Underpass greens
Creating a recurring pattern for waste spaces:
In large cities, abandoned spaces often catch our eye, typically becoming hangouts or areas prone to crime. However, with small changes, we can create effective spaces within neighborhoods and cities. This shift in focus draws our attention to these neglected areas. Bridges, due to the traffic they accommodate, generate significant noise, yet we rarely consider their impact. By establishing a default pattern, we can introduce spaces that cater to the needs of any community, regardless of cultural context. Sometimes bridges between neighborhoods and cities disrupt connections, but our idea aims to reconnect neighborhoods and create impactful communal spaces throughout the city.
Now, how can we transition from a greenhouse to a communal space? Here’s the key: nature always plays a crucial role in our mental well-being. Despite its decline over the years, our fundamental need for nature remains unchanged. Combining this pattern with nature from the outset influences human psychology, attracting people of various tastes and personalities. Next, humans need their daily actions to yield results, providing motivation for repetition. So, we invite neighborhood residents to participate in plant cultivation and use the produce especially middle-aged individuals who often prefer staying indoors. By nurturing a piece of nature right in the heart of the city, we create a semi-transparent space that contrasts with industrial bridges. It’s as if nature stands against the rigidity of infrastructure, pushing boundaries further.
How the greenhouse works:
The operation of a hydroponic greenhouse involves cultivating plants using a water-based nutrient solution instead of soil. This method allows for vertical growth, maximizing plant yield within minimal space. Hydroponics also mitigates concerns related to pests and weather conditions. For urban greenhouses, this approach proves highly effective, addressing the limited available space for cultivation in cities.
Self-sufficiency:
This idea is planned in such a way that it can create employment on its own scale, be a step forward for its neighborhood and city, and be able to prepare its own supply and maintenance costs without depending on a specific organization.
Among the sources of income of this collection, we can mention the sale of hydroponic products, which include summer vegetables, vegetables, growing flowers and seedlings to supply trees in the region, and the existence of an organic cafe, restaurant, and education environment for those interested.
The analyzed site is Ehsan Bridge, which is located in Shiraz, Iran. It is a very important bridge that connects the east and west of Shiraz and is considered one of the most important arteries of the city. This pattern made a significant change in the role of the space under the bridges.