainwater Penis’.

Creative Business Cup jury

The winning project of the Europan competition presents a visionary proposal for how we draw nature back into the city and utilize the qualities that it can give to the cityscape.

City Architect of Copenhagen, Tina Saaby

AN EXTRODINARY CLIMATE CITY

TREDJE NATUR won 2nd place in the Middelfart Climate City competition, along with Entasis and Grontmij.There were 19 teams who applied to be a part of the Climate City competition and 6 were chosen to participate in the first phase. Three teams were then chosen to go on to the dialog phase.

Recent Work

Recent Work

Testimonials