Project description by jury

In the last decades, an over-exploitation of resources, population growth, intensified tourism, aquaculture, and industrial production have caused a progressive coastal degradation in Thailand which endangers local ecosystems and communities. This project recovers the coastal area of the Northern Gulf of Thailand, through the re-creation of a mangrove forest in Khlong Dan municipality. The design solution consists of three small-scale operations that work in synergy to create a massive intervention in the sea, on the shoreline and in the inland area. Several kilometers offshore, eighty triangular floating breakwaters are placed in the sea to reduce the intensity of waves. Rather than resisting nature with heavy foundations, these light structures do not damage the seabed and can be removed 30 years after installation, once the mangrove reforestation is well established. Along the shoreline, a system of bamboo docks further absorbs the wave energy, traps the sediment needed for the mangrove afforestation while generating a trail to promote ecotourism in the area. A small pavilion is positioned on the shoreline to serve as a clam embryo shelter and observation tower. Made of biodegradable materials, the architecture will progressively decompose over the next 30 years.

Jury appraisal

This very complete and detailed proposal addresses the critical environmental issue of coastal erosion in Thailand through a convincing multi-layered and multi-scale design. The project shows a careful analysis of the site and a thoughtful integration of environmental technologies into the landscape and architectural design. The LafargeHolcim Awards jury Asia Pacific particularly appreciated the scientific-driven approach where high- and low-tech elements are interspersed, leading ultimately to an almost poetic atmosphere.

Ecological reclamation process

The ecological reclamation process starts from the reduction of wave intensity by constructing eighty triangular units of floating breakwater connecting as a line, located 2km away in the sea. Three lines of bamboo trap, building layer by layer, along the shoreline helps absorbing wave energy and trapping sediment for mangrove afforestation. The shrimp farm ridges are gradually demolished, allowing seawater to go through the inland. Natural water flow helps preventing water pollution. Reforestation process then begins on the abandoned shrimp farms. Once the forest grows, the afforestation process can be done along the shoreline where sediments have been returned. Within the next 30 years, when mangrove forests become a natural buffer, floating breakwaters can be removed from the coastal ecology.

Due to the high quality of the entries in the competition region of Asia Pacific, the jury selected not four but five projects to receive Next Generation prizes. The winning projects from India, Thailand, and Indonesia all share a strong focus on social sustainability.