Land Use Densifier
Client: Shandong
Province
Year: 2020
Location: Shandong, CN
Program: Strategy
Size: —
Type: Competition,
Finalist
Team:
Jorik Bais, Alexandra Heijink, Christian Wolkersdorfer
Land Use Densifier addresses the growing food shortage by repurposing the abandoned mines of Shandong for a densified, circular food production system. The design strategy unfolds through a three-step implementation process:
First, the condition of each mine is analyzed, and the site is subsequently converted into a lake, allowing natural cleansing of the polluted groundwater through floating wetlands.
Second, these artificial lakes are transformed into fish ponds. Existing agriculture in the region is relocated around them, and vertical farming methods are introduced. This creates a circular food production system where crops filter the water for the fish, and fish waste serves as a natural fertilizer.
Third, the system is expanded to other abandoned mining sites across the region. This expansion allows the surrounding cultivated land, currently used for inefficient conventional agriculture, to be returned to its natural and wild state.