From decorative to productive : a new form of landscape in mega-block

Abstract

In contemporary China, the mode of xiaoqu is the dominate type of residential. With continuously expansion of the scale and population density, also diverse function and improved infrastructure, it becomes what is called mega-blocks in mainland China. Because of government regulations and also as a means of developers to attract customers, greening and landscape design is always needed in the process of estate development.

But in the process of design, landscape design is always at the last stage when everything is settled and using the left-over space to create decorative landscape for the mega-block. Because of this, landscape in mega-block is more like a a decorative things to the mega-block, to polish it, to make it can be sold at a good price. landscape design in mega-block now is driven by efficiency and not unique to its own community, and even copy and paste. Although, some of it is well designed and nicely maintained, it still have problems under this benefit first and efficiency driven system.

In the typical mega-block, they usually have an underground parking lot, because insufficient load-bearing above the parking lot, the soil thickness is usually from 30 to 150 cm, cannot meet the need of tall trees growing, and always have drainage problem after one year and high maintenance cost. The contemporary water system in mega-block have an insufficient way of using water. Water from city water which is drinkable is used directly to irrigate plants, daily wastewater from buildings and rainwater are not being reused, and ground water system of landscape has no connection to the buildings. The last one problem in existing mega-block is that the landscape within the mega-block is really different from the landscape outside, it is separate and fragment. It tends to be very artificial, exotic and not natural. The principle of choosing plants in it is based on decorative purpose.

Since there are these problems what defined as decorative landscape in the existing mega-block, the thesis is about to use productive landscape in mega-block to solve these problems respectively. To have a productive landscape instead of just decorative purpose landscape in the mega-block.