Collaborative Green Infrastructure Design Group H

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ALAZHAR PARK

Name	AlAzhar park and surrounding neighborhood
Location	Cairo
Country	Egypt
Authors	Abdullah Arafa, Anna Martínez, Deleanu Florina, Martin Antonov

Landscape and/or urban context of your case

AlAzhar park is considered to be the green lung inside a very dense and crowded Metropolitan area of Cairo city, it was built on an old landfill site and designed to be a very attractive monument of the capital. The most interesting thing about this park that its completely surrounded by grey infrastructure from all directions with no green connectivity whatsoever to any existing park or even natural area, even the near castle or the ElMokattam Hill situated inside Cairo city, which makes it an ideal starting point of establishing a green infrastructure in the surrounding of the park to the city borders. In addition to the fact that this park has a very high number of plant species and water features (though most are artificial) rendering it to be an ecological center of the city and the heart of the first steps of a green infrastructure that can be constructed through the city.

What are the overall objectives of your design? What are the specific objectives for enhancing green infrastructure?

The city of Cairo is full with history, beautiful buildings and a beautiful park, wich represents the biggest green area in the city. The park is surrounded by grey building and is isolated from other green area. The purpose of this design is to connect green areas, to create new ones, to use water in a sustainable and economical way and to make people communicate more with each other.

Analytical drawings

Analytical Drawings
The need of more green areas
Park analysis
Surrounding neighborhood analysis
Topographic map
Roof farming, green roofs and walls
connection via cycle path

Projective drawings

Projective Drawings
projective drawing 4
The concept of a woonerf
Greener Better
cycle path alongside greenery

Design Synthesis

Design Synthesis Drawings
Swot analysis
Options 1 and 2 of smart water usage
Option 3 of smart water usage

Summary of the collaborative process

The potential of introducing greens spaces in the monotone color of urban buildings will bring positive outcome in so many ways. Also bringing back to live the old aqueduct and reusing/recycling water will give a significant push in the way of greener Cairo.

Most difficult was that most of us lack the sense of the environment in Cairo. Not knowing the range and the capacity of water supplement restrained us form foreseeing the possible obstacles. For the green roofs, in general we couldn’t have known the accessibility and the construction limitations of the building. So three options were suggested for the smart use of water in which all are of a closed system of water usage; Soiless closed water system for plants and fruit production, plant and fish production closed system and the closed system of water usage in cooling temperature of the building (acting as an ecological air conditioners).

Collaborative design means solution to a problem viewed form different eyes, contributing to more clear observation of the problems and more accurate resolutions. As contributing to the project, the team work helps the individual development of the team members.